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. M

    Explanation for hydrodynamic problem

    Homework Statement See the photo of the problem in the attachment Homework Equations Bernoulli equation and continuity equation The Attempt at a Solution I don't know from where to begin , i only can get the velocity of fluid when it reaches the hole
  2. arupel

    I Explanation of the EPR paradox

    I am not sure I understand exactly what was the situation was with the EPR paradox Example: for simplicity: two electrons are coupled. One with spin up and the other with spin down. Since they are coupled there are one state. Separate the electrons one in one galaxy and the other in another...
  3. C

    A Multi Gaussian beams explanation

    Can anyone explain intuitively or give a better explanation of multi gaussian beams and the ABCD matrix approach for sound (ultrasonics) and not light? Thanks!
  4. Giannakoulis

    Strange way to charge a phone, explanation please....

    could anyone explain me how is it possible to charge your phone wireless, like this video link?
  5. P

    I DDWFTTW: Looking for the least confusing explanation

    I have tried to find the least confusing (or rather, the most 'deconfusing') explanation for why it is possible for a cart with a prop to travel directly downwind faster than the wind. So far this is what I've come up with: Initial discussion At first glance, a cart traveling down faster than...
  6. N

    MHB How does this swap function work in C++?

    I can't understand how this code was able to swap or get this output: Based off of the following code what is the output of the main function? void Swap(int& x, int y){ int temp = x; x = y; y = temp; return; } int main(){ int a =12; int b = 3; Swap( b...
  7. A

    Need an explanation -- Consider pure water separated from....

    Consider pure water separated from an aqueous starch solution by a semipermeable membrane, which allows water to pass freely but not starch. After some time has elapsed, the concentration of starch solution a. will have increased b. will have decreased c. will not have changed d. might have...
  8. pittsburghjoe

    I Explanation for the Quantum Measurement Problem?

    Do we yet have an explanation for the Measurement Problem that Einstein would have been satisfied with?
  9. D

    Amplitude and Energy: A Simple Explanation

    I tried to come up with a simple calculus-free explanation for why the energy in a sound wave is proportional to the square of the wave's amplitude for my musical acoustics class. I think this makes sense, and seems to just be an elaboration of what Donald Hall writes, but I haven't seen it...
  10. A

    Quantum mechanics -- explanation of exothermic reactions

    Hi, I am wondering about latent heat release when water freezes but it seems best to start with a regular exothermic reaction. How does bond formation create heat? What is actually happening at the microscopic level so that these combining particles are capable of causing adjacent molecules...
  11. Meerio

    B Need an explanation for the chances in this graph

    In the paper Advanced LIGO they published some figures with chances. I would like to know how they know that there's a 90% chance for something to be in a specific value. https://dcc.ligo.org/public/0122/P1500218/014/PhysRevLett.116.241102.pdf paper here also have some other questions: What...
  12. CollinsArg

    B Trying to represent a written geometrical description

    I'm reading an old book about Thales (Greek geometry), and I can't understand what the next part means, and how to represent it graphically, could you help me? thanks: It begin stating that if you divide an equilateral traingle with a perpendicular from a vertex on the opposite side, it'll be...
  13. Mr Davis 97

    B Explanation for increase of degree of equation

    So say that I have the quadratic equation ##x^2 - 2x +1 = 0##. If I multiply each side by ##x##, a valid operation, I get the new equation ##x^3 - 2x^2 + x = 0##, which has a different solution set as the first, namely ##\left\{ {0, 1}\right\}##. If I make the substitution ##x^2 = 2x -1 = 0##...
  14. Priyadarshini

    B What is the error in this proof attempting to show 0/0 = 2?

    Recently I can across this proof: 0/0= (100-100)/(100-100) = (10^2-10^2)/10(10-10) =(10-10)(10+10)/10(10-10) = (10+10)/10 =20/10 = 2 But this is obviously wrong, as 0/0 is infinity, but which line in this proof is actually wrong?
  15. B

    I Intuitive Explanation of an Atwood Machine

    So I'm working through a physics a textbook on my own, and because of that don't always have a professor who can help explain concepts I don't understand, so I'm turning to you good folks. Could someone explain why both masses need to be taken into account when determining the acceleration of...
  16. N

    B Any good lay explanation of the Schrödinger cat duality?

    Once again, I came across the notion (in a lay physics book by an academic) that two mutually exclusive states simultaneously exist until observed (based on the Schrödinger living/dead cat thought experiment), which, on its face, seems to me to belong to theology and not to science. That both...
  17. R

    Steric Repulsion - Simple Explanation?

    From here: https://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100421234931AAnRi1H Please could someone tell me exactly what is causing the repulsion? When it says size of groups, what does it mean? What groups? What's a group? Shouldn't larger things attract, not repel? Is it a structural...
  18. A

    Help with formula and explanation

    Good Morning / Afternoon, I'm looking at a question which has been given to me and I'm trying to find out what the answer / formula would be to it. The question is as follows: A student has been asked to move a box of mass 15 kg onto a shelf that is at a height 2 m above the ground level and...
  19. pluviosilla

    I Slope of LS line = Cov(X,Y)/Var(X). Intuitive explanation?

    The slope of a fitted line = Cov(X,Y)/Var(X). I've seen the derivation of this, and it is pretty straightforward, but I am still having trouble getting an intuitive grasp. The formula is extremely suggestive and it is bothering me that I can't quite see its significance. Perhaps, my mental...
  20. K

    I Looking for straight explanation of entanglement

    Hi all, I start to read some popular science on quantum physics. The term "entanglement" appears everywhere in quantum communication and other related fields. I am trying to understand this concept based on my undergraduate knowledge on physics. From some online resource, I have a feeling that...
  21. smak64

    Explanation of Human Soul search

    I have read a great deal of psychology and I have a very strong feel that the explanation of human soul must lie in the neurology and study of brain signals especially in strong emotional states like listening to strong lyrical rap music or being in love. I want to discuss it here so we can...
  22. M

    B Explanation of the asymmetry of the Universe

    Hi My academic background is in philosophy, and I know very little physics. My attraction to the principle of sufficient reason motivates my question. My understanding of one theory of the origin of the universe is that it started with a "singularity" which then exploded into our universe. It...
  23. D

    Looking for an explanation of a simple Lipshitz condition

    Homework Statement Has solution It then goes on to state the solution blows up at , which I understand. My issue is when I do the solution I get (Working)
  24. F

    Newton's 3rd law & rocket propulsion (detailed explanation)

    I had someone ask me how rockets are able to accelerate in space and my initial answer was that the rocket fuel combusts and is heated into an energetic gas, the gas is accelerated out of the back of the rocket (i.e. the rocket exerts a force on the gas), then according to Newton's 3rd law, the...
  25. D

    B "no free will" simplest explanation for spooky action?

    Isnt "there's no free will" the simplest explanation for "spooky action at a distance" ? Bell himself said it: "There is a way to escape the inference of superluminal speeds and spooky action at a distance. But it involves absolute determinism in the universe, the complete absence of...
  26. A

    Exploring Enthalpy: Magnesium Reactivity in Hydrochloric Acid Lab Results

    I just conducted a lab in which I am testing varying amounts of magnesium to react with a consistent amount of hydrochloric acid, determining which amount of magnesium produces a reaction whose enthalpy is the closest to the theoretical/ideal enthalpy of this equation. I created 3 conditions...
  27. S

    MLE of Bivariate Vector Random Variable: Proof & Explanation

    Homework Statement Consider the bivariate vector random variable ##(X,Y)^T## which has the probability density function $$f_{X,Y}(x,y) = \theta xe^{-x(y+\theta)}, \quad x\geq 0, y\geq 0 \; \; \text{and} \; \; \theta > 0.$$ I have shown that the marginal distribution of ##X## is ##f_X(x|\theta)...
  28. Firasf1dream

    Need help in calculating Engine Air Flow and Specs Explanation

    hello everyone, i hope you're doing well, i am new to this forum so i am not sure if this is the right place for my question what i am doing is trying to calculate the air flow needed for intake of an RC engine Zenoah G320RC in the attachment files, it's a pdf for the info about the Standard...
  29. G

    C program -- need an explanation

    Homework Statement I need help with the following problem in C programming language: Define a quiz and add two questions in it with given possible answers. Display the questions one by one and allow the user to choose between 1, 2 or 3 (numbers that represent serial numbers of possible...
  30. S

    Need an explanation of sliding window for networking

    So I have a school project that requires me to use a sliding window in order to transmit a file to a server, but I'm having trouble understanding how sliding window works. I don't really understand how rejects are done and how the program knows to send a new packet and then move onto the next...
  31. C

    Explanation of stiffness/compliance matrices

    Hi, can someone please explain how we get 9 independent constants for orthotropic materials in the stiffness/compliance matrix which is reduced from 21 constants of anisotropic materials. A detailed expanation is required and mathematics behind it
  32. MaxKang

    Sensation of heat, physical explanation?

    I've read some articles online saying that the temperature is a measure of average kinetic energy of molecules so as the temperature increases, more molecules will bump into each other. However, I still don't quite understand why we feel hot when more molecules bump into each other. Is high...
  33. A

    MHB What is the limit of the difference of square roots of consecutive numbers?

    Hello, I am struggling to understand a simple question on limits. I have watched a video trying to explain the theory and even have the answer right in front of me but I still don't understand. Could somebody please explain the steps in detail for me just for the first question as I'm hoping...
  34. marcophys

    I Down convertor 2 photon entanglement - explanation?

    Just watched many times (specifically @ 20:13 - 25:04) Ron Garret's 'Google Tech Talk' All was going well - the 2 photon experiment & concept visualised - only that the finality of comprehension wasn't delivered... perhaps because Ron was merely using this for his own purpose. This seems a...
  35. prashant singh

    I Eratosthene's explanation of the sun's ray

    How can we say that when the sun is overhead then its ray will pass through the centre of the Earth , does it happens only at the one place on the earth. How they knew that synene is situated in the middle of north and south
  36. B

    Explanation for Non-Inertial Frames of Reference

    Homework Statement Why do objects that have no external net force acting on them accelerate? Ex. If a ball is on an accelerating train, it will accelerate opposite the direction of the train's acceleration, assuming there is nothing blocking its path of motion and it is not strapped down. My...
  37. P

    Possible explanation for kinetic energy

    why does kinetic energy depend on half the square? if we add up all the velocities does it not produce half a square?
  38. N

    B Understanding E=mc^2: Lorentz Contraction and Time Dilation Calculator

    So, I've been viewing this calculator website, and from it i figured out how to do the Lorentz Contraction and Time Dilation formula. However, When i stumbled upon this one... No matter how i tried, I couldn't figure it out. So, Please help. http://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1224060366
  39. C

    Transistor Logic Gate : NOT Gate Explanation?

    Hi everyone. I would like to ask about this light sensor using not gate circuit. I use LDR as an input and a LED as an output. I have tried this circuit in Proteus, and it works. When the LDR 'off', LED turns on, and vice versa. But i don't really understand about the working principle of this...
  40. H

    Explanation please -- public bus induction power -- into basic physics?

    Sorry for the title, and sorry if there is already a thread on it. This induction charger for a public transport bus. Can anyone break it down into basic formulas of high school physics. The air gap is frikkin huge. Earlier prototypes apparently had a secondary coil on the bus that was lowered...
  41. dextercioby

    A Explanation of terminology: electroweak

    I'm not a specialist in this subject, so bear with me. I've always wondered why one claims that the electromagnetic and weak interactions are unified, but the strong one with the (unified) other two is not. Mathematically, I'm aware that the full gauge group of the SM is ## U(1) \times SU(2)...
  42. T

    I A special relativity explanation for the Lorentz Force?

    I am still a bit puzzled by this video: Does this mean that force exerted on an electrically charged particle facilitated by moving through magnetic field B is due to special relativity, and not virtual photons acting as magnetic force carriers? Thanks
  43. TheDemx27

    I Cauchy Repeated Integration Explanation?

    https://anhngq.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/the-cauchy-formula-for-repeated-integration/ Could someone please explain, bit by bit, how the formula works? For instance, why are we integrating with respect to sigma, up to sigma in the equation before it?
  44. H

    Explanation for exception in a trend? - Chemistry

    Homework Statement Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I have to explain why the boiling point generally increases from groups 14-16 but drops from 16-17, my answer is that every molecule in the the 17th group has only two atoms, meaning there are less protons in the molecule causing...
  45. K

    Simple Dynamics Problem Requiring Explanation

    Homework Statement Boxes are placed on a slope at uniform intervals of time trelease and slide down the slope with uniform acceleration. Knowing that as a box B is released, the preceding box A has slid 6 meters down the slope and that 1 second later they are 10 meters apart, determine the...
  46. T

    Moving charge magnetism explanation

    I'm from a country in Africa where I didn't have the privilege of learning the Standard Model, so I'll try and rephrase my question here: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/why-is-the-electromagnetic-field-not-a-charge-field.857927/#post-5384284 In a way where my ignorance doesn't outrage...
  47. J

    Explanation of formula T = 2pi sqrt(m/k)

    Homework Statement This formula we've been using recently, I don't understand where it comes from. Homework Equations T = 2pi * sqrt(m/k) The Attempt at a Solution Hooke's law: F = -kx E(total) = .5mv^2 + .5kx^2 Circumference of a Circle: C = 2 * pi * r I figure these piece together, but I...
  48. M

    Intuitive explanation of lim sup of sequence of sets

    Hi, I can derive a few properties of the limit inferior and limit superior of a sequence of sets but I have trouble in understanding what they actually mean. However, my understand of lim inf and lim sup of a sequence isn't all that bad. Is there a way to understand them intuitively (something...
  49. C

    Force based explanation of gravity waves still possible?

    It's quite chilling that gravitational wave has been detected.. can force based explanation of gravity waves still be possible? How? or does it prove 100% that GR is true or gravity is really spacetime curvature?
  50. C

    Conceptual explanation for ΔS=Q/T

    So understand how to solve a problem using the equation: ΔS=Q/T But is there a conceptual explanation for why the equation works. And I'm not looking for a proof, but I simply want to understand why this equation should be intuitive. Thanks for your time!
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