Recent content by tadchem

I always connect it to the Principle of Relativity: the requirement that the equations describing the laws of physics have the same form in all admissible frames of reference. If the laws of physics were actually to vary from one frame of reference to another, then what is physically normal in...

The bane of theoretical physics is the equivocation that arises when we are trying to communicate novel ideas but the only words we have were coined for older ideas that may be similar, but not identical to the new ideas. The electron is NOT a particle, nor a wave, nor a wave function. It is...

This discussion just provoked a thought. General Relativity allows that space and time can be interchanged by motion. This is a continuous function of velocity (itself a continuous variable) as described by the Lorenz transforms. It is this continuity that precludes the 'granularity' of space...

Imagine two objects on a lever - one large, and one small. The balance point of the lever will be closer to the larger one. The quantities called "moments" must be equal. The "moment" is the mass times it's distance from the balance point: M1 * d1 = m2 * D2 It is the same for stars and planets...

The observable universe has a finite volume. Density is (locally) the ratio of mass to volume. For the mass of the universe to be infinite, the local density of the universe must be (somewhere) infinite. At the location where infinite density is to be found, the curvature of space-time (i.e...

I could not help but notice that you are using the term "latitude' as an input, but the equations are citing "lattitude" (with a double-t). Are the equations with the problematic results really using "lattitude" as an argument in lieu of "latitude"?

The light you see is the light that gets reflected or scattered of an object. This is not the same as the light that strikes the object because the object absorbs some light. To absorb light, the material of which something is made needs to be able to put the energy of a single light wave...

The usual method of separation of variables imposes a 'boundary' condition that the spatial components of the solution are independent of time - i.e. time-invariant. This may be excessive, as the requirement that the final wave function be square-integrable permits wave functions that are...

Just a couple of pieces of data from a chemist: when flammable gases mix with air they may or may not form an explosive mixture. Too much gas (above the Upper Explosive Limit) and the ignited gases starve for oxygen to support combustion. Too little gas (below the Lower Explosive Limit) and the...

In plane geometry there is a theorem that the COM of a triangle is where the geometric medians meet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_%28geometry%29 This can be extended to non-uniform mass distribution. Calculate the fulcrum point between each pair of points where load indicators are...

The entire purpose of any government, and by inheritance its sub-divisions such as the 'Judicial branch,' is (or at least should be) to protect the public. In this respect, there should be two major classes of crimes - those that harm people, and those that deprive people of the use of their...

The second term: - \frac{ \rho_a m_b}{ \rho_b} is the correction to the weight of the bottle for the buoyancy of air. In the most precise work, this must be determined using air temperature, pressure, and humidity. This can amount to a correction of a few parts per million.

The "No-Hair" Theorem applies. It is a mathematical statement that demonstrates that a BH can only have a very limited number of properties, and no internal structure of any kind. Basically, a BH is a quantum mechanical object on a cosmic scale, with charge, mass, and angular momentum, but no...

The determinant would be the tensile strength of the object. As it nears the BH, the gravitational gradient (the difference between the strength of gravity on end of the object versus the other) will result on gravity pulling harder on the near ('downhill') end harder than on the far...

Aerodynamics involves countering weight with lift by 'pushing down' on air, which pushes 'up' on the vehicle according to Newton's Third Law. How you push down on the air makes all the difference. The further from the leading edge of an airfoil you are, the less efficient will be the...