Beginner — 350 discussions

  1. H

    How to start learning Monte Carlo method with C++ and statistics background

    Okay, as soon as I started inquiring about the study of particle accelerator I realize none of professors at my institution is working on this subject. Sadly, we don't even have a particle accelerator. Anyway, further inquiry into this subject led me to believe, I could study something of...
  2. S

    Doubt from a beginner

    I am just a student of class 11.I got a small doubt ,dont mistake my doubt, i am just a beginner . My doubt is "What is the variation in Ionization enthalpy , electronegativity ,electron gain enthalpy between the isotopes of a element" waiting for my doubt to get cleared .
  3. P

    Quantum mechanics books for a beginner

    Hello, I was wondering what some good books on quantum mechanics would be for a layman? I am very interested in the subject and need a place to really get started. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
  4. P

    High School Best cosmology and theoretical physics books for beginners

    Hello, I am looking for some of the best books regarding cosmology, parallel universes, time travel, dimensions, quantum mechanics, theoretical physics, etc. for a layman. I am interested in the subject and would love to learn more about it. Any advice of where to get started would be...
  5. J

    Quantum mechanics textbook for someone with an electrical engineering background

    Greetings- Please give me the title of a book on QM that is often suggested for a beginner.To aid in the selection, I have a MSEE degree. Thanks.
  6. Mk

    What should I look for in a first acoustic guitar?

    I want to learn guitar, and I'm assuming the best first step is to have a guitar. What is it that I should look for in a first (cheap) acoustic guitar?
  7. W

    Stargazing Should I buy the Meade 2114 GoTo or a Celestron under $150?

    Hello everyone. Giant astronomy newb here. Some background: My sons 5th birthday was a few weeks ago and I told my wife I wanted to get him a telescope about a week or so before. I did some research and basically got the "dont buy at a department store" message. My wife however was out...
  8. M

    What is the acceleration and tension in a pulley system?

    Homework Statement Apply Newton's second law to find formulas for the magnitude of the acceleration of the system and for the tension in the cord. Ignore friction and the masses of the pulley and cord. (Use only the following: m_1 for m1, m_2 for m2, and g for gravity.) a = ? T = ...
  9. P

    Philosophy books for someone with minimal background

    I have little background in philosophy in that I took a intro to philosophy course for about 2 weeks until I dropped it. I've always been interested in philosophy but I never got the chance to take a full class on it, and now I probably never will as I will start my upper-div math and physics...
  10. A

    Undergrad Best Differential Equations Textbooks for Undergraduates

    The following 4 of Differential Equations textbooks are the only option of mine: Elementary Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems, 2E Werner Kohler, Lee Johnson Addison Wesley Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems, 2E John Polking, Al Boggess, David Arnold...
  11. R

    Beginner books on chemical engineering?

    [FONT="Book Antiqua"]Hello. Does anyone know of some good beginner books on chemical engineering? Anything would be very helpful. Thank you. :shy:
  12. F

    Where Can I Find a Good IDL Beginner Tutorial?

    Really just looking for a link to a decent IDL beginner tutorial (I have plenty of Matlab etc experience, still, I'd like to make sure I'm starting the best way from scratch) or recommend a good book on the subject? thanks.
  13. D

    How can I read values from multiple textboxes into a 2-D array in VB.NET?

    Hi I am a new-comer to VB.Net & I am working with arrays at the moment.i want to write a procedure that accepts two 2-D arrays(max size being a 4*4 matrix). i don't know how i could get the procedure to read in these values from the sixteen different textboxes i have created...i started using a...
  14. C

    C/C++ Where should I start learning C or C++?

    hi i simply know nothing about programming languages and related stuff, but i really want to learn one, c or c++, i don't know where to start can you please tell what to do and where to start, websites, books... please help:cry: i appreciate ur help thanks:smile:
  15. M

    Why Do Beginner Physics Students Struggle with Simple Questions?

    A few beginner physics questions~~ I just started taking Physics and I am already getting stumped on what seem to be the easiest questions... heres a few: 1. A bullet goes 750 km/hr and hits its target 2.0 seconds later. How far away is the target? (Look at the units) What I did...
  16. B

    Undergrad Calculating frequency components from Fourier series amplitudes

    Hi there, I am a music student and have no math background whatsoever but was wondering if you guys could help me with something that I read in a book on signal processing. I want to create a periodic waveform that is described by the following Fourier series...
  17. S

    Finding mass percent of Mg and Zn in a mixture from hydrogen gas produced

    Hi, I'm pretty new to chem, I have a few questions: Metals react with dilute sulfuric acid to give hydrogen according to: M +H2SO4------>MSO4 + H2 when 5.00g of a mixture of Mg and Zn were dissolved in sulfuric acid 0.284g of H was collected. What was the composition of the mixture of Mg...
  18. B

    Water drops falling at equal time intervals from shower nozzle

    Water drips from the nozzle of a shower onto the floor 165 cm below. The drops fall at regular (equal) intervals of time, the first drop striking the floor at the instant the fourth drop begins to fall. a)Find the location of the third drop as measured from the nozzle of the shower when the...
  19. T

    Calculating Acceleration and Distance in Kinematic Equations

    1Dim. Physics question I'm in my 3rd weeks of physics, so I'm dealing with Kinematic Equations. My question is: A train accelerates from an initial velocity of 25.0 km/hr to a final vel. of 65.0km/h in 8.5 seconds..Find its acceleration and the distance the train travels during this time...
  20. O

    Car collision acceleration, cliff height, and falling package

    Hello, I just started a Physics course last week and unfortunately I am stuck with a teacher that can't teach :rolleyes: So , I have come across a few questions that I need help in. 1. A car traveling at 90km/h strikes a tree. The front end of the car compresses and the driver comes to rest...
  21. H

    Solving Diff Eq for Free-fall w/o Drag in Tank Outlet

    Suppose a tank containing a liquid has an outlet near the bottom. The velocity of the liquid flowing out of the outlet is equal to a particle free falling without drag. a. show that v=sqrt(2gh) b. by finding the rate of outflow to the rate of change of the liquid in the tank, find...
  22. P

    Undergrad Which book is the best for a beginner of condensed matter physics ?

    I am a Junior in an university , majoring in Applied Physics ,and I find I have a interest in condensed matter physics ,espacially about Superconductivity ,Nanotechnology,Low temperature phases and the like ,but in my curriculum , there is no such course like this , so I want to know which book...
  23. H

    Graduate Is quantum motion discrete and what are electromagnetic waves made of?

    1. I've looked at a beginner guide to quantum mechanics and a saw the probability illustration of an atom. It didn't seem quite continuous what leads me to the question: Is the motion of quantums discrete? 2. How do we know quants exist if we can't see them? 3. How do I have to visualize...
  24. K

    Stargazing Telescope recommendation for a beginner under $100

    Slightly off topic, but could any of you recommend a telescope for a beginner? I would love to make this a hobby. I don't want anything too fancy (within a hundred dollars?), just something to inspire me. I have free time this summer.
  25. G

    C/C++ How can I use boolean to check for valid user input in C++?

    Firstly I am a complete beginner to programming and C++...[SIZE="1"](well not *totally* complete perhaps because I can make my screen say "hello world") From a differerent thread I decided to see if I could write a little program that defines a sequence and can then print all the terms of that...
  26. A

    High School Recommended math books to rebuild foundational skills

    Ok, simply put, i am 21, working in a warehouse that i am not even closely challenged, and i feel as if i am getting dull. As unfortunate as it may be, when in high school learning was low on my rank of importance, and as you can imagine, i don't feel i learned much... Despite it being one of...
  27. R

    Why can I change the sign before the second term in (3)?

    Could someone tell me why I'm allowed to change the sign before the second term in (3)? It's certainly baby stuff for you, but could you tell me anyway? pdf attached thanks
  28. M

    Astrophysics books for beginners without calculus

    Hello, I am searching for beginner physics books that won't break the bank. I am very interested in astrophysics at the moment. Only problem is, I don't know much calculus. Thanks for the help in advance. With best wishes, Chris
  29. P

    Good introductory physics books for college students

    Okay so I haven't done physics in high school, but am considering doing it in college. has anyone got any suggestions for good books for an introduction to physics?
  30. P

    What is g on a planet with twice Earth's radius and same density?

    Hi, everyone I'm new to physics and I got a problem that I can't solve. It says "What would the g constant be on a planet that has the same density as Earth but has twice the radius?" Can someone help me on this. Also can someone tell me if I'm suppose to use the equation...
  31. S

    Eagle dropping gopher and projectile velocity calculations

    Hi all, I am just beginning Physics, and have 2 simple problems but don't know how to go about solving them. Here goes: 1) An eagle is flying due east at 8.9 m/s carrying a gopher in its talons. The gopher manages to break free at a height of 12 m. What is the magnitude of the gophers...
  32. C

    High School Beginner quantum physics books for high school students

    I have a student that is interested in learning some quantum physics at the conceptual level. What you be good reading material to start with. We can do a little math but I am in a high school setting. Any suggestions appreciated. curly
  33. N

    How Do I Get Started with Gnuplot on Windows XP?

    Hi All, I'm totally, competely and absolutely lost on how to use Gnuplot! I use Windows XP and I downloaded the zipped flie gnuplot-4.0.0.tar and unzipped it. (So, is the first step right? :confused: ) Now what do I next? I apologise for this apparently simple question, but I grew up in...
  34. S

    Which force component to use for moment of a force

    This question may sound silly to all of you brainy guys out there but I am one silly guy. While calculating the moment of a force how do you choose which component (horizontal or vertical) to choose? I know that M=F*d. Its confusing when authors sometimes use the veritical and sometimes the...
  35. D

    Graduate Minkowski space, non-Euclidean geometry, and rotating frames

    Please help me in any way you can. I'm a beginner physics student (entering undergraduate engineering) and currently self-taught. 1.) Minkowski space is illustrated in one of my books as a cone, with it's apex as the "origin", the side as the "light cone", the bend curvature inside the cone...
  36. P

    Mathematica Plotting a derivative of a function with multiple arguments

    Hi, when I run those commands in mathematica: y[x_,A_]:=Sin[x]+A+5 Plot[{y[x,5],y[x,6]},{x,0,5}] z[x_]:=D[y,x] Everything seems to go well. But when I trie to plot the derivative: Plot[{y[x,5],z[x]},{x,0,5}] I allways have these errors: Plot::plnrz[x] is not a machine-size real...
  37. P

    High School Real-life example of motion in the negative direction

    I am going to be taking Intro to Physics in the Fall when I go back to college. I've always been terrible in mathematics and have never taken physics before! I found a cool little website called physicsclassroom.com. In an effort to get a head start on what will most likely be my toughest...
  38. R

    Graduate Why is there uncertainty in energy if energy states are discrete?

    I am brand new to Qunatum Mechanics, and I have just been reading through my first text assignment. I have really been blown away by some of the difficulty in this stuff. I had some questions, and I was hoping that here might be a good place to get them answered... 1) There is a proof that...
  39. K

    High School Help with straight line motion graphs for tomorrow's test

    Well, I avoided this class as long as I could... and now I am stuck with it! I am in a beginner class, but the course is way too fast, and I can't figure out what the teacher is talking about. We are dealing with graphs and 'Straight Line Motion' right now, and I am so lost. I have a test...
  40. J

    High School Water depth in a triangular trough holding 15 gallons

    Beginner in Physics... Please Help! A trough is formed by nailing together edge to edge, two boards 11 ft. in length, so that the right section is a right triangle. If 15 gal of water are poured into the trough and if the trough is held level so that a right section of the water is an isosceles...
  41. S

    Converting distance and speed to time, and ounces to grams

    i have this chem teacher who does NOT teach from the book at all! he just expects us to read the book and understand it completely. so yeah i have a few questions that i can't do! how long would it take a plane, traveling at an average speed of 634km/h, to cover a distance of 3912 km...
  42. C

    Which Circuits Cannot Be Reduced to a Single Equivalent Resistor?

    Resolving Circuits--a beginner Hi, I'm new to this forum, and I hope to both contribute and seek knowledge from this forum. You may be disappointed, given my lack of Physics knowledge, but I will try my best. :wink: Anyway, my question involves circuits. I understand how to resolve...
  43. E

    Undergrad Where can I find beginner resources for studying Thermodynamics?

    How do I start studying Thermodynamics as a beginner? Any reference or websites for it and then How do I need to master Thermodynamics that can support Aerospace Engineering study?
  44. Math Is Hard

    What does the escape sequence \x4d represent in C?

    Here's a question I am working on for a c programming assignment. If the following printf statement was part of a complete program, what would it print? printf("%c",'\x4d'); Now, I know this prints M because I ran it, and I know the output is a single character because %c is a single...
  45. P

    Solving Differential Equations: Latex Code for Division Form

    We just started solving differential equations the other day in my intrductory calculus class. I got every homework question except the last on. here it is. y= ln(3x-2)/3x-2 If someone could get me started that would be great. How do I make the division be in numerator-denominator form...
  46. H

    Graduate Beginner books for learning quantum mechanics

    Any beginner book reccomendations?? I have just begun an interest in the field of Quantum Mechanics... and i was just wondering if there were any beginner book recommendations that anyone would recommend to me? any help would not be overlooked, thankyou -Hessam
  47. Z

    Beginner biology books and resources

    I'm looking for some materials or good books for beginners in biology, I am absolutely dumb about these. Anybody can give me some pointers ? Thx a lot, -zhu
  48. F

    High School Why is the uncertainty principle true?

    I'm a newcomer to physics (know of any good beginner forums?) and was wondering why the uncertainty principle is true.
  49. kleinma

    High School Is the Orion XT8 8" Dobsonian a good beginner scope?

    Orion's XT8 8" Dobsonian as a good beginner scope hey all... question! i posted this thread a while back and got some mixed reviews on what i should get as far as a telescope... well I really would like to get one before Mars gets nice and close this summer.. i figure that will give me a...
  50. P

    High School Are there any good books on elastics for a beginner?

    Are there any good books on elastics for a beginner? I want to build a cart where I use only elastics and wood to propel the cart...What books can help me with this?