What is Explanation: Definition and 975 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. Z

    Need and explanation of an Optics principle.

    There is a laser beam with a diameter D, in air that strikes a flat smooth piece of glass with angle @ and index of refraction of n. I need to derive and equation for the diameter of the beam in the glass wiht respect with n D, and @. I want to know why the beam's diameter would be effected by...
  2. B

    Explanation of Eq of Peskin's Intro to QFT Book

    Hi Can someone please explain to me Eq 2.30 in Schroeder's and Peskin's book? (page 21) how does he simplify the long equation of the commutator to this delta distribution? \imath\delta^(^3^)\ (x - x') Thanks
  3. R

    How Do I Find a Quartic Function with Given Inflection Points?

    Hey everyone, For math, I was given a quartic function. I was asked to find the coordinates of the points of inflection Q and R. Then to determine the points P and S, where the line QR intersects the quartic function again, and calculate the ratio PQ:QR:RS. So I found the points of...
  4. S

    How holography works (entire explanation)

    Would someone, PLEEEEAAAASSSEEE, explain here how holography actually works. ...I mean - I know (I've already read about it times and times again) - I know it has to do with interference patterns (interaction between two components of light (object and reference light)), I see it has to do...
  5. W

    A New Explanation for Venus' Retrograde Rotation

    Consider this scenario: a Mars-size object strikes a glancing blow at Venus's backside that's facing toward the Sun. The resultant debris cloud would then coalesce into a large moon having a retrograde orbit. Tidal friction would then slow down Venus' rotation until it was tidally locked to its...
  6. adrenaline

    Need Understandable Explanation Of Bell's Theorum

    Every once in a while I try to stretch my feeble mind and pick up layman books on quantum physics as a change of pace from the many clinical/medical journals I have to constantly keep up with. I have a BS in chemistry and understand basic quantum mechanics but as much as I try, I cannot fully...
  7. P

    Explanation why dosen't the electron fall into the nucleus?

    Since the nucleus of an atom is +charged and the electron is -charged, why doesn't at least one electron fall into the nucleus?
  8. S

    Mimicry: Evolution explanation?

    Hey, Just wondering: How does evolution explains the process by which some species, spceially from insects, have mimicry tactics for defense? Thx in advance, Mimicry: The phenomenon in which some species [the mimic] resembles another species [the model] and gains protection from the...
  9. V

    Understanding Baseball Bat Center of Mass: Seeking Explanation

    Hey, There is a question in my textbook that I don't understand the answer too. THey show a diagram of a baseball bat and say if the baseball bad it cut at the location of its center of mass, do the two pieces have the same mass? They say no, the piece with the handle will have less mass than...
  10. B

    Buoyancy-a bit of explanation please

    hello Buoyancy is the upward force exerted on an object immersed in fluid, and upward force on an object in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid that was displaced. If this bouyant force is less than the weight of the object itself, the object will be left with a net downward force...
  11. R

    Introductory explanation about dualities?

    Someboy can give me an introductory explanation about dualities? I mean, what are, how works in theory and what physical sense do have it? I have to start some study about using dualities in linearized gravity, so i'll be very helped if you have too some basic literature at respect. Specifically...
  12. I

    Please explanation will help me out

    Ok so far I have been thinking that an explosion is nothing else than a inelastic collision. So energy is lost and momentum is conserved therefore P_i = P_f , The problem asks for how much kinetic energy did each piece acquire in the explosion, I also know that there was 7800 J released. In...
  13. K

    Rational functions(just need explanation)

    okay i need help on rational functions I am not sure if that what they are called but it all should be the same.What i need to find is the holes zeros vertical asymtotes horizontal asymtotes and the slant asymtotes can someone please tell me how to find each on of those and the...
  14. GarageTinker

    Need explanation on part of induction equation

    As part of a personal garage tinkering project, I am utilizing the equation (Faraday's?) to figure the voltage output of a DC induction coil (magnetic induction generator) with an air core and I have some questions about the equation: ∑ = -N{(∆B*A) / ∆t}. Where "A" is the area of the coil...
  15. T

    Explanation of how superconductivity occurs?

    Would anyone like to suggest an "easy" explanation of how superconductivity occurs? Firstly, how the Cooper pairs form and secondly why that actually results in zero resistance? This is what I understand: An electron passes through the lattice and destorts it. This creates a region of...
  16. I

    Discover the Coefficient of Kinetic Friction on a Slide with a 26° Incline

    Need explanation, please~~ A child slides down a slide with a 26° incline, and at the bottom her speed is precisely one-third what it would have been if the slide had been frictionless. Calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction between the slide and the child. I get as an answer 0.43...
  17. S

    Proving System Decay Time: A Detailed Explanation

    hi all. Some clarification on this would be helpful to get me going in the correct direction. For a specified system, I'm trying to prove that the time it takes for the system to decay to 1/e of its original value (which works out to ~36.8%), takes a certain amount of time. The actual values...
  18. M

    Conceptual explanation of Dot Product

    I'm a peer leader for a general physics lab and someone asked me to explain what the Dot Product meant conceptually. I told him it was the projection of A onto B multiplied by the magnitude of B. He looked even more confused after that; my questions are: a) Did I explain it correctly...
  19. N

    Where can I found explanation on Bell's Inequality ?

    What is Bell's inequality theorem ? Where can I find the details explanation of this theory ? Thanks for help .
  20. M

    What's the explanation of W+/e+ decay?

    One up and two downs are sitting in an unstable atom which will decay through Beta radiation. It decides to decay. One down is transformed into an up through the release of the W- particle, which decays into an electron. Basics. What's the explanation of W+/e+ decay? Given set conditions...
  21. G

    Can anyone help provide an explanation?

    Qn1: When paddling a canoe, one can attain critical speed with relatively little effort, but to go faster beyond this critical speed requires more effort. Why? Qn2: Why do jet planes usually fly at altitudes above 10000m although it takes a lot of fuel to climb to that height? Thx..
  22. O

    The final explanation to why kinetic energy is proportional to velocity squared

    I am one of those who cannot really go into advanced calculations and leave the simple questions behind. I have to understand physics at a basic level. For that reason I am glad some members at this forum don’t hesitate to ask very fundamental questions. For years I have just taken everything...
  23. C

    A Commuter Diode Explanation Problem

    I have been trying to figure how a commuter diode effectively works in a circuit with a coil. I know that once the electric/magnetic field collapses in the coil after the current is cut to it that it induces a current in the opposite direction on the diode, which can only travel one way. But...
  24. B

    True Explanation of a Lever please.

    I have asked and I have asked, an no one has yet answered. I'm pleased to have discovered this free meeting place where I can ask so many educated people: how does a lever work? What's going on with the forces involved? I have read the typical formulas that are good at predicting the...
  25. R

    What are the rules for using the limit comparison theorem in power series?

    Hi, I'm preparing for my calculus II final and I had a question about Power Series. I'm posting the link for the answer solution to a practice exam (it's in pdf form) and I will ask questions based on that. http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~daryl/prcsol3.pdf On problem 12 it asks for the fifth...
  26. M

    Confused with General Relativities explanation of Gravity

    I am rather confused with General Relativities explanation of Gravity! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Gravity warps space-fabric (eg. rubber sheet model) How does this explain gravity? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Can...
  27. M

    Brewster's Law explanation help

    "The Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster discovered that for a certain angle of incidence, monochromatic light was 100% polarised upon reflection. The refracted beam was partially polarised, but the reflected beam was completely polarised parallel to the reflecting surface. Furthermore, he...
  28. S

    Quick explanation for wormholes

    i think this is kinda dumb but oh well Can someone give me a detailed explianation. All i know is that they are holes thorugh space time that make a strait line not the shortest route, and they are only open for short times and mircoscopic. Also could water hold them open?
  29. P

    Is there a physiological explanation for having to pee?

    I've noticed that when I have been thinking about some problem for a while and finally have a good insight, I immediately have the urge to pee. Has anyone heard of this before? Is there a physiological explanation?
  30. W

    A question about an explanation of the electrical resistance of perfect lattice

    Perfect periodic ion lattice has no electrical resistance.As we know,this can be easily shown by solving the Schrodinger equation using Bloch therom.Yet,another explanation is that "in a periodic array of scatterers a wave can propagate without attenuation because of the coherent constructive...
  31. G

    Lorentz transformations explanation?

    sorry, I'm not particularly well versed in this field. can someone explain the lorentz transformations to me?
  32. M

    Synchronized Cycles: Is There a Medical Explanation?

    This is a serious question. I'm not posting it to be vulgar or obsene. :confused: My sisters, our mother, and I are noticing that our monthly cycles are almost 100% in sync with each other. We thought this was pretty weird. Mainly because our cycles used to be at completely different times of...
  33. E

    Understanding Electricity: The Relationship Between Magnets and Current

    Is there a definition for the word electricity which will explain why spinning a magnet around a wire will produce a current?
  34. L

    Physical Explanation of Faraday's Law

    So we were going through Faraday's Law today in class: \int\vec{E}\cdot d\vec{l} = -\frac{d}{dt}\int\vec{B}\cdot d\vec{A} Mathematically I'm fine with it, however, is there any good physical way to explain it, it seems very odd that if you had a field such as: \vec{B} = B_0cos(\omega...
  35. T

    What is the explanation for Gauss's Law and the concept of electric flux?

    Hi all, Can someone give me a better explanation of precisely what Gauss's law and the term "electric flux" mean (better, that is, than Giancoli 6th edition, where they never really define it :grumpy: ). I just want to get a handle on the concept in general. Thanks ~
  36. V

    Understanding Vacuum Process & Weight Changes

    Hi everyone! I need help about understanding the Vacuum process, where can I find some information about it? and also The weight of a material (liquid) change after a vacuum process? I mean if the weight will be the same if I measure the material before and after the vacuum process...
  37. D

    Physical Explanation of a Pull-Back Car

    Hello. I have troubles understanding how the pull-back car works in a physical sense, so I decided to post a question. By "pull-back" car, I mean one of thoese Hess Cars where you pull and the spring inside it shrinks and once you release the car the spring inside gives it a thrust forward...
  38. X

    Explanation of Bernouilli's principal of lift?

    Does anyone have a diagram and/or explination of Bernouilli's principal of lift?
  39. F

    Explaining Newton's Cradle: The Science Behind the Single Ball Effect

    Everyone here should be familiar with the office toy known as Newton's Cradle where a ball collides with a group of balls and a ball moves out the other side. What I want to know is when a ball collides with the group why does only one ball come out? Why doesn't two balls come out at half...
  40. R

    Understanding Activity Series: A Simple Explanation

    Can someone explain what is an Activity Series? I looked at sites that is explaining it but I do not get it. Please try to make it simple as possible because I am really dumb. Thanks :smile:
  41. A

    Good online explanation of OOP?

    Hey guys Does anyone know of an excellent online source that can explain the basics of OOP? I grew up not using OOP, just using the normal style of programming (and its' name escapes me now). You know, just line by line, ahh, yes, sequential. I understand the very extreme basics, like...
  42. R

    What does a path integral measure in complex analysis?

    What exactly does a path integral measure? Is it area between the ends/bounds of the line? Or is it the length of the line? Just started complex analysis and am comletely confused by this.
  43. D

    Just need a quick explanation (Power Series)

    Problem: (a) Expand f(x)=\frac{x+x^2}{\left( 1-x\right) ^3} as a power series. (b) Use part (a) to find the sum of the series \sum _{n=1} ^{\infty} \frac{n^2}{2^n} \hline Solution: (a) f(x)=\frac{x+x^2}{\left( 1-x\right) ^3} = \left( x + x^2 \right) \left[ 1...
  44. C

    Critique My Explanation of QM re: the Observer,

    Hi, I recenlty had a friend whose interested in QM email me an article: http://www.space.com/searchforlife/quantum_astronomy_041111.html , asking for more explanation. This is the explanation I sent in a sleep-deprived state of mind (in fact, I'm still in said mind state as I post this now :) )...
  45. O

    Explanation of Newton's Method

    Hi everybody, I have a kinda theory to explain but I need a little help to find out the explanation of it. It is, suppose your first guess using Newton's method to find a root is lucky and you guess the exact root of f(x). (Not an approximation,but exact) What happens to your second...
  46. A

    .Solving the Time Travel Paradox: An Explanation

    I have a unclear problem about time travel: As you all know,when a spaceship move pass Earth with the speed nearly c, the observer will regconise that the watch on the spaceship is moving slower than his own clock. However, to the astronaunt who is on the spaceship, what he saw is the Earth is...
  47. T

    Calculating Car Speed: Using Skid Marks and Friction Coefficient

    ok, i have a problem and its answer, but I am not sure how to get the answer: Police lieutenants, examining the scene of an accident involving two cars, measure the skid marks of one of the cars, which nearly came to a stop before colliding, to be 81 m long. The coefficient of kinetic friction...
  48. S

    Shannon's measure - any profound explanation?

    Shannon's measure of information is the well known formula (in the discrete case): H(S) = {-}\sum_{i=1}^N P(s_i) \log_{2}P(s_i) Of course this can be written as: H(S) = \sum_{i=1}^N \log_{2}P(s_i)^{-P(s_i)} It appears to me that the multiple occurence of the same quantity (the probability of...
  49. T

    Nutshell Explanation of Liquid Color Displays

    Can anyone give me a fairly brief explanation of how liquid color displays work, and why they display color, instead of just a lightened color for charged areas, and black for uncharged areas. Lastly, I've no idea why these devices display color, what the liquid is composed of, what physical...
  50. F

    The Basics of Power & Circuitry: An Explanation for Laypeople

    I'm having difficulties understanding the concept of power and how you generate it in a circuit. Mainly I'm uncertain about how electrical energy can be used to produce power and what are the conditions for producing it (are resistors required?) Would someone be so kinda as to give me an anaolgy...
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