Thinking Definition and 397 Threads

I need help starting and solving this problem. See attachment for problem.

I'm about to enter my sophomore year of chemE. I haven't taken any chemical engineering classes yet but am registered for one in the fall. In high school, I found chemistry incredibly interesting, math tolerable, and physics..well I had only read Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking. Now that...

We all know that our universe is headed towards a heat death with maximum entropy and useless energy. However, we know that a vacuum of space will always have energy greater than its local minimum (potential well) due to the uncertainty principle. There must always be random fluctuations...

I am 15 years old living in the Uk and i plan to leave sixth form in two years time with A* A-Levels in Sociology, Physics, Further Maths, Maths, and Chemistry and AS in biology and General studies. I would then hope to go to Cambridge, Imperial college, or Edinburgh University to study Physics...

I'm studying math proofs and I can't seem to grasp the intuition behind various proofs. Does this mean I don't understand the mathematics behind it, even though I understand perfectly the logic? Is mathematics supposed to be intuitive? Edit: I know basic facts of logic is founded on reason...

My friend is taking linear algebra this semester, and math is definitely not one of her passions. She was nervous about taking it, but ended up doing it because I got an A+ in the course last semester and said I would help her with anything she's having trouble with. Unfortunately I'm having a...

Hello everybody :) I've already posted in this forum, wondering if one could do a masters in physics or maths with bachelor in EE, and the answer was quite helpful. So thanks for that. Now I am facing a new problem, well not so much a problem, but a tough decision. I've nearly completed my...

Hello, this question may have been asked a lot of times, and I'm sorry if it bothers you, but oh well.. I am in my 2nd year of Electrical Engineering undergraduate, got 1 year left. I have always been very interested in physics (particularly astrophysics) and mathematics . Do you think it is...

Homework Statement a) Write the cosine law using a vector operation. b) If |vector a - vector b| = |vector a + vector b|, prove that a is perpendicular to b using the formula you found in a). The Attempt at a Solution The red period represents the dot product a) magnitude c =...

Hey guys, Right now I'm about to finish my undergrad studies and go on to do my Masters degree. First and foremost I want to do my MSAE in aircraft controls/control systems. After this I am considering doing a second masters degree in EE again in control systems, however, I am doing this to get...

Hello all, Is there some books (preferably some websites) that deals with: how an individual's hobbies are related to their lateral thinking? thanks

I am very curious about how people think in words alone for a long time and am hoping that some of you here can enlighten me on this topic. When i try to investigate the subject almost all that i come across are articles on how people think visually which for me is normal and therefore of little...

Homework Statement Determine a sine function, f, and a cosine function, f, such that y= √2 sin (π(x-2.25)) can be written in the form of f-g. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution well.. i know that: = sinx - cosx = sinx - (-sin(π/2-x)) = √2 sin(x + π/4) that's as...

I've been thinking about blackbodies, and have become confused with regards to their temperature. Is the temperature constant throughout in a blackbody, or is there a temperature gradient dependant on which side is closest to the source of heat? Would it matter?

Lately I've been thinking of c as the maximum speed of cause and effect in the universe, and the speed of sound as the maximum speed of cause and effect within/for that specific medium. Is it correct to say that if i had an iron bar as a lever, and i threw on end down, the other end would not...

First off, I'd like to introduce myself as this is my first post. My name is John, I'm 17, unemployed and science/technology has kept me entertained and happy for most of my life. With that said, I have a few questions. The first one is for the physicists (w/ a job) on this forum. What's a...

Tricky Theoretical Thinking Question Homework Statement Two equal-weight kids each hang from the ends of a rope passing over a weightless, frictionless pulley. If one child accelerates up the rope, what happens to the other? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution At...

Homework Statement a) given, a + 5 and 2a-1, one is 40% greater than the other one, solve for a. b) given, 5x^{4} + 4x^{3} + 3x^{2} + Px + Q. When divided by x^{2} - 1, you get a remainder of 0, solve for p and q. c) given csc(6b + \frac{pi}{8}) = sec(2b - \frac{pi}{8}), solve for b...

Since I don't have have a formal math background, I'm always under impression that academically trained mathematicians/physicists/computer scientists have superb arithmetic abilities. For example, they can add large numbers on a fly. Say a physics Ph.D. just got job in a bank. He is a quant...

Hello! So I am in Canada, and applications for universities are due in a few months. I love music, and i also love math. I recently stumbled on a career path of Actuarial Science and i think it sounds rather cool. I've heard about all the exams and how everything will pay off in the end...

Hi, this is my first thread, and my question is; to witch degree can an autist thinker(comprehending via association through different fields such as music) learn quantum phyisics without math?

In the thread for my post of "The Boys Puzzle", D H, a PF Mentor, wisely mentions the Monte Hall problem as an example of the type of puzzle that people have difficulty dealing with. That is indeed the case. For example, here is a slight modification of that Monte Hall puzzle that has been...

Hello, I am a Canadian student, currently studying Mathematical Physics at the University of Waterloo. I finished my first year and I can safely say that I enjoyed my program. I performed relatively well on my Math courses, getting 80s however, my physics marks were sub-par, scraping 76 in...

Since we all know that energy is conserved, it is converted from one form to another, I want to ask you what happens to the energy when a compressed spring, in a vacuum is released? Where does the energy go, does it simply become heat energy in the spring, or is it transferred another way?

Background info about myself: I am 30 years old. I got BA with double major in physics and math at UC Berkeley in 2001. I got Masters in Physics at University of Minnesota in 2004, and I got ph.d. in Physics, at University of Michigan in 2009. I am now pursuing my post doc in Raman Research...

I have to take a required course for my major this fall titled Mathematical Thinking. The course description says something along the ways of "students are expected to give presentations, for examples and counterexamples and proof mathematical theories..." that's not verbatim, but it's what I...

I recently got the idea of being a physics major. I was accepted for chemical engineering, but I'm not sure I want to concentrate on that just yet. I will be entering college in the fall. I really love studying physics, even though I've never had an actual class on it. I read physics...

Hey! I'm a high school senior about to graduate and I'm trying to decide what to do with my future. I really love physics. What kind of job could I get with a Phd in physics? Is the job market saturated or is it open? How much could I expect to earn? If I majored in undergrad physics could...

Hey guys! I'm currently a senior in high school who will be moving onto college next year. I've always had a strong point in math, it's something I want to continue studying. In high school I didn't really push myself to the limit so I haven't studied Physics yet. I'm currently in...

When talking about classical probabilities, like whether the ball is in one of two boxes, with 1/2 probability for the ball to be under either box, we see that the probability and the ball are two separate things. The probability is just based on how much you knowledge you have about the ball...

I'm a 4th year college student who has studied 2 years of sociology, and 2 years of film. With summer studies, I could graduate this fall with an SOC. degree, but have little interest in doing this other than that I would have a B.S. to mark up my resume. I have been thinking long and hard, for...

This seems like such a simple question and I feel like an idiot asking it, but here goes: If we have a hydrogen atom (not molecule) at "rest" and we shoot an electron at it with a certain known energy, what could happen? To me, it seems as though there are two distinct outcomes; either the...

Hello guys, I don't know much about brain and stuff I only know a bit about action potential. My question is I can understand how sensory nerves by a stimulus, but let's say I want to pick a pen. How does brain initiate the action potential for that? This might have been dicussed before but...

I am posting this because I am sure there are plenty of other folks out there who have elderly parent's or relative's who want to use a PC, and are not all that savvy with them. When they run into problems, getting competent help can be expensive, and time consuming, not to mention...

There is a parlance from my teacher that we should think for hard problems as much as we can.Don't look for solutions,do problems without solutions and so you can be trained to face real problems. What's your view of this opnion?Should we think for hours to solve a test problem?

Yesterday I got into a discussion with a girl from school about how women are generally more emotional thinkers than men. What mean is that they base their decisions more heavily on how they feel 'in their heart' rather than possibly looking at the big picture. It's more of a personal (dare I...

Up front: I'm a total layperson with no formal scientific training. I'm also a rational human being who doesn't believe in mumbo-jumbo but can allow for there to be plenty of counterintuitive reality that we haven't yet discovered. No Bigfoot or Nessie talk, but, you know, open-minded. So I...

I've got a good memory, but I think that may be to my detriment. I accept almost anything at face value without questioning it. Any tips for getting out of this pattern?

As a high school senior who hopes to pursue a career in physics, I am learning more about how I want to continue my education every day. Originally, I had hoped to get in the very highest ranked universities (with respect to the physical sciences) as an undergraduate, but I've come to realize...

I've found on days where I do a lot of thinking I get really hungry rather often throughout the day like if I've been working out or something. This seems to make sense since the brain is like a supercomputer it must take a lot of energy to power it, but how much? The amount of calories required...

Would it be possible to somehow force a cis oriented unsaturated compound to a trans oriented version? Has this ever been done? I mean without synthesis but rather some sort of immense force applied to the molecule to shift its orientation? Is it even possible...or would the bond be too strong...

It's suddenly started creeping up on me that the degree is almost over, barely having even started, and I was wondering about internships and things. We've just been sent an email by the department about penultimate year internships, which as I'm on a 4 year course I'm not that far yet. Still...

I was wondering if the following responses, and their line of reasoning, is correct: The wavefunction is 0 at the nucleus for each stationary state of the hydrogen atom. -> False (thinking in terms of the radial distribution, it only approaches 0) The most probable value of the...

I am an Electrical Engineer. I have a MS degree. Soon after graduation, I started working for physicists. At work, I found I was lacking some fundamental concepts. Nobody said I was a bad engineer. Everything I designed worked. But the way physicists think is much different. Much more...

Well I'm in high school right now, grade 11 to be exact and I've started looking around for any interesting universities. I might change but I'm thinking of doing Astrophysics or major in Physics then move onto Astrophysics. I also know that I want to study in Canada so enough background, I just...

Hi everyone Long time since i posted something. (May be i have posted at the wrong place, Doc Al...feel free to move it) I am in my first year... Basically i will have to start writing research papers from the next year... But i am really interested to start from the first year... I...

Sorry if this is something of a re-post. Let’s start out with a little background information, shall we? ? I attended an out-of-state university and did piss poor (1.1 gpa with over 60 credits) for two years before being kicked to the curb. During my stay I switched majors about three...

I am thinking about going into the Air Force ROTC program at University of Arizona if I can get accepted. Hints, tips, ideas, opinions, words of praise?

I just spotted another thread where the poster asked "can a modern scientist be religious". I thought about it and I realize that my crazy notions are some of my biggest motivators behind me aspiring to become a scientist. There could be unseen phenomena all around us that is yet to be...

I understand that Einstein derived his Special Theory from two assumptions: 1. That classical physics holds in all inertial frames 2. That the speed of light will always be measured to be the same. So, what I was trying to do was to derive the equations starting out from these two...