What is Explain: Definition and 1000 Discussions

An explanation is a set of statements usually constructed to describe a set of facts which clarifies the causes, context, and consequences of those facts. This description may establish rules or laws, and may clarify the existing rules or laws in relation to any objects, or phenomena examined.Explanation, in philosophy, is a set of statements that makes intelligible the existence or occurrence of an object, event, or state of affairs. Among the most common forms of explanation are causal explanation; deductive-nomological explanation, which involves subsuming the explanandum under a generalization from which it may be derived in a deductive argument (e.g., “All gases expand when heated; this gas was heated; therefore, this gas expanded”); and statistical explanation, which involves subsuming the explanandum under a generalization that gives it inductive support (e.g., “Most people who use tobacco contract cancer; this person used tobacco; therefore, this person contracted cancer”). Explanations of human behaviour typically appeal to the subject’s beliefs and desires, as well as other facts about him, and proceed on the assumption that the behaviour in question is rational (at least to a minimum degree). Thus an explanation of why the subject removed his coat might cite the fact that the subject felt hot, that the subject desired to feel cooler, and that the subject believed that he would feel cooler if he took off his coat.

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  1. B

    Can someone explain Laplace transformations

    Can someone explain Laplace transformations! i don't understand ittttt. [edit] sorry. i hadnt even heard of laplace transformations until i found it in my assignment. basically i want to know how to use them so, some simple, well explained examples perhaps?
  2. J

    Can somebody explain what a discriminator is?

    I work in a laser lab and I'm constantly hearing about electronic components that I don't understand (my background is materials science). This is one example. Could someone either explain or point me to an introductory level reference on what a discriminator is in the context of light...
  3. S

    Can someone explain, simply, hidden nonlocality/locality? EPR Paradox?

    So I understand local realism (the moon is there when we aren't seeing it) and the notion that Bell's Theorem says that if local realism is true, then we could perform experiments that show observation is independent of reality and that we should expect certain probabilities to arise. But we...
  4. BloodyFrozen

    Explain Euler's Theorem/Identity

    Please explain Euler's theorem. :cry: I don't get how he got this formula and how it can be used instead of trigonometry. Thanks :confused:
  5. P

    Can anyone explain Fresnels equations to me ?

    can anyone explain Fresnels equations to me ?? Hi members I am undergraduate student , this term I study optics course but there are some things I don't understand it as Fresnels equations ! can anyone explain Fresnels equations to me in details ?? or give me link take about...
  6. F

    Can someone explain this fluids formula to me?

    Homework Statement The question pertains to hydrostatic lifts. So, assuming you have a lift and you're applying pressure to one side and the other side is rising: P0 + P1 = P0 + P2 + (rho)gh Now, when we look at the equation, why is it (rho)gh? I'm thinking it's something like mgh, so to...
  7. S

    Do you find it easy to explain physics?

    Do you ever get asked to explain concepts of physics in your offline life? Do you find it difficult or easy to explain topics when the person will not listen to a single piece of maths? At this stage if anyone with zero background of maths asks me something I have to promise to email...
  8. S.Daedalus

    Exploring the Pioneer Anomaly: Could Heat Radiation Explain It?

    The very likely explanation of the apparent Pioneer anomaly through improved heat radiation models (https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=486509". As luck would have it, just today I stumble upon an article on improved measurements of the Earth's gravitational field by the...
  9. F

    Understanding the Use of Magnetic Field in MIT Problem 4 31-9

    Explain this MIT problem?? Homework Statement http://web.mit.edu/course/8/8.02-esg/Spring03/www/8.02pset9sol.pdf Problem 4 31-9 Why are they using x for the B-field? Isn't the distance from the rod to the loop h + w?? I don't understand on step 4.2
  10. A

    Explain how an atom may have a permanent magnetic dipole moment

    Explain how an atom may have a permanent magnetic dipole moment? Many thanks...
  11. D

    Angular velocity and c: Is this a paradox? Can you explain it?

    I thought of this today while studying relativity. Imagine a very large disc spinning with an arbitrary angular velocity. Perhaps w=57 rad/s (this is the speed of a CD, got this from a random physics text, whatever, the speed is really not important).. The speed of light is c=3*10^8 m/s...
  12. thenewmans

    There must be a trick to pumping water into a reactor (I’ll explain)

    In a nuclear reactor, the trick is to create high pressures that can turn a turbine. For that, water is boiled by the reactor. As the steam goes through the turbine, it decompresses and cools and eventually turns back into a liquid. So far so good. But the water that leaves the reactor has to be...
  13. Z

    Can someone please explain to me why massless particles follow null geodesics?

    Anything that is massless must follow null geodesics. Why is this?
  14. D

    Can someone explain how to find stuff with 2 Voltmeters?

    Need help finding Current on one resistor when there are 2 batteries Homework Statement Find Current in the 3 ohm resistor Sorry it didnt come out right. ill explain what it is. 12V meter on the left, + on top - on bottom. then if you go counter-clockwise you will hit a 6ohm resistor...
  15. Y

    Can someone explain why book use a vector to explain angular frequency of rotation?

    This is an example from the book and it is not a homework. There is one part of the step I just don't get. This is the question on page 236 of Griffiths "Introduction to Electrodynamics": Example 5.11 A spherical shell, of radius R, carrying a uniform surface charge \rho , is set spinning...
  16. C

    Help to explain electromagnetism, a loop of wire in a magnetic field.

    Homework Statement What is the orientation of the loop relative to the magnetic field when the current has its maximum, and its minimum magnitude. Homework Equations Ohm's law & Faraday's lawThe Attempt at a Solution The loop of wire is perpendicular to the magnetic field which gives it it's...
  17. nomadreid

    Does the mass difference between p+ and e+ explain differences wrt e- ?

    My question is best explained by a Gedankenexperiment. First we have a hydrogen atom, with the electron not collapsing into the nucleus for the well-known reason of its minimum energy being above that needed to overcome the Coulomb force. Fine. Now replace the proton in the nucleus with a...
  18. Simfish

    How do you explain the CMB anisotropy diagram?

    http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/media/070950/070950b.jpg So the x-axis is multipole moment, which I remember from 2nd-quarter electromagnetism. Anyways, it surprises me that 1000-order multipole moments can even be physically significant.
  19. R

    Can someone explain how spin allows elctrons to pair

    I never understood this how do 2 like charges stay together, the electro is it like eddy currents or something
  20. W

    Can someone kindly explain? Thanks

    Homework Statement I have attached my question. I don't understand how A can turn into B? (the highlighted parts) Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I finished the whole question, but I don't understand why arcsec turns into arctan...
  21. J

    Could you explain the concepts behind this question

    I'm trying this question. i know that resistance is the concept of ohms law together with electric potential giving rise to V/I but i can't seem to know how to start. Please advice A material of resistivity r is formed into the shape of a truncated cone of altitude h. The bottom end has...
  22. Z

    Can anyone explain more for me Newton's 3rd Law of Motion?

    As I learn about Newton's Third Law:For every force applied to object A by another object B, there is an equal and opposite force(reaction) applied to object B by object A. I think if we had two equal and opposite forces exerts on a thing so it will not move! Also, if there is an astronaut...
  23. E

    Solving a Complex Problem: Analysis and Comparison of Different Approaches

    Can anyone help me with this problem? I've uploaded the original problem and the way I solved it. The way they do it, as you can see, is a bit more involved. I did it a bit differently. I also came up with a bit of a different answer. I came up with 3200 N for T1 and for T2, I came up with...
  24. L

    Explain to me in the simplest terms triality?

    Anybody here how could explain to me in the simplest terms triality? I know some very littel Lie and representation theory. As I understand there are vector and spinor representations for so(n). If n is even, there are two spin reps and one vec rep, if n is odd there is one spin rep and one...
  25. E

    Can someone please explain hybridization to me

    Can someone please explain hybridization to me, the best way you can, I don't understand it at alll. Any way you can explain would be a great help. Thank You (:
  26. Ƒ

    Can someone please explain this?

    So, I have to write a sestina for english class. While searching wikipedia, i came across this image I suspect this has something to do with being tired, but what does the spiral mean? I'm with it as far as the first transition (going clockwise). The sixth line does indeed become the first...
  27. J

    Can someone explain g on earth

    my question leads to something bigger but to start g force on Earth is 9.8m/s2 for simlicity let's say 10. 1-is it rite to say if you drop an object in the 1st sec its acceleration is 10m/s2 in the 2nd sec it's 100m/s then in the 3rd sec it's 10000 m/s 2-if the above is correct what is the...
  28. D

    Is 'lb per ft' a Unit of Force or Work? Confirm & Explain Here

    So in this engineering course I do at my university called Statics, we often use a unit of lb per ft as a unit of force when calculating moments. However, I was just watching an episode of Big Bang Theory when Sheldon said something about a common mistake being when people use lb per ft as a...
  29. G

    Can someone explain this to me.

    When your dealing with the x-component in projectile motion you work with the cosine of some angle. Yet, when your working with the x-component in force you work with the sin of some angle on inclined plane. It may seem like a silly question, but it keeps confusing me on my homework problems.
  30. M

    Physics-Electric Fields: Can someone please explain this to me?

    My professor didn't explain this well. Question: http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k327/ProtoGirlEXE/q1.jpg Answer: (part 1) http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k327/ProtoGirlEXE/q2.jpg (part 2) http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k327/ProtoGirlEXE/q3.jpg I'm completely lost on...
  31. B

    Gravitational potential energy question (that my teachers can't explain)

    Homework Statement Hi everybody, this is a conceptual question about gravitational potential energy that my textbook and high school teacher seem to give incomplete answers. The problem involves two masses m_{1} and m_{2}, where m_{2} > m_{1}, which are both at a radius R from the Earth's...
  32. C

    Can Someone explain Why we integrate over 4[tex]\pi[/tex]? What allows

    Can Someone explain Why we integrate over 4\pi? What allows us to get rid of Omega?
  33. B

    Can someone explain this inverse tan integral for me please?

    integral of (Ldv)/(AgL+v^2) from [v0,0] I'm supposed to get (...)arctan(...) where (...) are 2 different quantities. I'm confused on how to get arctan out of this integral whenarctan = integral of (1*dv)/(1+v^2) from [0,x] Help is appreciated.
  34. Fredrik

    LaTeX Can someone explain how our LaTeX problems are possible?

    Physics Forums has had problems with LaTeX for 10 months now. I'm just wondering if someone can explain what's causing it, or at least how it's possible at all. The problem and some of my thoughts are summarized in this quote:
  35. F

    Can someone explain my answer to me? I want to understand it.

    Homework Statement Hi physics forums, thanks for responding if you do :cool: Use Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's current law to determine the current I1 in the circuit of Figure-- The Attempt at a Solution So I'm trying to fully understand what is going on here.. Besides not getting where...
  36. P

    Explain how readings on these gravity instruments indicate deposits of minerals?

    Homework Statement (4 marks) Instruments that measure the force of the Earth's gravity with great accuracy are carried in airplanes over mineral-bearing landscapes. Explain how readings on the instruments indicate when there is a deposit of minerals or oil below the plane. Homework...
  37. S

    I'm trying to explain some physics principles to a general audience

    I'm trying to explain some physics principles to a general audience and have a few related questions: 1) What's the name of the principle that distinguishes between randomly arranged particles in an iron bar and those arranged so as to magnetize it? Is it 'coherence' or something else? 2)...
  38. J

    Explain the difference between these two theorems.

    Homework Statement So I get to Abel's Theorem and I'm like, "What the fork? I think I've seen this before." Homework Equations THEOREM III. Suppose that the series ∑anxn has a positive or infinite radius of convergence R. Let 0 < r < R. Then the series converges uniformly on the closed...
  39. V

    How do I explain it? Potential difference in the system discussed is independent

    How do I explain it?? Potential difference in the system discussed is independent Hi folks, - please view the attached image - my colleague and I had a major disagreement in the office. We both mutually put a lid on the discussion as we both felt that we needed more information in order to...
  40. T

    Can somebody please explain Olbers' paradox to me?

    In general terms, but not too general.
  41. K

    Explain two different methods for using combinations

    Homework Statement A soccer coach organizing a field trip finds that 50 students have signed up. However, the bus has only 47 seats, so a few students will have to travel by car. The coach and one other coach must go on the bus. Explain two different methods for using combinations to find...
  42. S

    Please explain human EM interference with my XMAS lights

    I am aware that the human body has electrical properties, But was baffled by what I witnessed Christmas Eve. I had a malfunctioning electric candle in the window. I picked it up to check the tightness of the bulb, and it immediately came on. I set it down and it went off. Three times this...
  43. Z

    Can someone please explain to me what the Christoffel symbols symbols are?

    I am trying to understand everything about general relativity. I know that they have to do with how the Riemann curvature tensor uses parallel transporting a vector around a closed path. I really just don't understand the mathematics behind it. Thank you. I prefer layman's terms.
  44. D

    Please explain the paths that planets take in regards to spacetime.

    Do planets follow the curvature of spacetime as they orbit, or what is their path considered to be?
  45. R

    Math My minor in Math isn't official , don't know how to explain it on resume

    my minor in Math isn't "official", don't know how to explain it on resume I took all the required classes needed to obtain a minor in Math from my graduating school, but unfortunately more than half the classes were transfer credits from my first school I transferred out of after my first year...
  46. N

    Could somebody please explain this problem to me?(torque/angular momentum)

    Homework Statement Okay I just need someone to explain to me 2 things in the solution to a problem. Here is a link to the solution manual for the book I am using for my University Physics 1 course. http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~tt106402/work/phys252/Physics%20Notes/ch10.pdf if you search (crtl...
  47. ShayanJ

    Could you explain the solution of this limit?

    I know one way is using hoptial's law but that will be a long way. \lim _{x \rightarrow 0 } {\frac {\cos \left( \sin \left( x \right) \right) -\cos \left( x \right) }{{x}^{4}}} thanks
  48. H

    Physics problem kindly explain how to arrive the answer.

    Homework Statement Two trains start at the same time from stations A and B (6km apart ) respectively in opposite tracks. train A accelerates uniformly at the rate of 0.5 meter per second square until it reaches a speed of 54 kmph, while train B accelerates uniformly at the rate of 0.6 meter...
  49. P

    Can someone explain Specific Gravity?

    http://www.tpub.com/content/engine/14105/css/14105_20.htm This website tells me that Specific Gravity is weight of substance/weight of equal volume of water or density of substance/density of water. Can someone explain how this is true? Density and weight are two different things so...
  50. W

    Can you explain me how these equations were obtained?

    ln(-2) = ln(2) + (1+2k)*pi*i and ln(16) = ln (16) + 2m*pi*i I picked this equation from here: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=184129 Post #5 (D H's post. Thanks a lot!
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