What is Confusing: Definition and 407 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. S

    Confusing Osmosis: Why Hot Milk Tastes Like Water

    When a closed jar of hot milk is dipped in a cool solution and tasted after some time then why does it taste like water at the bottom.
  2. M

    Minimum Car Deceleration to Avoid Collision: Solving a Confusing Highway Problem

    Question: You happen to be the one driving down the Highway that this person pulls in front of. You prepare to make a fast lane switch but are boxed in by a transport truck in the fast lane. Thus, you step on the brake pedal. You are traveling 27.777 .. m/s (100 km/h) and are 100 m behind the...
  3. V

    L'Hopital's Rule, 2 Confusing ones

    Hey, So I'm having a bit of difficulty with two of these L'Hospital's Rule problems... The first: \mathop {\lim }\limits_{x \to \infty} (\sqrt{x^2 + x} - x) So when you have an indefinite form \infty - \infty, you've got to turn it into a product indefinite form, usually something like \infty...
  4. R

    Simple yet confusing situation. Integral.

    Okay. basic concept. U-substitution. For an integral of an expressino that you can't "guess" or find by conventional means you use a u-substitution. To integrate correctly if you have bounds you either rewrite the finction with x after integration or you convert the bounds by plugging them back...
  5. B

    Rotation os axes confusing me.

    Hey guys, This is my first post, and I spent a lot of time trying to figure this one out and I am totally stumped! Two of my classmates got different answers, and no matter how many ways i work this problem out, I still get the same answer. Also, forgive me if my mistake is really simple...
  6. Z

    A confusing question - melting ice

    Question: The heat of vaporization of water is 2260 J/g at 100°C. A 100.0 g sample of water condenses and all of the heat liberated is then transferred to a block of ice. How many grams of ice will melt? Assume the condensed water remains at 100°C and the melted ice remains at 0°C. The heat...
  7. R

    Force Gain & Distance Loss: Explaining a Machine as Force Multiplier

    "When a machine is used as force multiplier, the output force is larger than the input force. The force gain is paid by the distance loss." I still don't get it. All I know is that this thing got to do with bikes? Correct me if I'm wrong. o:)
  8. S

    Calculating Winning Probability in Horse Racing and Sock Selection

    this is the problem... 1. nine horses are entered in a horse race. If you "box" three horses (three are chosen and they can finish in any of the first 3 positions in the race), determine the probability that you will hold the winning ticket. -->i tried this one... (3C1*3C2*3C3)/9C3 but my...
  9. Z

    Finding the Length of the Diagonal of a Rectangle

    A rectangle is split in half by a diagonal line creating two triangles The perimeter of a rectangle is 28 cm. The perimeter of each of the triangles is 24 cm. The diagonal of the reactangle is 2cm longer then the longer side of the rectangle. Find the length of the Diagonal. Ive tried trial...
  10. M

    Finding mass in a confusing problem

    I have tried many times to figure out the formula to solve this problem. I have drawn diagrams & searched through my book numerous times. If I just had the formula to solve it, I would be fine. I don't have a scanner so I can't show you all the diagrams & whatnot but here is the problem. "...
  11. B

    Confusing arken/weber problem (del in triple vector product)

    the following problem is in the arfken/weber textbook and was also on a practice exam for my mathematical methods course: Verify that \mathbf{A} \times (\nabla \times \mathbf{A}) = \frac{1}{2} \nabla(A^2) - (\mathbf{A} \cdot \nabla)\mathbf{A}. i used the BAC-CAB rule, but i don't get...
  12. B

    Simple Mechanics confusing me:S

    A boy whirls a stone in a horizontal circle of radius 1.2 m and at height 1.7 m above ground level. The string breaks, and the stone flies horizontally and strikes the ground after traveling a horizontal distance of 10 m. What is the magnitude of the centripetal acceleration of the stone while...
  13. N

    Discover the Motion Pattern of Two Objects Spinning Around Each Other

    I want to know the motion pattern of two objects that spin around each other,for example, me and my friend spin around each other,I look at her and see she is spining around me and she look at me and see that I spining around her.
  14. M

    Solving a Car Intersection Dilemma

    I believe at this point I am just confusing myself. A car is approaching an intersection at a velocity of 20 m/s. When the car is 50 meters from the intersection the light turns yellow. The light will remain yellow for 3 seconds. The intersection is 20 meters in width. The driver can either...
  15. J

    Understanding Mass and Density: Exploring the Relationship in Iron Blocks

    a block of iron defined by parameters mass,volume and density.when volume is doubled,the mass is also doubled;but the density of doubled volume of iron block remains the same.how do you distinguish the parameters mass and density.give any example (may be 2 or 3),so that i can understand well...
  16. B

    Max spped for a car to go around a curve track without skidding confusing

    Max spped for a car to go around a curve track without skidding...confusing! here's my question, a car of mass 1000kg moves along the corner of a level road having a radius of curvature 35.0m. If the frictional force between the tyres and the road is 4kN, the maximum speed of the car without...
  17. A

    Several things that are confusing

    Can someone explain why 1. Vb/Va=Vc/Vd in a Carnot cycle? 2. Why can any cyclic process be broken down into a number of Carnot cycles? 3. Why does free expansion represent the limit of irreversibility at which all of the "potential" work is degraded to heat.
  18. S

    How Can I Determine Speed and Frequency with Only a Wavelength Component?

    I'm trying to find out if there is a way to figure out speed and frequency with only a wavelength component, but having no such luck...I'm currently working on a project involving making a homemade musical instrument (I've made a kind of recorder with a closed air tunnel and I've done that, but...
  19. K

    Understanding Subtraction of Reals: Exploring Associativity and Differences

    Well, you might consider my remark to be really silly :smile:. I was thinking about subtraction of reals and the following ideas came to my mind: From one side, we may consider subtraction to be addition of the inverse of an element, for example: (5 - 3) - 2 = (5 + (-3)) + (-2). This...
  20. D

    Differntiation Bloody Confusing

    Differntiation! Bloody Confusing! HI guys help me out here with some differentitaion problems i'll post here what i have done and show me the way to go thanks 1. find dx/dt where x=(4-t)^5t i tried using the chain rule but it doesn't work though cos you got that t constant do i use the...
  21. A

    Gamma ray emission which is confusing some scientists

    i heard some breaking news about a gamma ray emission which is confusing some scientists. did anyone heard about it?
  22. C

    Confusing Trig/rational Integral

    \int (sin(t)-cos(t)) \sqrt{cos^2(t)-sin^2(t)} dt Is there a trig idendity I can use? I've distributed that root to both terms to get: \int sin(t) \sqrt{cos^2(t)-sin^2(t)} dt - \int cos(t) \sqrt{cos^2(t)-sin^2(t)} If I take one of the terms and integrate by parts, I'm trying to put...
  23. C

    Solve Circuit Problems: Readings, P.D., Power Dissipation & More

    Hi there, I am very confused now, please help me with this circuit problems: For the circuit shown in the diagram, a. Find the readings on teh ammeters A, B and C( assumed to have effectively 0 resistances) b. Find the p.d. between X and Y. c. Find the power dissipated as heat in the...
  24. M

    Confusing Algebra problem help

    Ok, I have this word problem dealing with exponential growth and decay. I need serious help. There are three parts to this problem...I really need help with this. Here's the problem: A dilution is commonly used to obtain the desired concentration of a sample. For example, suppose that a 1...
  25. T

    Trouble with Confusing Notations in Mathematics?

    Does anyone else have trouble with confusing and inconsistent standards of notation in mathematics? I am an economics undergrad, and I can't help but think that math would be 1000 times easier if there was just better notation for it. Does anyone know of any radical attempts to create new...
  26. J

    Confusing Physics Question: How Far Will a Car Travel Before Overtaking a Truck?

    Just looking over some extra physics questions and I came upon this one, it seems quite easy, but difficult when i actually attempted it: Just as a traffic light turns green, a waiting car starts off with a constant acceleration of 6.00m/s^2. At the instant the car begins to accelerate, a truck...
  27. R

    Is High Vitamin C Intake Beneficial or Harmful?

    Hi everybody, I'm not clear about whether we should consume large quantities of vitamin C. This is confusing to me, because in different sources I read different things. Some say that this vitamin is stored and contributes to better health (immunity, stronger connective tissue, etc), so the...
  28. Link

    Equal Volumes Ideal Gases: Same Temp, Pressure- A or C?

    "Equal volumes of different ideal gases at the same temperature and pressure must contain:" A. The same number of atoms B. one mole of each gas C. The same amount of gas D. 6.022 x 10^23 particles of each gas Since it is not 24dm^3 of each gas, I can rule out B and D. After...
  29. T

    Question confusing me about Asset Market and Arrow-Debreu Equilibrium

    In the asset market equilibrium and Arrow-Debreu equilibrium, for each every agent, the budge constraint has the form of inequality (not strictly), however, Asset market clear is the aggregate asset is zero and market clear is aggregate endowment euqals the aggregate consumption. I wonder if we...
  30. B

    Confusing static equilibrium problem

    static equilibrium problem A 900-N boy sits on top of a ladder of negligible weight that rests on a frictionless floor as in http://m.domaindlx.com/barnsworth/physics.JPG. There is a cross brace halfway up the ladder, and the angle at the apex is 30 degrees. a) What is the force exerted by...
  31. A

    Little confusing i'm not sure, how bout u?

    Here is the question 3x^2-24x+48=0, determine the value of the discriminant. What does this value tell you about the equation? How many times does the corresponding function cross the x-axis? Ok first part a=3 b=-24 c=48 discriminant b^2-4ac so (-24)^2-4(3)(48) 576-576=0 So first...
  32. M

    Trigonometric Functions - Confusing question

    What equation in the form y=sin(theta)+c best models the dtat in the chart below... ____________________________________ (theta)radians : 1 : pi/2 : pi : 3pi/2 : 2pi ______________________________________ y-------------: 2 :--3--:-2-:-1----:--2 __________________________________ I am...
  33. L

    Understanding Circular Motion: Exploring Vectors and Perpendicularity in Physics

    Im a bit confused about a question on circular motion that I'm answering. Ill state the entire question and then say what I am confused about. In class we discussed circular motion for the case \displaystyle{\frac{d\theta}{dt} = \omega} Now assume that the circle has radius r and that...
  34. H

    A confusing prob. on maxima and minima

    I have u(x,t)=-2xt-x^2 find maximum in region {-2 ≤ x ≤ 2 , 0 ≤ t ≤ 1} I believe to find the critical point first I have to take the partial derivative with respect to x and t and equate to zero. Thus Ux=-2t-2x = 0 Ut=-2x = 0 Thus the only critcal point I find is x=0, t=0. But the...
  35. E

    Optimization Problems (So confusing) Please me on this once. Thanks in a million

    Optimization Problems (So confusing) Please me on this once. Thanks in a million ! The Dome Tent 1 .Imagine making a tent in the shape of a spherical cap (a sphere with lower portion sliced away by a plane). Assume we want the volume to be 2.2 m^3, to sleep two or three people. a. make a...
  36. A

    Confusing Physics Concepts Explained: Solving for Net Force and Fx

    Why is physics so confusing? Hey, it's my first time here...cz i need serious help. My teacher gave us a review sheet for a big test, and he expects me to do it, even knowing that i jus moved into this class... I've got most of the notes...but i still find things confusing... For...
  37. I

    Mastering Math Identities: Clear and Comprehensive Guide for AS Level Students

    Hey guys, Having trouble gettign my head around these indentities! So confusing so does anyone have a website which goes through the explanations systematically. My textbooks touches on it but the explanation doesn't cover all the variations. and the "letts AS Revisions guide"...
  38. S

    Damn Gauss law is so confusing

    Positive charge is uniformly distributed throughout a non conducting cylindrical shell of inner radius R and outer radius 2R. What radial depth beneath outer surface of the charge distribution is the elctric field strength equal to one half the surface value? errr e0 = epsilon 0 the...
  39. D

    Electrostatics problem, kinda confusing

    Two charges, one -q and one +q are located at x=-a and x=+a, respectively. Use a spreadsheet to plot the electric field along the x asix. Part of this problem is choosing a reasonable range for the plot. How do I go about doing this?
  40. N

    Understanding pH: Solving Confusing Problems with Strong Acids and Bases

    I know this is simple, but I am a bit confused 1) find the pH of 12.1 M HCl - the negative log gives me -1.8. What am I doing wrong 2) 50% NaOH (roughly 15 M) - I am not sure how to do this one either thanks nautica
  41. V

    Uniform Circualr Motion with Projectile Motion problem (Extremely confusing):

    A lump of wet putty moves in uniform circular motion of radius 20cm on the rim of a wheel rotating counter clockwise with a period of 5.00 seconds. The lump fly's off the rim at the 5 o'clock position and from a height of 1.20m above the ground and a distance of 2.50m from a wall. At what...
  42. P

    Calculating the Number of Waves Passing a Boat in 55 Seconds: Physics 11

    Physics 11 is so confusing ... A Person,resting in a boat, notices that 16 waves pass the boat every 38 seconds ... HOw many waves would pass the boat in 55 seconds?
  43. R

    What are the confusing questions about structural I beams and cones?

    Two confusing questions :( Hello, I have two questions but I'm getting confused with them. Can someone help me please ? ____ 1) A structural I beam is made of steel. A view its cross-section and its dimensions are shown in: http://web.csuchico.edu/~ma260/physics/phys.jpg The density of...
  44. H

    Solving the Physics Problem of 20 Tons in a 10 Ton Van

    While driving down the road one day, a motorist sees a truck (closed van) coming up behind him rapidly. The van passes him, but a short time later he sees it parked along the road, and the driver is out beating the side of the truck with a tire iron. He goes on, and soon he sees the truck...
  45. C

    Confusing Related Rates Problem

    On the final exam that I just took, the last problem went like this: A spotlight is shining on a building. It is 36 feet away from the building. A man that is 6 feet tall is walking toward the building. Calculate the rate of change in the length of his shadow if he is walking toward the...
  46. E

    This is very confusing multiple choice question

    Which of the following statements are true? (Give the letters, i.e. ACD) A) One can calculate nonrelativistically when the kinetic energy of an object is large compared with the rest energy of the object. B) The proper time interval is the shortest time interval measured in an inertial...
  47. S

    Confusing gases, help with lab report needed

    Hi all! This what I've done: First I pumped underpressure into a glass container, checked the manometer's reading and then weighed the container on two different scales. Then I opened the valve a bit, checked pressure and weighed the bottle etc. I did this 10 times. So what I've got is 10...
  48. Link

    Questions About General Theory of Relativity

    There is a couple of questions that have arisen after i read about the general theory of relativity. 1. Should it be possible in principle for a photon to circle a star? 2. Do binary stars rotating around a center of mass radiate gravitation waves? 3. How are gravitational waves...
  49. M

    Help with Confusing Fluid Problem: Filling a Pool

    hi i have a problem that i am confused with and i need some help or at least a place to start The problem states: A 5/8 inch diameter hose is used to fill a round swimming pool 7.2 m in diameter. How long will it take to fill the pool to a depth of 44 inches if the water issues from the...
  50. A

    Please help with Motion Problem, looks easy but is confusing (to me)

    Hi, I've spent a long time and wasted lots of paper on this question. It might be very easy to do but I have tried/used every one of the motion formulas and don't seem to get a right answer. This is one of those challenge question that our teacher has given us. He hasn't worked out the answer...
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