What is Building: Definition and 918 Discussions

A building, or edifice, is a structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, and aesthetic reasons. To better understand the term building compare the list of nonbuilding structures.
Buildings serve several societal needs – primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the outside (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful).
Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or canvasses of much artistic expression. In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practices has also become an intentional part of the design process of many new buildings and other structures.

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  1. D

    Building a Telescope for Physics Class: Choosing Lenses & Mirrors

    Hi, I need to build a telescope for my physics class. I need to use any 3 lenses(converging or diverging) and 1 mirror. I was thinking of using an achromatic telescope design for that. However I am not sure what kind of lenses to use and whether I should make the eyepiece from two lenses or just...
  2. Saladsamurai

    Designing a Reclining Binocular Chair: Ideas and Techniques

    Okay so completed a similar project the other day,but I am addicted now. I built a parallelogram binocular mount similar to this. Now I am trying to come up with ideas for a binocular chair...like this I would like to make the chair recline though. This is where I need help. I need to...
  3. K

    Building a Successful Faraday Cage for Cell Phone Signal Cancellation

    Homework Statement For my physics project I decided to make a Faraday cage to cancel out cell phone signal. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution For my first attempts at making a successful project I used chicken wire and wire mesh to make a cylindrical cage. Our goal was...
  4. A

    Bridge Building Homework - Help a Year 10 Student Win the Engineering Challenge!

    Homework Statement Hey guys! I am a year 10 student from Australia and our school is having an Engineering Challnege. One of the tasks is to build a 80cm bridge using only paddle pop sticks and PVA glue. To win, the bridge must hold the most weight but have least mass. It would be...
  5. H

    Building a Newspaper Boat for Physics Class

    My physics teacher gave us kind of a cool end of the year project: To construct a boat made entirely out of newspaper, masking tape, and shellack (I think this is the proper spelling). The boat will then have to go from end to end in a pool and the first person who does so wins. My idea is...
  6. Saladsamurai

    Building Paralleogram Mount/What is the name of this Part?

    Some of you may recognize this Mount in the picture. It is a "Window mount" for a pair of binoculars. There are two main components here. The bottom 'half' that mounts to the window. And the 'Top Half' that attaches to the binos and allow for a couple of degrees of motion. I just want the...
  7. M

    *Project* Building electrical (robotic) arm. Need help

    Hello, I'm an electrical engineering student and I've decided to build a robotic arm as a final project for one of my classes. Basically, my skills as far as building circuitry and solving electrical problems are at an intermediate level at this point, however, I'm not too familiar with the...
  8. B

    I'm thinking of building a Tesla Coil

    I have a very limited budget right now. How much do you think it would cost to build a small Tesla Coil? This would include buying the components of a Tesla coil.
  9. R

    Photons - the smallest building block?

    Forgive my ignorance if I'm missing something obvious; although I try to stay informed my interest in physics is rather casual. However, I do like to think and speculate about such things based on the knowledge I already have. So with this in mind, I thought I'd just get some feedback on some...
  10. A

    Building a Magnetic Damper with Nano Tech

    Can we build a Magnetic damper ( for magnets ) with nano thec or any tech ?
  11. K

    Build a Glider for Physics Project

    i have a project for physics where i have to build a glider, its going to be flown in a hall way, so it shouldn't be too big. however, i don't really know of any designs that would work well so any ideas?
  12. I

    Examining Forces in a Symmetric Building

    Homework Statement A symmetric building has a roof sloping upward at 34.0 degrees above the horizontal on each side. A)If each side of the uniform roof weighs 1.10×10^4N , find the horizontal force that this roof exerts at the top of the wall, which tends to push out the walls...
  13. daniel_i_l

    Is Building a Radio Transmitter for Wireless Earphones a Feasible Solution?

    I wanted to get wireless (bluetooth) earphones for my mp3 player but when I checked I found that they were way out of my price range (bluetooth earphones for phones with bluetooth are relatively cheep, but for a regular mp3 player they're expensive ~ 200 dollars). So I had an idea: I can make a...
  14. J

    Mapping a building for use in game (RADAR?)

    Hi guys I hope I'm in the right subforum. I was thinking of a way to map a house or outside area with radar or some other method, and then using that info to create a map for a game. So my question is, what are the different methods available for sensing the surrounding area and creating a...
  15. T

    Engineering How Do You Build a Circuit Using a 4:1 Multiplexer?

    build the circuit of http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img86381xv6.jpg using 4:1 multiplexer i don't know what the plus meens i know that the second after the plus is the don't care group but i don't know how to solve it i wrote a unified truth table for both groups...
  16. A

    Building a Vehicle for Mass Loads with Flight Capabilities

    Hi Experts! I have my own company and we are working on small project for goods movement. I would require your valuable help to achieve this... Brief: A vehicle which can carry mass load and can fly from one point to other. Direction is changable. Which can be controlled. This is manually...
  17. A

    Need Help Building a Fictional Universe? Let an Astro Physicist Guide You!

    Hi, I'm a writer and in a recent manuscript I've come to a stand still due to being rather bad at holding numbers in my head and not knowing enough about the physics to continue forward in this world I'm writing about. I'm looking for someone who can help me figure out the structure of the...
  18. T

    Engineering A question in building a circuit using 2 full adders

    which produces a sum of 2 bit numbers x0x1 y0y1 the output is C (carry) S0S1 the problem is i know how to build a truth table and a KARNO table and even how to build this circuit i know how to build a full adder circuit the problem is i don't know how to build this task using 2 full...
  19. T

    Engineering A question in building a circuit using 2 full adders

    which produces a sum of 2 bit numbers x0x1 y0y1 the output is C (carry) S0S1 the problem is i know how to build a truth table and a KARNO table and even how to build this circuit i know how to build a full adder circuit the problem is i don't know how to build this task using 2...
  20. N

    Building a Slingshot in a 1m Cube - Grade 12 Physics Project

    Well... I am in grade 12 Physics and we were asked to make a Slingshot to fit within a 1 meter cube. If anyone has any ideas or know any websites with plans to making one.. it will be very helpful Thank you.
  21. V

    Why can't we build an earthquake-resistant building?

    What are the forces that we need to consider when constructing a building? when there are tree that can resist an earthquake why can't a building resist it?
  22. Holocene

    What are some common issues when building a PC for the first time?

    Okay, I have NEVER built a PC before, and I'm running into some major problems. Any help with the following issues would be greatly appreciated! 1. There is a 4-pin header on the motherboard labeled "ATX 12V". This obviously needs to be hooked up, correct? My power supply has no such...
  23. E

    Solving Work Required to Pull Cable to Top of Building

    Homework Statement A uniform cable hanging over the edge of a tall building is 40 ft long and weighs 60 lb. How much work is required to pull 10 ft of the cable to the top? Homework Equations Density=3/2 ft/lb The Attempt at a Solution Ok, the problem is this: I can solve this...
  24. B

    How Can I Build a Stable Tower with Just Paper and Tape?

    I have to build a tower in class that supports at least three textbooks. Materials 2 pieces of regular printer paper 12 inches of masking tape Specifics Must be at least 4" tall Cannot crumple I've been working all day trying to figure it out...any help would be welcomed
  25. C

    Building a VHF receiver 108-136 Mhz

    Hi all, I have a plan of building myself a VHF receiver that can pick up the air band (108-136 Mhz). I want to connect it than with an antenna that I plan to set it up on my rooftop. Can anybody give me some working schemes and tips how to build such thing? Thanks in advance.
  26. A

    Can I Build My Own Land Surveying Total Station at Home?

    I have 2 questions: 1- how tough is building an electronic distance measurement device (a rather small one such as the one's used in land surveying total stations) which for instance can indicate distance of a particular point 1 km away? (our device should fire a laser beam towards the point...
  27. B

    Can Explosives Really Make a Building Fall Faster Than Physics Allows?

    A fellow I work with claims that the world trade center buildings and building # 7 fell faster than physics will allow. He thinks that explosive charges placed in the buildings caused the buildings to fall faster than terminal velosity? I think he is a quack. how can I show him he is a quack. or...
  28. K

    How Can I Efficiently Build a Huffman Tree for Huffman Encoding?

    Hi I'm playing around with Huffman encoding and am having a major problem getting my head around how to efficiently build the tree. I Googled "huffman coding" and have a basic grasp of what needs to be done but the actual process of walking through a list of sorted values has turned into a big...
  29. robphy

    Forbidden LEGO: Building Unconventional Models

    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316734,00.html http://nostarch.com/frameset.php?startat=flego_extras Forbidden LEGO Build the Models Your Parents Warned You Against by Ulrik Pilegaard and Mike Dooley http://www.tinker.tv/downloads/forbidden_lego_gun.jpg
  30. M

    Books about Designing Building Mechanical Systems

    Hi... I've been seeing a lot of job postings looking for engineers for designing and engineering mechanical building systems such as: HVAC systems, refrigeration systems, fire protection systems, plumbing and piping systems for some new commercial building developments. I am about to complete my...
  31. M

    How Can I Calculate the Size and Angle of Loops on a Rollercoaster?

    Hi, I'm supposed to constuct a small rollercoaster using any material i want... I will be using tubing/hosing. A marble is what will be running through it. Now, what i am looking for is a few things that will help me build it to spec for the class. It needs to be at least a 90 second ride. In...
  32. D

    Calculating the Building Volume: Time, Labor, & Socio-Political Organization

    Homework Statement Our class exercise in World Prehistory was to figure out the volume of the building we were in and answer the following: How many a) basketloads, b) mud bricks, c) stone blocks would it take to build structure? How many worker-hours would it take? How many...
  33. N

    Ball dropped from building - find speed and kinetic energy

    An 0.50kg mass is droped from the top of a 20m tall building. Immediately before hitting the sidewalk a) the speed of the ball is ? b) The KE of the ball half way down will be Help??
  34. T

    Building a small electric vehicle

    I have recently come across a few electric motors (donated to me for my school's Technology Club), two from a wheel chair with gear reduction and another power window motor from a car. The power window motor has a worm gear on it of course, which is directly attached to the axle, but can be cut...
  35. R

    2 balls dropped from a building

    Homework Statement A ball is thrown straight up from the edge of the roof of a building. A second ball is dropped from the roof a time of 1.00s later. You may ignore air resistance. If the height of the building is 21.0m, what must the initial speed be of the first ball if both are to hit the...
  36. 4

    Building a Vehicle to Withstand 40ft Drop: Egg Drop

    Homework Statement Hey, I was wondering what the proper section to post this in, and if it is okay to post it: I have to do a project that goes something of this sort: Basically build a vehicle no more than an empty mass of of 50 +/- 5 grams, and drop it from a point of approximately...
  37. E

    What Happens When You Fire & Drop a Bullet from a 2 Story Building?

    If you are standing atop a 2 story building and fire a bullet vertically towards the ground and drop one from the same height will they arrive at the same time? I am not a physics person but my girlfriend is in it now and tells me that they would arrive at the same time. I don't see this to be...
  38. O

    Building an audio phase adjuster to adjust a range of signals

    My colleagues and I are building a phase adjuster for LFN (Low Frequency Noise) audio signals. Since we would like to be able to adjust a range of signals that encompasses a range of around 50-400 Hz, an op amp-driven, analog solution would not be economical, nor efficient. Since we need to be...
  39. J

    Advice For Building a WINDTUNNEL

    Advice For Building a WINDTUNNEL! OK everyone i need tips/ advice on building a windtunnel. I need Info that can help me avoid problems that i will run into while making the windtunnel that would arise from lack of experience. etc. Let me provide some info about me, for refrence. I am a high...
  40. P

    Maximizing Launch Distance for a Penny Shooter

    Hi, First of all, I highly doubt this is in the correct forum so move it if necessary. I've been at this forum for a while although I never really bothered to post anything. The other day however, I decided that I wanted to build a penny shooter, or a gun that shoots penny's into maybe...
  41. U

    EE - Building Boolean Algebra using CMOS Gates

    Homework Statement Sketch a CMOS logic circuit that realizes the function Y = AB + A'B'. This is called the equivalence or coincidence function. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution The top is connected to Vcc... Is this correct? I'm learning this on my own and...
  42. T

    Building and Testing a STM Circuit - Issues with Gain

    Hi, I'm building a STM, and this is the circuit I use : http://www.geocities.com/spm_stm/Simple_STM_Rev_C.PDF I'm right now testing the circuit I build. I build a small part (U3A), and then test it, and build another small part (U3B) and test, then connect the two and test it again...
  43. D

    Building an Egg Launcher: Get Creative with Surgical Tubing

    A bit early for a culminating.. but here we are at the much overused "Build an Egg Launcher" project. The idea is to use surgical tubing (2ft) to launch an egg the farthest possible (the egg can crack, it doesn't matter). The only force allowed in this is the elastic force of the surgical tubing...
  44. L

    Building Marx Generators - Tips & Advice Needed

    I have built a number of Marx generators ranging for 30KV to 4MV I have achieved good rise time but I was wondering if anyone else here had experience with them and could help me with decreasing the duration. I mainly need just building tips and such. My current one I am building will be in...
  45. O

    Small scale windtunnel building.

    Hi all, as a school project we are trying to build a small scale windtunnel. I've been doing a lot of reading, the design of the tunnel is basicly done now. But now comes the real math's. So I got a few questions which i hope that can be answered by one of you guys. To deside the scale of...
  46. L

    Building a library of physics and math texts

    Hi, A group of curious laymen have entrusted me with a curious project. I've been asked to build a small library of physics and math texts that intelligent students and adults may use to self-study the equivalent of a graduate course. This should include a mix of both introductory texts and...
  47. I

    How Do You Calculate the Height of a Building Using Trigonometry?

    A surveyor stands on flat ground at an unknown distance from a tall building. She measures the angle from the horizonal ground to the top of the building; this angle is pi/3. next she paces 40ft further away from the building. the angle from the ground to the top of the building is now measured...
  48. M

    Stargazing How Can I Build My Own Telescope Without a Tube?

    Hello, I've bought a skywatcher refractor 1025AZ3 with D:102mm F:500mm but unfortunatlly i wasnt able to get into my country so i have everything except the tube, so i decided to build the tube..do u know how i can find the construction instructions to build this tube or is it possible to build...
  49. V

    Calculating Acceleration of a Pulley Off 6-Story Building

    Homework Statement There is a pulley suspended off a 6 story building. One side of the pulley is attached to a mass of 250lb and the other 130lb. What's the acceleration? Homework Equations a=[(m2-m1)/(m2+m1)]g g = 32 ft/s2 The Attempt at a Solution Well, I think I'm suppose to use...
  50. A

    Building a Bicycle with Mechanical Regenerative Braking

    I am planning to build a bicycle with mechanical regenerative braking. I am thinking of setting a spiral spring to wind during braking and use its tension to assist in climbing hills Would such a spring give me enough power for this? Are there any other alternatives? Is this feasible?? Any...
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