Explain Definition and 1000 Threads

  1. W

    Can someone explain a DC electromagnetic generator in lamen terms for me?

    I have been researching generators lately, whilst contemplating building my own wind powered generator. I think I understand the general layout: a central magnetic core that rotates with an outside ring of conductive coils spun in specific alternating turns with their own magnetic cores. If I am...
  2. A

    Please explain the difference between holography and holograms. I have

    Please explain the difference between holography and holograms. I have to do an assignment on holography, but should I research holograms aswell. Thanks
  3. N

    Can maxwell's EM theory explain the photoelectric effect?

    i know that einstein explained it in terms of particles but can maxwells EM waves explain the photoelectric effect aswell?
  4. T

    Trying to explain college math :\

    Ok so I'm tutoring for a class this term which is supposed to be an intro to mathematical proofs. One kid asked me how to understand sentences like "Let x and y be real numbers then x = y or x =/= y.". I'm over simplifying, between - it's the use of anonymous variables that seems to bug them. I...
  5. J

    Could someone please explain this? (HW-related)

    Homework Statement So the last thing we got to learn before studying for finals ... Homework Equations ... was converting something like dx/dt = F(x,y) dy/dt = G(x,y) into a ... The Attempt at a Solution ... system of equations like (x' y')T = J * (x y)T, where J is...
  6. Z

    How does the conservation of momentum explain this?

    Picture the Earth without any atmosphere or air molecules. If I were to throw a rock with 0.5 kg straight up from the surface of the Earth it will reach a velocity of zero at its peak? At this moment the momentum of the rock becomes zero. Where does the momentum go if its always conserved?
  7. C

    Please explain to me why this simple problem is so

    Hey, I just wanted to know if someone could explain to me why the following is true: (x+y)^2 =/= x^2 + y^2 So, in words, why doesn't the some of two numbers added together and then squared equal the sum of the numbers squared individually and then added together? I obviously know...
  8. G

    Medical Someone explain why my heartbeat is SO. SLOW.

    My heartbeat is usually between 40-50. Anything in the 60's is high. When I exercise it can get to 90, but I have asthma, so i can't really exercise easily above that. I'm not athletic. (Why the hell would I be on this kind of forum if I was?) I'm not the most fit. (Slender, but I can't run...
  9. T

    Is the Continuum Hypothesis Valid if the Interval is Wrapped into a Semi-Circle?

    I was talking to a friend recently about the nature of infinity and Georg Cantor's Continuum Hypothesis and I recanted a statement from a Youtube video I watched: "any interval of the continuum, now matter how small, has the same size as the contiuum itself" from the 6:54 mark...
  10. H

    Understanding Plank's Constant and Its Application in Energy Calculations

    What am I doing wrong in this problem? Please explain to me what I am doing wrong. Thanks h-bar is plank's constant. E = (l(l+1)(h-bar^2))/2I (l = 1) I = Mh*R^2 Mh = 1.67x10^(-24)g R = 161x10^(-10) cm For I i got 4.33x10^-40 So when i plugged in I for the top...
  11. Y

    Can anyone explain this regarding to fourier series and bessel series expansion?

    For finding series expansion solution of problems like f(x) = h(x) for 0<x<1 f(x) = 0 for 1<x<2 0<x<2 Where the Fourier series expansion only integrate from x=0 to x=1 only and totally ignor the portion of x=1 to x=2. This is also true for Fourier bessel series expansion...
  12. P

    Why do we need inflation to explain the homogeneity of CMB?

    Can't we simply assume that the initial condition for the universe is perfectly spherically symmetric, and the problem is solved? In other words, can't we make the CMB homogeneous just by imposing homogeneous initial conditions? The fluctuations can be explained by quantum effects. Of course...
  13. T

    Easy ways to explain special & general relativity

    If you had 3 sentences to describe special relativity to someone that doesn't know anything about it and 3 sentences to describe general relativity, how would you describe it? I'm reading Fabric of the Cosmos and trying to get a grip on these theories, just a basic grip, I probably won't...
  14. R

    Can someone explain this to me?

    I'm trying to make a soda can roll on its own down a level hallway and someone gave me this explanation on a possible way to do it, but I'm having trouble understanding how to execute it. Can someone explain it in different words? "One complicated mechanical way is to put a flywheel inside...
  15. S

    Does Newton's law of gravitation explain this?

    Being possibly the newest member here, I would like to put a question that has troubled my mind for quite a while.. If I have a uniform ring (having a certain mass) and a point mass in some idealised gravity free space & I orient them such that the point mass lies exactly at center of the...
  16. H

    C# Can anyone explain what this c# code does or give a C equalivent?

    C# vs c ! Hello every body! can anyone explain what this c# code does or give a C equalivent? public static void Replace(ref byte b, int pos, byte value) { b = (byte) (value == 1 ? b | (1 << pos) : b & ~(1 << pos)); } public static byte...
  17. R

    Can someone please explain overlap integrals to me?

    I'm studying for my Quantum Mechanics course and I've understood most of it so far, until we reached the quantum harmonic oscillator. Finding the solution was no easy feat and I have to say I only had a slender grasp of the derivation, but now I'm being given questions about certain energy...
  18. M

    Can someone explain this quantum physics concepts to me?

    I don't understand how matter can be transformed to light and light can be transformed into matter? Also, how exactly does this happen when something happens to one particle and something equivalent happens to another particle of the same type on the other end of the Earth instantaneously...
  19. P

    Simplification of an integral please explain

    In doing math I try not to memorize shortcuts/simplifications, but instead understand what's happening. When studying integrals, my professor gave out a few "simplifications" for us to use on problems; most of which I have been able to figure out, except one. I just cannot seem to figure out the...
  20. S

    Explain me this concept (Laws of Motion)

    Two blocks placed one on top of the other are lying on a horizontal smooth surface. The coefficient of friction between the blocks is \mu. Case 1: Horizontal force F is applied to the lower block (Fig. 14). [PLAIN]http://www.monbattle.com/1.jpg Please help me to find out how they have...
  21. KrisOhn

    Can someone explain to me what renormalization is?

    Can someone explain to me what renormalization is? And why General Relativity isn't renormalizable?
  22. S

    Explain me concept (Fluid Mechanics)

    It has been told to me that atmosphere exert a pressure (known as atmospheric pressure) on the surface (I'll take water surface here). And as we go down into water (any fluid, but for instance I'm taking water) the pressure increases. And this increase in the pressure is independent of the shape...
  23. M

    Please explain about general coordiante

    Hello. In Arfken(6rd edi.), p.104 around eqn(2.3), ~~In general, these unit vectors will depend on the position in space. Then a vector may be written, V=\hat {q_{1}}V_{1}+ \hat q_{2} V_{2}+ \hat q_{3} V_{3} \underline{\mbox{but the coordinate or position vector is different in...
  24. M

    Learn About Multivibrators and Flasher Circuits: A Step-by-Step Explanation

    Hi, please, help me understand this circuit that is drawn here: http://wild-bohemian.com/electronics/flasher.html I have learned about miltivibrators (which is what I believe this is) in my electronics classes but never really understood them. I tried understanding it myself - as the...
  25. P

    Where can I find a book to explain the maths behind physics?

    I am currently reading books explaining both classical and modern physics, such as stephen hawking, brian greene, and enjoy learning from these books. However i would love to learn more about the mathematical equations and formulae behind these theories. Does anyone know a book that...
  26. B

    Implicit Differentiation: two different answers found. Please explain.

    Homework Statement Could anyone explain that I got two different answers for this question: find dy/dx of \frac{x}{x+y}-\frac{y}{x}=4 Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution 1. using quotient rule: \frac{x+y-(1+dy/dx)x}{(x+y)^{2}}-\frac{x\frac{dy}{dx}-y}{x^{2}}=0...
  27. T

    Explain why -sin[SUP]2[/SUP]x - cos[SUP]2[SUP]x = -1

    Homework Statement I should know this, but I'm using it as a step in one of my proofs and having trouble explaining how it works. Can someone help? -sin2x - cos2x = -1 Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Not sure how to prove and explain it. And sorry about the title gents I'm using...
  28. X

    LRC circuit , please explain this

    LRC circuit , please explain this .. what are the Resistive Element, Inductive Element and Capacitive element of LRC circuit please explain
  29. R

    Can someone explain this to me

    Say you have an equation like this. Xcos17 + Xsin17 = 600 If I want to solve for X, I know that I can divide by cos17 + sin17. So it ends up being X = 600/(cos17 + sin17). However, why is it that it becomes just one X on the left side? There are two X's and dividing by cos17 + sin17...
  30. L

    Could someone explain this entropic force business to me?

    So I don't understand what all the craze is about entropic forces because as far as I can tell, they're nothing new. All forces as we understand them are caused by a large number of particles. The electric force is due to the interactions of large numbers of photons; the weak force due to...
  31. M

    Why Is Tension Calculated Using the Smaller Mass in a Two-Block System?

    Homework Statement Two blocks connected by a string are pulled across a horizontal frictionless surface by a horizontal force of magnitude F=14.0 N. What is the tension (T) in the connecting string? so you have block 1 (mass of 2kg) then the string then block 2 (mass of 5kg) then the force...
  32. K

    Can anyone explain dispersion to me in simple words?

    Can anyone explain "dispersion" to me in simple words? Can anyone explain "dispersion" to me in simple words? like,, when waves escape from a small gap why would they s[read out in circles? thnx for help!
  33. W

    A simple microphone preamp can someone explain this circuit to me?

    Hi guys. Firstly, sorry if this question is far to easy for this section of the forums. Basically, I was bored and decided to take apart a microphone I that I had just lying around. It came with a box that you have to put the microphone through, which had the following circuit in it...
  34. R

    Can you explain this? Hunting physics

    I have heard about people bow hunting whitetail deer where a perfectly placed shot can turn into a complete miss due to the deer's reaction. When I heard this, I thought it was impossible. But I found a clip on the internet showing a step by step shot missing a deer. Here's my basic thinking-...
  35. G

    Can current evolutionary theory explain identical twins and intersex babies?

    Phew, I made the mistake of posting these questions on Yahoo Answers and got blown away by people who wanted to convert me to Christianity. I had forgotten about this forum. Thank goodness it's here. So it's actually two questions: #1: Intersex I've just discovered some literature on intersex...
  36. T

    Can someone explain this about gradients to me?

    Say I have two 3d vector functions A and B I would intuitively think that the xhat component of (A dot Nabla)B would be (dAx/dx+dAy/dy+dAz/dz)Bx but my book gives it as Ax*dBx/dx + Ay*dBx/dy + Az*dBx/dz why is this so? why isn't A dot nabla equal to (dAx/dx+dAy/dy+dAz/dz)? My...
  37. C

    Torques please explain it a little more.

    can you please explain why this (TLsin30.0° − w((L/ 2)cos30.0°) − w(Lcos30.0°) = 0) becomes this T sin30.0° − (3w/ 2)cos30.0° = 0 i though i can do all the transpose and other stuff. but i can't figure that one. i want to get the T. please help me.
  38. R

    Can anyone explain what actually surface tension is?

    can anyone explain what actually surface tension is?? I am confused about surface tension. Everywhere it is written that due to unbalance of forces at surface the molecules at boundary tend to move inwards and thus surface tends to take minimum area as possible. This is ok but it is also...
  39. N

    Can someone explain to me why college textbooks are ridiculously costly ?

    I was looking on amazon.com and looking at Leonard susskind's black hole war and David Griffith's Introduction to quantum mechanics and they were both hard cover and Leonard susskind's book contained more pages than Griffith's Introduction to Quantume mechanics costs 5 times as much as Susskind...
  40. K

    How Much Must You Stretch a Guitar String to Obtain a Tension of 10 N?

    Homework Statement A 0.46 m long guitar string, of cross-sectional area 1.1 10-6 m2, has Young's modulus Y = 2.20 109 N/m2. By how much must you stretch the string to obtain a tension of 10 N? Homework Equations ? The Attempt at a Solution I don't know how to begin this...
  41. C

    Does time stopping at c explain spooky action at a distance?

    Does time "stopping" at c explain spooky action at a distance? My thinking is this: We know that two interacting photons will adjust their spins relative to each other. We know that if one of these photons change their spin at some time in the 'future', the other photon will instantaneously...
  42. O

    Explain Buoyancy: A Boat, Rock, and Swimming Pool

    Homework Statement A small boat is floating in a swimming pool. The boat contains a heavy rock. If the rock is tossed out of the boat into the pool and the rock sinks, what happens to the water level in the pool? What if the rock floats? What if the rock became submerged in water (but didn't...
  43. S

    Exploring Time Travel: How Do We Explain Its Possibility?

    Special theory of relativity says that in the absence of an absolute reference, different observers may disagree on the time at which a particular event happened. With this knowledge, how do i explain time travelling? Every observer should be witnessing the same set of events (though their...
  44. A

    Explain Why we get hut by kicking a brick

    Explain Why we get hurt by kicking a brick Homework Statement You can easily move a brick lying on a floor by gently pushing it by your foot. But you hurt your foot when you try to kick the brick. Explain why? (in 60 to 80 words) Homework EquationsTheory Question The Attempt at a...
  45. P

    Mathematica Can someone please explain how to write functions in Wolfram Mathematica ?

    I'm good in writing functions in Matlab , however since moving to Mathematica , I find it pretty hard to write them . For instance I need to write a function that returns a [1,0,-1] to integers, meaning x>0 , x==0 , x<0 with a single If , but I didn't find a way with one (only two)...
  46. C

    Can someone explain this can't understand notation

    from wikipedia for "The most general equation for rotation of a rigid body in three dimensions about an arbitrary origin O with axes x, y, z is"... i thought that the sum of the torques on a system is just equal to d/dt(L)=d/dt(Iw)...apparently not - but i can't understand the notation...
  47. S

    FM Transmitter Circuit (Please Explain working)

    Hi.I have got this circuit for a low cost short range FM transmitter but I am unable to understand the working and functionality of the circuit.Please help me in understanding the working.What I know is that its working as a VCO(voltage controlled oscillator) when input (through electret mic) is...
  48. edpell

    Inflation - can someone please explain it?

    What is inflation (in big bang theory not economics)?
  49. Ƒ

    Can someone please explain to me how to do combinations?

    Can someone please explain to me how to do combinations?
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