Recent content by DThielke

As a student currently in my second year of a quantum key distribution project, I would say courses in QM, advanced optics and solid state devices (to get an understanding of the light sources and detectors used in these systems) are all essential. I doubt quantum cryptography exists...

Thanks for your input. In the USA at least, you typically decide after your undergraduate degree whether you want to pursue a Master's or a PhD. It is unlikely that I would decide to go for the Master's and then decide to also get a PhD. Regardless, the main point I would like some light shed...

Shameless bump. No opinions on the matter?

Hi, My final year of my undergraduate career in Engineering Physics (essentially a physics degree with a few engineering-specific courses thrown in in the first two years) begins in the Fall and I'm now looking ahead to graduate school. Based on my work experience thus far, my ultimate goal...

Certainly true - I never said it'd be easy :biggrin: However, this is why I suggest directly approaching a professor at your school. As a freshman, you probably won't be able to apply for research positions elsewhere; they typically seek upper level undergraduates. Most of the professors in...

I have to disagree with this. While it is true that during your first few years you probably won't have the educational background to contribute to a research project on a conceptual level, that does not mean there is nothing to contribute. Most of the theoretical work on a project is completed...

When research begins ultimately depends on you. Some schools may make it easier by having specific programs which you can enroll in that find a research position for you, but I'm sure this isn't universal. The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is simply to approach professors yourself. Find...

I'll be taking surprisingly few physics related courses this upcoming semester as I've completed almost all of my core requirements. Computational Physics Modern Optics Lab Medical Instrumentation & Imaging Modern Philosophy Science, Faith & American Imagination Macroeconomics Senior...

Anything below the molecular level is irrelevant to the question, because then you are no longer dealing with water itself, but its constituents.

I agree with jtbell - If you're not very comfortable with high level math, start with a general modern physics textbook. They tend to illustrate basic concepts fairly well while keeping math at a minimum. Once you've tackled that, I would highly suggest either of the following: "Modern Quantum...

I can't possibly imagine a list of *every* physics equation in one place as it is such a diverse field. Without knowing what you actually need it for, I'll suggest the College Board PDF as a fairly comprehensive list of introductory physics equations. You can find it here...

Friction is required in transferring energy from your foot into your forward motion. When running on a surface with low enough friction, you begin to waste energy in this transfer because your foot spends some time sliding rather than staying planted. In this sense, a certain amount of friction...

I don't mean to derail, but I can't help myself. This was brought up in a recent Big Bang Theory episode. Sheldon realizes everything is bigger because he's wearing size one million pants. (Sorry, had to).

The key thing to remember in problems like this is that energy must be conserved. All the energy you start with has to go somewhere. Consider a spring that is compressed and locked with a block on top of it. Because the spring is compressed, it has energy stored in it. When you release the...

Problem background: Body free-falling towards the earth. Account for variation in gravitational force with height. Neglect air resistance. Initial conditions summarized by total energy E. I'm having trouble understanding part of my textbook's solution to this problem, so I will...