What is Confusion: 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. Eli137

    Understanding Quasiparticles: Definition, Properties, and Role in Physics

    I am confused as to what a quasi particle is. I know that it only occurs when a microscopic system acts in an unorthodox way, but are they truly a particle? Are they fundamental? Have they been proven? If the answer to all of these questions is yes, why are they excluded from the standard model?
  2. amjad-sh

    Principle of least action ...some confusion

    Principle of least action states that the particle choose the path which optimizes its action.Where the action is defined by S=t1∫t2(L)dt and L is the Lagrangian of the system.This leads to δS=0 and it is a condition to optimize S. I will summarize what confuses me about this principle in a...
  3. rude man

    Insights Modulation vs. Beating Confusion - Comments

    rude man submitted a new PF Insights post Modulation vs. Beating Confusion Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  4. thegreengineer

    Nodal analysis, choosing reference node confusion

    I know that when we have to identify the nodes for solving a circuit with nodal analysis we always have to designate a reference node (which will be the ground node) as a reference for measuring the others' voltages. However I was practicing this and I found this example on...
  5. S

    Confusion about time-ordering operator

    Hi all, I have a severe confusion about the time-ordering operator. It is the best thing ever, I think, since it simplifies many proofs, due to the fact that operators commute (or anti-commute, but let's take bosonic operators for simplicity) under the time-ordering. However, sometimes I...
  6. thegreengineer

    Nodal analysis, choosing number of nodes confusion

    Good evening people. Recently I started taking the "electric network analysis" course in my school. We already saw the mesh analysis method for solving circuits. Now we are seeing the node analysis method. I understand that the first step for this method is finding the number of nodes (and one...
  7. C

    Understanding Electron Flow in Direct Current

    I don't get DC. How do the electrons flow from one side to the other? Wouldn’t the electrons on both terminals just meet in the middle because of their attraction?
  8. J

    Confusion regarding cos or sin

    Homework Statement I have the solution and everything, I'm just confused why they use cos for Fy and sin for Fx ... Homework Equations I've always known Fx=Fcos and Fy=Fsin .. but now I am getting to different problems and it confuses me The Attempt at a Solution I read many posts and answers...
  9. C

    Wikipedia electric charge page confusion

    Why does Wikipedia's page on electrical charge have a picture of a positivity charged object with arrows going to a negatively charged object? Doesn’t electrons flow from a negatively charged object to a positively charged object? Or is the picture just showing conventional current? Thanks.
  10. Isaac0427

    Electric Field Confusion: Explaining E=-∇V & E=-∇V-∂A/∂t

    Hi all! I know that this might be a stupid question, but I am very confused about a particular aspect of the electric field. I have seen these equations: E=-∇V and E=-∇V-∂A/∂t Could you guys explain how the electric field can be explained with or without -∂A/∂t
  11. Taryn1

    MHB Graphing Functions with Limits on WolframAlpha: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Hi again I'm trying to graph a function in WolframlAlpha, but I can't figure out how to set limits on the x-value's domain. Is that an option for that site? I'm trying to do this function set: _____ 4-x^2, x < -2 h(x) = 3 + x, -2 \le x < 0 _____x^2 + 1, x \ge 0 It's hard enough to...
  12. S

    Confusion About the Physics of Orbiting Bodies

    I hope this is in the right thread, I wasn't sure which one to put this in but this seemed like the most likely one to be right, so I'm sorry if this is in the wrong thread. Anyway, my question basically amounts to this: what is the difference between something orbiting around a still planet...
  13. En Joy

    Confusion about Rayleigh-Jeans law

  14. C

    Confusion about definition of compactness

    So the definition I have seen is: Given a topological space <S,F> it is compact if for any cover (union of open sets which is equal to S) there exists a finite subcover. By the definition of a topological space both S and the empty set must belong to the family of subsets F. Wouldn't <S, empty...
  15. L

    Newton's Third Law Confusion

    Homework Statement Homework Equations principle of moments Newton's 3rd law The Attempt at a Solution Okay. I am not asking how to solve this question. I just have a little misunderstanding of the concept of the Newton's Third Law. I will get straight to the point. For example, in this...
  16. S

    Confusion regarding examples of Sturm-Liouville operators

    I have reading a paper where the functional determinants of differential operators are discussed: http://arxiv.org/abs/0711.1178 In the beginning of Section 3, the paper explains that functional determinants of operators of the form ##-\frac{d^{2}}{dx^{2}} + V(x)## can be found using a...
  17. R

    Trying to clear up some confusion (clock synchronization)

    I was trying to understand a few of the relativity basics that seem to have me confused. Below is a thought experiment and some questions, I would really appreciate any help to improve my understanding. Thanks Imagine a large, circular, tube like space station. Free to spin around the inside...
  18. ognik

    MHB Understanding the Concept of Double Conjugate in Complex Functions

    Hi, I am not sure what $ {f}^{*}({z}^{*}) $ means? I think the '*'s cancel, ie $ {f}(z) = u(x,y) + iv(x,y), \: \therefore f({z}^{*}) = u(x,y) - iv(x,y), , \: \therefore {f}^{*}({z}^{*}) = u(x,y) + iv(x,y) $ ? Thanks
  19. E

    Confusion with work and energy

    This is something that's bugged me since I've read about it. What does it mean to say "energy is the capacity to do work"? I've read somewhere that work is some sort of integral. But I'm still confused, what do we mean when we say "the energy of object x is so and so"? I know the two quantities...
  20. S

    Impulse/final velocity question confusion

    I uploaded my question below; basically I am confused in part b) where they show that: 50 kgm/s = (5kg)v2 - (5kg)(-4m/s) then they say that 30 kgm/s = 5kg v2, but shouldn't it be 70 kgm/s = 5kg v2? As noted at the beginning of the question North is positive and thus since the cart moves south...
  21. D

    Is Λa_b the Same as Λba in Tensor Notation?

    Index notation in GR is really confusing ! I'm confused about many things but one thing is the order of index placement , ie. is Λa b the same as Λba ? And if not what is the difference ? Thanks If anyone knows of any books or lecture notes that explain index gymnastics step by step...
  22. gracy

    Difference Between Incomplete & Codominance: Why Quantitative Effect is Absent?

    http://www.majordifferences.com/2013/06/difference-between-incomplete-dominance.html#.VYwirvmqqko in 5th point of codominance it is written that That in codominance " quantitative effect is absent." Why?I am really not getting?As far as I know codominance has genotypic ratio of 1:2:1 and so is...
  23. JuanC97

    Bernoulli's equation confusion?

    Some days ago I got confused trying to solve an exercise about fluid dynamics. Trying to simplify the problem here is a similar situation: I have a cistern connected to a tube containing a fluid as shown in the picture below. Assumming that the fluid is incompressible... I know from the law...
  24. A

    Single slit diffraction confusion

    I've found this a very confusing thing:when we locate the second dark fringes above and below the central maxima,we divide the slit into four parts and claim that pairs of waves interfere destructively as the path difference would be wavelength/2.But what if we just divided it into two parts and...
  25. X

    Understanding the RCS of a Sphere: Deciphering Confusing Results

    Hello, I am having an issue understanding something about the RCS of a sphere. The radar cross section of a sphere in the back-scattered, mono-static direction is simply equal to the spheres cross sectional area, for wavelengths much less than the circumference. In the following link...
  26. A

    Relativistic Effects in Relative Motion of Objects

    There is no such thing as absolute motion or rest. This is because one can record the speed of an object moving relative to it and find that it is in motion. The same holds for the object in motion. An observer on the object will observe the other observer moving relative to him. The measured...
  27. hideelo

    Solving Notation & Convention Confusion in Differentials

    I am currently reading "Differential Equatons with Applications" by Ritger and Rose, and I need some clarification about some notation and convention that they are using. I think it all stems from a lack of clarity of the difference between the operator d/dx and the "object" (I don't know what...
  28. D

    Time Dilation Confusion: Need Help Understanding

    Hello. I need some help understanding time dilation. So the idea is that moving clocks tick slowly. Say there was an observer A who, by his frame of reference, is stationary, and he sees an object B moving past it at high velocity. From what I understand, to A it would appear as if B's clocks...
  29. R

    Simple particle on slope confusion

    Homework Statement a particle on a slope with angle theta with no friction. v(0) = 0, x(0) = 0, with coordinates i down the slope and j normal to it. I am confused about why with the constant velocity forumla I get a different answer to my attempted method.. I can't see what's wrong..I need to...
  30. A

    Confusion about a random process

    Question already asked on http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1310194/confusion-about-a-random-process?noredirect=1#comment2661260_1310194, but couldn't get an answer so reposting here...
  31. A

    Muon length contraction confusion

    Muon created by fast cosmic ray has speed 2.99X10^8 m/s and life time 2.2 micro sec. According to this numbers muon should travel only 0.66Km with respect to Earth in his life time. however it travels more than 10 km (10.4km) due to time dilation. in muon frame of reference, Earth travels only...
  32. B

    PLA Circuit Confusion - Need Advice!

    Hi all, quick question about a PLA circuit I'm doing for coursework. I'll upload a pic of the circuit to help explain. I've got the main stuff worked out but a little line in the coursework is making me think if I need to add a couple of extra connections on it. The circuit has 7 incrementing...
  33. K

    BIOS and UEFI: Unraveling the Confusion

    For me BIOS and UEFI is all now confusing :-) Is there any element similar to BIOS in UEFI? When a UEFI based PC starts, is there any BIOS component, 16 Bit real mode starting from Reset Vector that still runs and then it actually loads UEFI or is it the UEFI firmware right from the very...
  34. S

    MHB Adding numbers with exponents (confusion)

    Alright here's my confusion, if i take say 3x^2 + 4x^2 ill end up with 7x^2 which i accepted was the correct way to think about it, but if i try the same problem without the x variable doing the same method, 3^2 + 4^2 = 7^2 this is obviously not the correct answer. Instead 3^2 = 9 and 4^2 = 16...
  35. W

    Electrical mobility definition confusion

    Hi! According to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_mobility, the definition of electrical mobility ##\mu## is: ##\vec{v} = \mu \vec{E}##. But since electrical mobility is always positive, this means that the velocity is always parallel to the E-field regardless of charge. How can...
  36. F

    Basic Mechanics: Finding Reaction Force on an Inclined Ramp

    Homework Statement The question is made of a smooth inclined ramp at an angle of 30 degrees. There is a particle on the ramp with mass m. The question asks to find R (The reaction force on the ball) in terms of mg Homework Equations Resolving the forces with the ramp and equating upward and...
  37. A

    What Eyepiece Focal Length Achieves a 350x Magnification in a Microscope?

    Homework Statement The distance between the objective and eyepiece lenses in a microscope is 21cm . The objective lens has a focal length of 5.5mm. What eyepiece focal length will give the microscope an overall angular magnification of 350? Homework Equations M=(25*d)/(fe*fo) or...
  38. alyafey22

    MHB Confusion about the notation of transpose

    Define the following $$Z= \begin{pmatrix} 0 & A \\ B^T & T \end{pmatrix}$$ where we define $A$ and $B$ as $r \times m $ matrices and $T$ is an $m \times m$ matrix with nonzero distinct indeterminates at the diagonal, that is, $T_{i,i} = t_i$. What is the meaning of $B^T$ ?
  39. cnh1995

    Why does a DC series motor not reach a steady speed?

    I have a confusion about the rotation of dc series motor..Suppose I put some load on it and turned it on..Due to no initial back emf, high current will flow in the armature (and field) and due to high starting torque, the motor will start rotating at say,1000 rpm. This will induce back emf which...
  40. M

    Magnetic Levitation : Confusion with Lenz's Law

    Considering the above diagram, I am failing to see why the aluminium ring floats upwards rather than oscillates. I understand Faraday's law, but I am struggling with Lenz's law - as there is an alternating current, an alternating magnetic field is produced, similar to a sine wave. Therefore, I...
  41. B

    Cantilever Framework Practice Exam Confusion

    Little bit stuck with this practice question for my exams, how do they suppose I work out the length of the individual beams or height of the framework without an initial length? Is there a secret way I've never heard of? Any help would be appreciated, it's foundation degree level but probably...
  42. S

    Power Spectral Density Confusion

    Hi, I am working on a project and came across a conceptual roadblock. I am working with a PSD, let's say the units are V^2/Hz. I choose a dF based on how many sine tones I want in the time signal I am going to create. I sample the PSD curve at my frequency bin locations; so I have both my...
  43. cnh1995

    Why is Lorentz's Force Equation Used for the BiLsinθ Force Derivation?

    If a charge is moving in a magnetic field with velocity v, q(vXB) force acts on it. If a current carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field, it experiences a force BiLsinθ (all symbols have usual meaning). But the reason behind the later force is the interaction between two magnetic...
  44. topsquark

    MHB Confusion about the Killing form for A1

    This is a long one if you have to follow all of my steps. If you are reasonably familiar with Killing forms then you can probably just skip to the three questions. Okay, I'm on my latest project which is to get some idea about how Dynkin diagrams and Coxeter labels work. (How do you pronounce...
  45. K

    Star Delta Line/Phase Voltage Confusion

    As I am new to this forum, I must apologise if I have began this thread in the wrong category but I have a bit of a problem. I don't necessary study physics, I study Electrical Installation at college. As a result we overlap on some physics topics We have recently covered Star Delta. Now, I...
  46. ryanuser

    Solving Neutrino Confusion: 3 Types Explained

    Hi Why are there three types of neutrinos? Why isn't there just one neutrino just like there is only one electron? (I mean electron doesn't have different flavours to it, same with tau and muon.) My textbook touches on this very breifly and confuses me with "if there were only one type of...
  47. S

    Gas confusion -- cooling air in a pipe using venturis and mixing

    Hello everyone! I am new here. I have used this forum on and off through google searches in the past and learned a fair bit from the posts. This is the first time asking anything. The question is probably extremely simple but has been overrun in my head for a week! It is in regards to...
  48. AakashPandita

    Escape velocity earth confusion

    Namaste If escape velocity on Earth is 11 km/s and velocity of Earth is 30 km/s how is that the atmosphere doesn't escape the pull of earth. Is the escape velocity with reference to Earth ? I don't think so because when finding the formula we add kinetic and potential energy and then equate to...
  49. wabbit

    Clarifying Black Hole Horizons: An Examination of Observer Perspectives

    I am confused about black hole horizons and such common statements as "light cannot escape from inside the horizon". The way I currently understand it is as follows : 1. Horizons are always relative to an observer, and what is called "the black hole horizon" is just a shorthand for "the black...
  50. G

    Understanding Skin Depth in DC and AC Fields: Confusion and Clarification

    Hello. The skin depth is nothing but measure of penetration depth of EM Wave when it is incident on the conductor. It is well known that the skin depth is decreased when the EM wave frequency increases. But thinking about DC field. We know that when DC is applied to metal (metal is installed...
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