Recent content by bigevil

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    Parity - Particle In A Box (Infinite Potential)

    n only has physical meaning for positive values because if you evaluate the energy eigenfunctions, you find that E_n = \frac{n^2 \pi^2 \hbar^2}{2ma^2} Mathematically, at least, it is unnecessary for n to be less than 0. Going by this equation, E0 is by definition the lowest possible energy...
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    Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with 2 dielectrics

    Ok, but L is a constant and having amended that, it doesn't make the final integral any more correct. The ln form of the last equation is still clearly wrong.
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    Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with 2 dielectrics

    Homework Statement Find the capacitance of the parallel plate capacitor with 2 dielectrics below. Given that the parallel plate capacitor has area A = WL and the separation between plates is d. The Attempt at a Solution My method is to use integration. First solve for two small...
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    Error Propagation Homework: Find T's Error

    Homework Statement For my lab work, I have created a theoretical model that goes something like: T = \sqrt{\frac{ks^2}{x \sin \theta \cos^2\theta}} where k is a constant, and the variables to be differentiated are x, theta and s. How do I find the error of T? I can find the errors of x and...
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    Masses and Pulley: Find Accelerations of A, B, C

    Homework Statement Two masses, A and B, lie on a frictionless table. They are attached to either end of a light rope of length l which passes around a pulley of negligible mass. The pulley is attached to a rope connected to a hanging mass, C. We are supposed to find the accelerations...
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    Invariance of del^2 operator under rotation of axes

    Count Iblis, if I am getting you right, to sum up your method: the Laplacian of f is a scalar. Then, since scalars are invariant under rotation of axes, the Laplacian is invariant under rotation of axes. Would it be sufficient to leave it as that, or would I need to prove it a bit more rigorously?
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    How Do You Solve This First Degree ODE Involving Hyperbolic Functions?

    Homework Statement \frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{cosh x cos y + cosh y sin x}{sinh x sin y - sinh y sin x} I'm really stuck at this one. I don't even know where to start, but I hope that a substitution (ie u = f(x,y)) might be able to put this in a separable form. Any hints please?? Other roads: 1...
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    Invariance of del^2 operator under rotation of axes

    Thanks Chip. Count Iblis, ok, I understand a), but what's the vector F? (Do you mean nabla f?) After all I only have scalar function f. How do I proceed from there? Thanks.
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    Invariance of del^2 operator under rotation of axes

    Homework Statement A scalar function can be represented as a position on the x-y plane, or on the u-v plane, where u and v are axes rotated by θ from the x and y axes. Prove that the 2-dimensional \nabla^2 operator is invariant under a rotation of axes. ie, \frac{\partial^2 f}{\partial...
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    RLC Circuit Homework - Solving 3rd Part with 2nd Order DE

    Homework Statement The Attempt at a Solution Ok, first part, no problem, second part (steady state), solved in another thread. Both are pretty tedious, but doable. However, I am quite stumped by the third part of this problem (V = V_o sin wt) . The second part of the problem...
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    Solving a Second Order ODE with V(t) = -Q/C

    Yes, I think so, tim, thanks =)
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    Solving a Second Order ODE with V(t) = -Q/C

    Homework Statement Question and part 1 as above. The second part involves solving this equation where L = 8R^2 C. The system is kept in steady state by maintaining V(t) = -Q/C (constant). V(t) is then set to 0 at t=0. It also says "Note that V(t)=0 for t>0 and that appropriate initial...
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    Electric field of a sheet of charge

    Homework Statement (This is a truncated question.) The electric field of a circular sheet of charge of radius a and surface charge density sigma and distance x away from the centre of the sheet is E = \frac{\sigma}{2 \epsilon_0} [1 - \frac{x}{\sqrt{x^2 + a^2}}] Prove that for x > 0...
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    Ladder operators in quantum mechanics

    I've got an older edition (ca 1995!) Nick. It's weird because Griffiths does a few examples (ie, expand a+ a-, etc) with the operator that I stated at the beginning. I didn't know about the Hermitian part. But this particular question, which I don't think is in newer editions (I checked)...
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    Ladder operators in quantum mechanics

    Homework Statement This is problem 2.11 from Griffith's QM textbook under the harmonic oscillator section. Show that the lowering operator cannot generate a state of infinite norm, ie, \int | a_{-} \psi |^2 < \infty Homework Equations This isn't so hard, except that I consistently get the...
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