What is Confused: Definition and 1000 Discussions

In medicine, confusion is the quality or state of being bewildered or unclear. The term "acute mental confusion" is often used interchangeably with delirium in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems and the Medical Subject Headings publications to describe the pathology. These refer to the loss of orientation, or the ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time, location and personal identity. Mental confusion is sometimes accompanied by disordered consciousness (the loss of linear thinking) and memory loss (the inability to correctly recall previous events or learn new material). The term is from Latin: confusĭo, -ōnis, from confundere: "to pour together", "to mingle together", "to confuse".

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  1. A

    Show that f is continious at 0 (easy but confused)

    Homework Statement let f be a function t: lf(x)l≤lxl show that f is continious at 0The Attempt at a Solution it's easy to see that f(0)=0 now \forallE>0 \existsα>0 \forallx\inD: lxl<α => lf(x)-f(0)l<E now in the solution manual they just put it like this : since lxl<α implies...
  2. M

    Why is the indefinite integral of et(i - 1)/(i - 1) + C not equal to et(i - 1)?

    The integral is in the attachment. Why is the indefinite integral not equal to... et(i - 1)/(i - 1) + C Because d/dt[et(i - 1)/(i - 1) + C] = et(i - 1)
  3. fluidistic

    Confused on phase diagrams for binary systems (thermodynamics)

    I'm confused regarding the phase diagrams of binary systems. Let's suppose we mix 2 liquids, A and B at a given pressure P that won't change during the whole experiment. I raise the temperature until I observe that some of the mix of liquids vaporizes. What boggles me is that it seems I can...
  4. D

    Confused About Light & Mass: Get Help Here!

    I just got unit work of light and mass, and know NOTHING about it, and the site has no resource links. Can someone please tell me a general idea of what there is to know about light and mass, formulas, or any resources I can use? Also, how would you calculate the 'energy' of a photon, such...
  5. T

    Confused about a very basic concept: Pressure.

    Hello everybody, this is slightly embarrassing (for a physics student), but I realized in the last couple of days that I am somewhat confused with the concept of "pressure". Pressure is defined in "school-level" as "force per area". So if I have a plate of 2m^2 on which a downwards force...
  6. S

    Potassium increase or decrease with metabolic acidosis, confused?

    Ok in metabolic acidosis, renal compensation is increase in aldosertone, which cause hydrogen and potassium excretion leading to hypokalemia. But in metabolic acidosis transcellular movement occurs and there is hyperkalemia. What is the final result for potassium level. Hyper or hypo?
  7. A

    Confused about vectors into rectangular components

    So, i have been learning about forces, vectors and such. I know many times for convience we break vector forces into rectangular components...fx=Fcostheta, fy=Fcostheta. It is easier to do regular alegbra verus vector alegrba My question is both fx and fy are scalars, but then they can be...
  8. L

    Is there a mistake in this explanation of spherical coordinates?

    The explanation for this is probably very trivial, but I am not seeing it. I'm reading through Ramamurti's "Basic Training in Mathematics" and in the Multivariable Calculus section for spherical coordinates he says and then shows an integral. Shouldn't there be a negative sign before the cosθ...
  9. C

    Trigonometry Problem - Confused over multiple possible angle sizes.

    Homework Statement In triangle PQR, the length of QR is 4 mm, the length of PR is 3.5 mm and the size of angle Q is 60°. What are the possible size(s) of angle P (to 2 decimal places) The possible solutions are 138.81, 81.79, 118.96, 61.04, 98.21 The Attempt at a Solution I've solved for...
  10. W

    Confused about the sizes of atomic particles

    Hey guys, I was doing some research and I am confused since I can't seem to get a straight answer. I wanted to know what the diameters/radii of protons and electrons are. But no place I go to agrees on the numbers. The general trend for protons is somewhere around 10^-15, but I've seen...
  11. J

    3D Rotations - Confused with multiple rotations

    I've been trying to wrap my head around 3D rotations and specifically, Euler angles. I thought I had a good understanding of performing multiple rotations, but after writing a Matlab script that graphically shows my rotations, I am not so sure right now. My biggest hang up is whether or not a...
  12. A

    Definition of Force confused about how it includes direction

    In early physics, i learned a force was simply a push or pull, talked about as a number of Newtons or pounds, such as "the force is 5lbs". Then you learn that a force is really a vector quantity, having both the direction and strength/force, so it should be "5lbs to the east or 15lbs...
  13. ash64449

    Confused on how to calculate invariant interval.

    Hello friends, I have now began to read a new book called space-time physics by Edwin.F.Taylor. In the first chapter(parable of surveyors),First it talks about invariant interval and it says the equation is: ## \sqrt{ (ct)^2 - x^2 } ## In Wikipedia,i saw a different answer for the...
  14. B

    Confused about equating energies

    I'm trying to understand an RF induced chemical vapor deposition process. Without getting into anything complicated I get of got hung up on how to equate energies. So I'm imagining a parallel plate capacitor that has charged particles oscillating between the two plates (or thinking of a...
  15. C

    Confused about answer wolfram alpha spat out to me.

    Homework Statement Ok well I had a real nasty equation in which i could not solve. I used wolfram alpha to get out this answer "theta ≈ 0.74559 + 6.28319n for integer n". can someone please tell me what this statement means. do i assume theta in degrees equals 0.74559(180/pi)...
  16. J

    Confused about the Equivalence Principle and Inertial Reference Frames

    Hey everyone, I started reading up on GR a couple of days ago, and I'm somewhat stuck on the concept of a free-falling IRF. I understand that an observer on a free-falling small spaceship would experience the laws of physics in a rather simple form, eliminating the need for a force of gravity...
  17. M

    Confused on how the absolute value changes the method of deriving

    Homework Statement Find derivative of abs (2x^3 + 8x^2 + 5x +1).Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution A little confused on how the absolute value changes the method of deriving that equation. When I derive it normally, I get (6x^2+16x+5).
  18. P

    Confused about the electric field at the surface of a conductor

    Hi We know that the electric field at the surface of a conductor only have a normal component equal to ρ /ε (finite number). But let’s consider the point P (at the surface of a conductor ) . Assume that there is a charge at an infinitesimal distance from the point p . we can obtain the field...
  19. 2

    Calculating Magnet Field for Solenoid and Horseshoe Magnet: What Am I Missing?

    Confused about electromagnet?? How do i calculate the magnet field for an Solenoid with an ironcore with x windings and y amps.. The same for an horseshoe magnet, where there is an air gap about 2mm.. For some reason does my calculation not make sense..
  20. Saitama

    Netwon law's - confused about the forces

    Homework Statement (see attachment) Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I am not sure how to begin with this one. I understand how the motion takes place but I am really not sure how to begin making the equations. Considering the first case, B moves down and since the...
  21. I

    Definite integration, even function. confused about proof

    Homework Statement Let f be integrable on the closed interval [-a,a] If f is an even function, then \int^a_{-a}f(x)\,dx = 2\int^a_0f(x)\,dx Prove this. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution The solution is given in the book. Because f is even, you know that f(x) =...
  22. C

    Questions on Topological Insulators, confused on some terminologies

    Hi all! I am currently reading stuff related to quantum hall effect and topological insulators, and have a couple of questions. 1. I read about that band insulators can be classified into two types: topological trivial insulators and topological non-trivial insulators. And there is a...
  23. S

    Confused about enthelpy change in ideal gas

    Homework Statement The state of 3.75mol ideal gas changed from 0.3atm and 500K to 2.2atm and 330K under constant external pressure (Pex = 2.2atm). Calculate ΔE, work (w) and heat(Q), ΔH, ΔS. Homework Equations w= -∫PexdV ΔE=1.5nRΔT=w+Q ΔH=ΔE+Δ(PV) ΔS=dQrev/T The Attempt at a...
  24. N

    Confused on the power through a Capacitor formula help

    I know that the energy stored in a capacitor is U = 1/2 CV2. but the power through it? I have in my notes that the power is the derivative of U. so for example the energy is 26 Joules so the derivative of 26 J? doesn't make sense cause 26 is a constant. help please! i attached a picture of...
  25. K

    2nd order DE question :confused:

    Homework Statement The equation for the undamped motion with no rubber band: y" + k1y = -10 k1 = any number between 12 and 13 Find exact solutions using a couple different initial conditions And then plot this phase plane using some software The Attempt at a Solution So I know...
  26. L

    I am very confused about the physical meaning of the concept flux

    I am very confused about the physical meaning of the concept "flux" I am really trying to understand what it means, what unit it has, but I keep reading contradicting definitions. So, on the one hand, I read that "...flux is defined as the rate of flow of a property per unit area, which has...
  27. Y

    What Are the Differences in Line Integrals Using Different Coordinate Systems?

    I want to integrate around a closed circular path on xy plane around the origin. Say the radius is b. So ##\oint d\vec l## where ##d\vec l=\hat{\phi}b d\phi## 1) If I just use polar( or spherical or even cylindrical) coordinates. R=b and \oint d\vec l\;=\;\hat{\phi}\int_0^{2\pi} b...
  28. R

    How does AC current alternate and is energy replenished in a circuit?

    I know that in AC the current switches between +ve and -ve 50 times a second in the case of mains electricity for the UK. However I was confused about how it alternates, as in when it swtiches how far do the electrons travel before it switches again. I was also told that in a circuit the...
  29. Q

    Why Does Tension Affect Both Masses Equally in a Pulley System?

    I'm having some very basic conceptual problems about tension. If you have a pulley where two masses are hanging on opposite ends of an ideal string, why is the upwards force that the one mass experiences the same as the upwards force that the other experiences? People have tried to explain...
  30. E

    Are There Multiple Resonance Structures for HCN?

    Show all possible structural diagrams for HCN. Isn't there just one? H (single bond) C (triple bond) N I can't draw a resonant structure because there is none (resonant means only moving of the bonds not the atoms, no?). I don't understand.
  31. A

    Confused by band theory in a weak potential

    Apologies if this is rather trivial. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the mathematics of energy bands and periodic potentials. I understand that an electron in a periodic potential will be of the form \phi_k(r) = e^{ik.r}u_k(r) . This wavefunction has periodicity of the...
  32. T

    What is the role of Shot and Scold in the entropy equation?

    Homework Statement In the entropy equation 1S2 + ∫δQ/T = S2 - S1, what is the difference between 1S2 and ∫δQ/T? So for example if we have two reservoirs, one hot and one cold and heat is transferred in between we have: Shot = Q/Thot Scold = Q/Tcold Where do the Shot and Scold terms...
  33. I

    Confused About Squareroots & Absolute Values

    $${ x }^{ 2 }=4\\ \sqrt { { x }^{ 2 } } =\sqrt { 4 } \\ |x|=2$$ According to my professor, in the above case, the absolute value gives two solutions: ##x=±2## Consider the discriminant in the quadratic formula: $$x=\frac { -b±\sqrt { { b }^{ 2 }-4ac } }{ 2a } \\ Let\quad { z }^{ 2 }={ b }^{ 2...
  34. J

    I'm confused by what the professor means on this Fourier Series proble

    Homework Statement See the second bullet point on this page: http://facweb.northseattle.edu/rjenne/e240w13flr/hwflr/feb21/e240w13hwfeb21.pdf Homework Equations So I know that fft(x) for a bunch of sample points x={x1, x2, ..., xn} returns the n Fourier coefficients for a function...
  35. D

    Confused about mole ratio being relative or absolute

    Let's start with a generalized example: 3A + 1B -> 2C For the mole amount next to each molecule, am I always to consider these as relative to one another or absolute? Most of the videos I have seen are describing the above as "for every 3 moles of A and 1 mole of B you get 2 moles of C". I...
  36. H

    Why Does Operator A Always Return h/2 for a Specific Spin State?

    Homework Statement Consider an electron, described initially by psi = 1/sqrt(10) with column vector (1 3). A measurement of the spin component is made along a certain axis, described by operator A, it has the eigenvalues +h/2 and - h/2 as possible outcomes, and the corresponding eigen states...
  37. V

    I'm confused about this excited electron configuration

    I have already turned in my homework for chemistry however I'm still confused about this question: Which electron configuration is in an excited state? a.1s2 2s2 2px2 b.1s2 2s1 2px1 2py1 2pz1 My teacher told me that the only choice b was excited because choice a was in violation of Hund's...
  38. P

    Which thermodynamics concepts confuse or confused you the most?

    I took a thermodynamics course last year and I know which topics confused me (fugacity for example) but I'm curious now in general about things people struggle with. Please add the time at which it confused you (first time undergraduate class, graduate class, etc), or describe how it was...
  39. R

    Capacitors/Current/Ohm's Law - Please help I'm so confused

    How do I go about solving this? Whenever I see a capacitor diagram/an image like this i always freak about because 1) I don't know what to ask myself when I see it 2) I'm not sure I know what's going on - other than the fact the the | | means: +| |- I don't know what the squiggly lines...
  40. N

    Really confused about what to do

    Really confused about what to do... I am a high school student in India starting grade 11 . i have completed Resnick and Haliiday's "Fundamentals of physics" . then i bought IE Irodov and solved about 200 problems in it and found it fairly easy ( very less number of challenging problems ) . I...
  41. C

    Confused about definitions in optics

    The width of a pulse is typically given in the time domain, correct? The effective width is the term to describe this. What is the spectral width in the frequency domain? How do you calculate spectral widths and effective widths? Thanks for your time.
  42. 0

    Confused on the Electrical Energy Formula?

    This is probably a silly question. The Electrical energy formula is this: Ee = k(q1)(q2)/r So let's say a positive and negative charge are directly next to each other. Conceptually, there should be no potential energy there. But the formula (r=0.00001m) suggests that it is huge. On...
  43. T

    Understanding the Relationship between Work and Power in Accelerating Objects

    This isn't homework. I've been thinking. If I have say a 1kg mass and I want to accelerate it at 1m/s^2 for 10m, I would calculate the work to be done as 10J. Force = 1kg x 1m/s^2 = 1N Work = 1N x 10m = 10J I hope that is correct so far. But what confuses me is power. Power is...
  44. S

    Understanding Potential Energy: FAQs & Tips

    Potential Energy is something that i have failed to understand since a long time. But now i want learn about it so can someone actually give a clear idea about what it really is and which is applicable to most general cases. What it really means? Why does a body posses it? What is the...
  45. C

    Confused about oxidation number

    guys anyone can help me ? im bit confused when talkin about oxidation number in alkyl group like R-NO2 or R-CN when this compound react with reducing agent like H2 can somebody explain me? most example in book or internet doesn't use hydrocarbon reaction thank you :)
  46. A

    Confused about thermodynamic quantities and their minimums.

    http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7200/img0103iu.jpg Mainly concerned with the first half of the page. You'll see that it derives for a system in contact with a constant-temperature, constant-pressure heat bath that the change in Gibbs entropy is always less than or equal to zero. Equality...
  47. Y

    Confused about phase lead and lag of a wave.

    A sine wave traveling in +x direction can be represented by \cos(\omega {t}- kx+\phi). As shown in the drawing attached where \phi=\frac{\pi}{2}: a) Is a plot that holds t=0 and two waves along +x direction. t=0\Rightarrow\; \cos(\omega {t}- kx+\phi)\;=\;\cos(- kx+\frac{\pi}{2}) This...
  48. R

    I am confused about the cantilever beam

    Hi For a cantilever beam with a load at its end, flexural rigidity is: EI = m*g*L3 / 3Y Where m=mass, g=gravity, L=length of beam and Y=deflection the natural frequency is f = 1/(2∏) * √ ( 3EI/mL3) Plugging in EI to the formula for f reveals that f depends only on the...
  49. S

    Should I Take 3 Upper Level Math Courses at Once?

    I am a third year undergrad math major with a minor in applied statistics, and have had a few upper level math courses already, these are the courses I have taken: Abstract Algebra, Real Analysis 1, Introduction to Numerical Analysis, and Combinatorics. I was planning on taking Elementary...
  50. U

    Confused about direction of air resistance (linear and quadratic)

    Homework Statement Here I have drawn for the following scenarios: Linear Resistance FR = -k\vec{v} a)Free-fall starting from rest, downwards as positive. Now it gets trickier... b)Free-fall starting from rest, upwards as positive. My reasoning is as such: Since the...
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