Recent content by thechunk

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    Why Does the Determinant of a Matrix Represent the Cross Product?

    Yes I can see that, but what confuses me is why do those two expressions describe/yield the vector perpendicular to n and m.
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    Why Does the Determinant of a Matrix Represent the Cross Product?

    Does anyone know where I can find the derivation of the cross product. I know how to use it and the like but I do not understand why the norm of the matrix : \left[ \begin{array}{ccc}i & j & k \\n1 & n2 & n3 \\m1 & m2 & m3 \\\end{array}\right] yields the vector perpendicular to 'n' and 'm'.
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    How Is Charge Distributed on a Conducting Shell with a Central Charge?

    Any help people, I am not very familiar with E&M
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    How Is Charge Distributed on a Conducting Shell with a Central Charge?

    I need a little help with this problem. Its from the 2004 physics bowl. 50. A solid spherical conducting shell has inner radius a and outer radius 2a. At the center of the shell is located a point charge +Q. What must the excess charge on the shell be in order for the charge density on the...
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    Thermodynamics of Hell Question

    Ah, I kind of see, thanks for the help
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    Thermodynamics of Hell Question

    Hey all. I was reading that story about the physics student who is asked to show whether hell is endothermic or exothermic (here's the http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/hellthrm.html to the story) when I came upon the following statements: 1. If hell is expanding at a slower rate than...
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    How is the Formula for Torsion Derived?

    Is anyone familiar with the derivation for this formula for torsion. \tau = \frac {\left( \begin{array}{ccc} \dot{x} & \ddot{x} & \dddot{x}\\\dot{y}& \ddot{y}& \ddot{y} \\\dot{z} & \ddot{z} & \dddot{z}\end{array} \right)} {|v \times a|^2} I know of expressing torsion as [tex] \tau =...
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    Series and Factorial: Solve the Sum of Infinite Terms

    Thanks shmoe, I lost my negative and made the series, dare I say, even more infinite. Mwahahaha...
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    Series and Factorial: Solve the Sum of Infinite Terms

    I see how I can use induction to find why 1-\frac{1}{(n+1)(n!)} gives the sum of the series but how would you analytically come up with that expression in the first place. My calculator did it in a second, how did it generate the expression. Is there something I am missing?
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    Series and Factorial: Solve the Sum of Infinite Terms

    I’ve been playing around with the infinite series: \sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac{k}{(k+1)!} I haven’t really gotten anywhere with it however I punched it into my calculator and it determined the sum to be 1. And the sum of n terms of the series equals 1-\frac{1}{(n+1)(n!)} Why is this so...
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