Money Definition and 279 Threads

Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange, a unit of account, a store of value and sometimes, a standard of deferred payment. Any item or verifiable record that fulfils these functions can be considered as money.
Money is historically an emergent market phenomenon establishing a commodity money, but nearly all contemporary money systems are based on fiat money. Fiat money, like any check or note of debt, is without use value as a physical commodity. It derives its value by being declared by a government to be legal tender; that is, it must be accepted as a form of payment within the boundaries of the country, for "all debts, public and private". Counterfeit money can cause good money to lose its value.
The money supply of a country consists of currency (banknotes and coins) and, depending on the particular definition used, one or more types of bank money (the balances held in checking accounts, savings accounts, and other types of bank accounts). Bank money, which consists only of records (mostly computerized in modern banking), forms by far the largest part of broad money in developed countries.

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  1. D

    Schools What To Do When You Think You're Wasting Time and Money Applying to Grad School

    I'm currently studying for the PGRE. I'm doing miserable. After 3 years of physics courses, this is completely discouraging. Just completely. I don't know half this material, and I've done very well in almost all of my physics courses (except EM...). I'm starting to panic. I don't think...
  2. P

    Do you have money invested in the stock market?

    Just wondering ;).
  3. Who Am I

    Engineering Changing Careers: Can Engineers Make Money Part-Time?

    I am trying to work my life out and I don't want my mathematical skills to go to waste, but I also don't want to be working my *** off for the rest of my life. So, I was wondering, if you worked full time as an engineer for several years getting lots of experience, would it be possible to...
  4. T

    Can you win money on a bad bet?

    I'm just now learning about the Kelly betting system, and I can't wrap my mind around the result that sometimes you should bet a fraction of your money on a bet with negative expected value. Here is an application of the system when you can bet a fixed fraction on any combination of mutually...
  5. B

    How Many Bills of Each Denomination Make $100 from 32 Bills?

    Homework Statement I have 32 bills in my wallet in the denominations $1, $5, and $10, worth $100 in total. How many of each denomination do I have? Homework Equations A= # $1 bills B= # $5 bills C= # $10 bills A+B+C = 32 1A+5B+10C = 100 The Attempt at a Solution So I...
  6. edward

    Was the Ab Circle Pro Refund Due to Deceptive Advertising?

    When I first saw the infomercial I knew this Chinese manufactured piece of junk was worthless. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/companies-marketing-ab-circle-pro-to-pay-up-to-25-million-in-refunds-to-settle-ads-charges/2012/08/23/77799a20-ed33-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story.html...
  7. X

    Worth paying the extra money and upgrading to Wolfram Alpha pro?

    Do you guys think it is worth paying the extra money and upgrading to Wolfram Alpha pro?
  8. P

    Do Ads Still Pay Well? Investigating Online Advertising's Viability

    I never click ads, I use adblock plus, and I assume that most other people also rarely click ads. I know that ads can still be valuable by increasing my awareness of a brand/idea though. My question is: Do ads still pay well? I've read that online advertising is becoming less viable as...
  9. Jim Kata

    Debt Based Money: Can Money Exist Without Debt?

    Can money exist without debt? Or is the whole point of money to put people into debt? For example, to my naive understanding when the government wants to create money they have to sell debt, interest bearing treasury bonds. How can the government get out of debt if they have to create more...
  10. K

    How much money are physics professors in the US making?

    Just asking because I love physics so much but i am just wondering on the average salaries...
  11. D

    Is it fair that one doesn't get money for publications in journals

    I have raised this question, and got one interesting answer: 'should obama get money for every newspaper story about him?' However, I don't think that's a good analogy. I would personally think writing a book and getting money for it is more analogous to having a paper that you fully wrote on...
  12. D

    Can you make money getting published in scientific journal

    I was wondering if one can make money by getting published in scientific journals
  13. C

    News How does Europe still have a lot of money?

    European nations were colonial powers hence plundered a lot of countries and became rich. But now that they are no longer in power, how are they still so rich ?
  14. edward

    What caused the financial crisis on Wall Street?

    From PBS Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/money-power-wall-street/ The first two parts of the most recent and informative documentary on Wall Street and the financial crisis. The next two air next Tuesday. Frontline spills the beans and opens several cans of worms...
  15. A

    Is spending huge money on high energy physics expt justified?

    I am asking this question here rather than in some other forum assuming most of those interested in HEP visit this forum. I personally believe that high energy physics attempts to find answers to some of the most fundamental questions in nature and hence spending huge amount of money for this...
  16. M

    Using Excel to figure out how much money I could make if I traded my dividends?

    I want to use Excel to figure out how much money, in dividends, I could make if I bought a stock in Microsoft, whose stock has recently stayed at $30-$31. They pay $0.80 in dividends/share. So far, I have a spreadsheet with columns "Years," "Shares," "Share Cost - Dividends," and...
  17. Who Am I

    Physics What are the career options for physicists outside of academia?

    I've been seeing a lot about people not making much as physicists, but it seems to mainly be centered around academia. Don't get me wrong, I love physics in enough ways to be perfectly happy entering a wide variety of fields. I'm a first year undergrad studying physics, which leaves me open to a...
  18. T

    How Do You Calculate the Number of Microstates in Money Distribution?

    I am studying for a statistical physics exam and have been struggling with the statistic parts, especially calculating the number of microstates. I am starting to understand most questions but have no clue how to handle this one. Homework Statement We distribute a total of E dollars among a...
  19. C

    Time is money, knowledge is power.

    You may've heard this one before: 1. Time is money 2. Knowledge is power 3. Power = Work/time Therefore; Money = work/knowledge which proves the less you know, the more money you get. I was thinking about this when someone mentioned the 'pressure of time' preventing them from...
  20. Ryan_m_b

    Xkcd's take on representing money.

    I'd put this in the thread but it would stretch it from here to Mars; http://xkcd.com/980/ Well worth a look for some interesting comparisons.
  21. V

    What are NASA's plans for utilizing resources on the moon?

    NASA's proposals for moon projects never seem to involve the kind of experimentation that would test the ideas of exploiting resources on the moon. Why hasn't there been small scale testing, using robotic spacecraft to the moon, to try various theories, such as using lunar soil for cements...
  22. fluidistic

    Saving money and time for presidents

    What are the cons of using our "technology" like webcam+microphone for our presidents (and probably many more people) when they want to meet? So far I see only pros: Save plane ticket price for the president and all the other necessary crew+all the expenses of the trip (probably over 1...
  23. Greg Bernhardt

    Blizzard Changes Course, Integrates Real Money Trading Into Diablo III

    If you’re a hardcore player of World of Warcraft, you know how stringently its parent company, Blizzard, has fought to keep the spectre of real money trading (RMT) from corrupting the game. *Gold farming and power leveling were/are scourges of …...
  24. K

    Programs How much money would I be needing to finish a PhD in Physics?

    Let's say I don't use any financial aid or any scholarship. How much would I be paying from 1st year college until my PhD in Physics. Just give an average or if you have a PhD in Physics how much did you spend getting it. Another Question. I'm going in a community college right now because...
  25. S

    Paying money for rocket designing request.

    Greetings, I've been looking at Physics forums few months ago, but I never taught of making an account. So now I'am motivated and I have made one and this is my first post. I'am 17 years old, I'am a Java programmer. I have wide knowledge of many things in the computer world. I have a...
  26. N

    Looking for experience and money.

    Hi, at the moment I am studying at a community college. Hoping on finishing transferable units on a civ/meche program and then transferring to some university. But, at the moment I need a job. :cry: Is it possible to get an apprenticeship with some company or is that wishful thinking? What do...
  27. T

    Investment in the circular flow of money

    In some (closed) models of the circular flow of money Investment is shown as a demand from firms on capital goods and services. In other models it is shown as a flow from the financial sector to the firms. It seems to me that these two things are clearly different. The first case is genuine...
  28. L

    How universities make money through research

    Hi there, I am interested in understanding how the money process works for an University. I guess that the main income comes from student fees (I am referring to private-or-almost ones), then why would an university do research? I can figure out a naive mechanism: research brings...
  29. D

    What is the true value of money in a competitive society?

    Not a technical question. Simply personal opinion. Money to me is a way to convert ones work into a liquid/barter-able asset. You make financially what you are worth in a competitive society. IMO. The less competitive the environment, the greater the financial disparity in a society...
  30. L

    Should I Switch from Physics to Economics for Financial Stability?

    Hello everyone, I've always been naturally talented in physics and mathematics, however i am thinking of switching majors to economics and business for financial reasons in the future. I have a passion for physics and math and so I will study them privately, but being financially stable...
  31. P

    Exploring the Inertia of Money While Orbiting a Black Hole

    I'm orbiting a black hole at 99.999999 percent of the speed of light, and then I turn on my headlights. Then I suddenly realize that money has inertia - at least that's what my stock market broker is saying. How fast does the gravity of this thought travel? Does the speed of my travel...
  32. F

    Should Schools Switch to Free, Open Source Software?

    It really frustrates me when I see my high school spending thousands of dollars every year on Antivirus software, Microsoft Office licenses, Microsoft Windows' keys, and other products such as Adobe Photoshop. As a heavy Windows and Linux user, I can safely say my experiences with both Operating...
  33. jtbell

    Monopoly Goes Digital: Is Paper Money a Thing of the Past?

    No more Monopoly money?! Hasbro is introducing a new version of the classic Monopoly game that has the familiar houses, hotels and title deed cards, but no paper money. A computer sitting in the middle of the board keeps track of players' money and rolls virtual dice for you, telling you what...
  34. B

    Is Our Debt Exceeding Our Wealth?

    Is there more debt then money?
  35. S

    Do Engineers Earn More Than Astrophysicists?

    Astrophysics; Money matters... ?? Hi, A little intro to help you understand. I'm from India in 12th grade or A-Levels, and was applying to British Uni's for Undergrad studies. I was thinking either B.Sc Physics/Astrophysics (1st Priority) or Engineering preferably Aero Just to get a...
  36. Pengwuino

    A REAL new years resolution to save you money

    Every so often I read articles about how you can save a lot of money simply by negotiating your bills down. One even noted how it can be the perfect new years "resolution". While it's not a resolution per say, the idea is when the first of the year comes around, call all of your cable/cell/phone...
  37. L

    Do research chemists really make such little money?

    I looked up the median income for a PhD research chemist and it was a paltry $66,000. I'm planning on going to grad school to get a PhD, and while I love chemistry and it really isn't about the money, $66,000 just seems reaaaalllly low for what you have to put into it. 7 years of education...
  38. H

    Learning General Relativity Without Money: An Internet Guide

    Hey Guys , I want to learn general realtvity. After seen a lot of documentaries. I found myself primarily lacking for mathematics. Therefore I conclued that if I don't go with mathematics I will not progress. I heard general realtivity uses some type of tensor calculus. How can I lean that ...
  39. T

    Surviving on a Low Income: Coping Strategies and Seeking Better Opportunities

    I don't know how I can do anything but just survive with the money I currently make. Here's my simplified calculation (per month): Income - $1500 Expenses: -Rent: $600 -Utilities: $200 -Food: $300 -Car (insurance + gas): $200 That leaves $200 for everything else, including health insurance...
  40. H

    For older professionals, do you value money, or intellectual stimulation?

    I want to ask a non-technical career question, and I would like to be respondent by people with 10+, or 20+(ideally) years of working experience in professional high earning fields( professors, lawyers, doctors, bankers, engineers). I am facing a dilemma. One the one hand, i am not making...
  41. J

    Money for Nothing: Living Life of Rock Star with Pension & Social Sec

    I'm living the life of a rock star. I used to work in Japan and got vested in a small pension that just started paying out. At the current exchange rate, I receive about $2300 a year. Since I have been paying Social Security for more than 30 years, this will not diminish my govt pension. When I...
  42. M

    How can a lender make more money if you don't pay off your loan early

    or pay a prepayment penalty? Il
  43. M

    US running out of places to store money

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10783019 Personally I would have no problems being sent $ coins in large quantities, and I'm not even very bothered about which president was on them.
  44. B

    Anyone familiar with the book Dying of Money ?

    Anyone familiar with the book "Dying of Money"? The book : "Dying of Money: Lessons of the Great German and American Inflations" I got curious about this book after reading this article...
  45. J

    Money, Debt, Value: Leveraging Commodities to Manage Economy

    Money is both a measure of value and an IOU for your input into the economy. Sometimes money is considered a store of value but value is subjective based on our personal tastes which are based upon our means. Money is often created in the form of debt by either governments or banks borrowing...
  46. D

    News Throw the money in the garbage for good

    There is no need to emphasize how much we humans have been enslaved by money, how our lives and futures depend on it, and how much pain and suffering it has brought to our lives. Ever woke up in the morning, knowing you got no job, the rent/mortgage is due, no health insurance, no money left to...
  47. Cyrus

    News Iraq War Sanctions: Tracing Money and Oil

    Im having a discussion with someone about sanctions leading up to the war in Iraq. I was wondering if anyone could give me a source which shows where the money went in that program (corruption), and what country the Iraqi oil went to.
  48. Borg

    What Would You Do with Unlimited Funds?

    We've probably all dreamt at one time or another about what you would do if you had all the money that you ever wanted. I think that this would fun - buy the http://graydesign.se/" and get a free car. So, what would you do if you had enough money?
  49. B

    Can love and friendship replace money?

    Considering that economic recession has been on the agenda for years now, I was asking myself if anything can adequately comfort people in the absence of money and material consumption. The only possibility I could come up with is love and friendship. So my question is whether finding and...
  50. M

    Probability of losing a certain amount of money to an investment?

    So, let's say that I plan to buy a stock for $100,000. The record minimum value of the stock is $50,000. The record maximum value is $120,000. The probability of losing money is 85%. My goal with the stock is to raise $5,000, no more no less. Not taking into account how frequently stocks...
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