Recent content by RestlessMind

  1. R

    What causes springs to wear out?

    Alright, thanks very much for the info everyone!
  2. R

    What causes springs to wear out?

    Oh, I definitely see what you guys are saying about springs wearing out by repeated stretching/compression, but I'm just talking about (steel) springs being compressed and staying in the same position for a long period of time.
  3. R

    What causes springs to wear out?

    Interesting, but that thread seems to imply that creep is caused when a spring is stretched, not compressed. Or, does it happen in both cases?
  4. R

    What causes springs to wear out?

    Hi guys! I was curious if anyone here knows what causes springs to wear out. Obviously, repeated stretching and releasing springs causes wear on the spring, no? However, I was also curious as to whether keeping springs compressed for extended periods of time (say, up to a year or two) will...
  5. R

    Programs Questions About PhDs: What's the Process and How Long Does it Take?

    If you go through the years of work to get a PhD, can you earn more money as a physicist outside of the university than other physicists who may only have a bachelor's or master's?
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    Programs Questions About PhDs: What's the Process and How Long Does it Take?

    I heard that there's a lot of people with a PhD here, and I was curious about that, so I figure this would be the best place to ask. I have just a few questions for the Americans here that have PhDs, regarding the process required to get one. 1. How long is it supposed to take? 2. Is it...
  7. R

    Physics of Microwaves: Find Out Why Glass Gets Hot

    Cool, thanks for the info.
  8. R

    Physics of Microwaves: Find Out Why Glass Gets Hot

    My physics in school says: "Air molecules are too small to be excited [by microwaves], and [they] also have no effect on glass, plastic, or ceramic." So I thought hey, let's test that! I'm glad I did. See, I put a empty glass measuring cup from the pantry into the microwave and put it on high...
  9. R

    Does a Magnet Exert Energy When Sticking to a Surface?

    Are you saying that the domains losing alignment releases energy in some way?
  10. R

    Does a Magnet Exert Energy When Sticking to a Surface?

    Could somebody explain how the energy is conserved?
  11. R

    Does a Magnet Exert Energy When Sticking to a Surface?

    I have a feeling that this might sound like a question I should already know the answer to, but here goes. If a man holds a heavy weight up, he's expending energy to work against gravity and keep it there. However, he is not doing work if he doesn't move the weight. A magnet can stick to...
  12. R

    Electrostatic Induction / Conduction Question

    I think you're right.
  13. R

    Electrostatic Induction / Conduction Question

    Interesting... did the pieces which stuck by only one corner ever repel? I'm thinking that perhaps it's the low contact area of dust that causes it to resist sufficient charge by conduction to be repelled.
  14. R

    Electrostatic Induction / Conduction Question

    But that doesn't explain why, after wiping off the dust, the paper wasn't repelled, as in my experiment. I think the discrepancy between my experiment and his may be the magnitude of the static charge present on the TV. When I carried out my experiment, the TV had been in use for at least an...
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