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new90
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∑ficosΔi = 0 what is the meaning of Δi
This doesn't look so much like a homework problem, but more of a conceptual question?new90 said:Homework Statement:: question
Relevant Equations:: n
∑ficosΔi = 0 what is the meaning of Δi
Still an angle.new90 said:but the thing i want to know what ddoes it means Δi
The exact format is important. Is it ##\Sigma f_i\cos(\Delta i)## or ##\Sigma f_i\cos(\Delta_i)##?new90 said:but the thing i want to know what ddoes it means Δi
Adesh said:Without context anything can be any other thing. In mathematical and physical contexts ##\Delta## generally stands for difference (usually very small one ) or a very small quantity of something. And ##i## is a dummy variable (generally).
You see this ##\Delta## once caused me a serious problem during my reading of Feynman Lectures on Physics, in volume 1 of FLP you will find ##\Delta## being used for small changes, however, other books tend to write ##\delta## for small changes.etotheipi said:I'm not sure about the 'very small' part. For infinitesimal changes we might use the little 'd'. But I see no reason why not to use ##\Delta## even if the change is very large - as far as I'm aware it's just a change, the bog standard "final - initial".
Please do correct me if I've misinterpreted something!
Delta small is a very physical point of view. In other areas as mathematics or economy it is normally just any difference, often a step width.etotheipi said:I'm not sure about the 'very small' part. For infinitesimal changes we might use the little 'd'. But I see no reason why not to use ##\Delta## even if the change is very large - as far as I'm aware it's just a change, the bog standard "final - initial". We could apply a force to something, wait 10 years and measure its ##\Delta E_k##.
Please do correct me if I've misinterpreted something!
Adesh said:You see this ##\Delta## once caused be a serious problem during my reading of Feynman Lectures on Physics, in volume 1 of FLP you will find ##\Delta## being used for small changes, however, other books tend to write ##\delta## for small changes.
The Δi term in this equation represents the change or difference in the value of the variable i.
The Δi term is calculated by subtracting the initial value of i from the final value of i.
Yes, the Δi term can be negative if the final value of i is smaller than the initial value.
The Δi term is important because it allows us to measure and analyze the change in the value of i, which is crucial in understanding the behavior of the variable in the equation.
One limitation of using the Δi term is that it only considers the change in the value of i and does not take into account any other factors that may affect the variable. Additionally, the Δi term may not accurately represent the overall change if there are significant fluctuations in the values of i throughout the equation.