Classical Definition and 1000 Threads

According to the usual way of applying determinism in physics:- If we know all the intitial conditions of a closed system at time t0, we can fully specify the the system at a time t1>t0. This seems natural and obvious within classical physics, but is it really true? I have never heard of a...

Suppose I solve the Schrodinger wave equation described in terms of position (as opposed to momentum based description), it gives me the wave function from which I can determine the probability distribution function (pdf) for position with a parameter as time. I view it as the following, the...

Hi! I am a very mathematically-oriented physicist. Since I never plan in making contact with "dirty" mechanics like robotics, structural problems or force diagrams, I want a book that prepares me for the mathematical/theoretical foundations of mechanics so that I can transition more smoothly to...

The principle of least action applicable in an uniform field can be obtained as follows: Particle A \vec{a}_A = \vec{a}_A \int \vec{a}_A \cdot d\vec{r}_A = \int \vec{a}_A \cdot d\vec{r}_A \int \vec{a}_A \cdot d\vec{r}_A = \Delta \; {\textstyle \frac{1}{2}}\vec{v}_A^2 \int \vec{a}_A...

So I want to get all the Equations that describe classical Physics together because I think it would make a kick *** poster. Tell me if I am missing anything or if you don't think one should be on here. [PLAIN]http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/9646/classicalequations.gif

I'm working on a project for a space habitat, and I want to have the math to back it up. Sorry if some of these seem obvious or too simple, but I'm here to learn. By the way this is not homework, it's just something I do in my spare time. And if you have the links where I can learn more about...

hey, This question is about a system where one mass is on an incline and another hanging of it. They are connected with a rope.. Its a classical mass rope mass problem. My reasoning was that since the mass hanging of the cliff is pulling on the rope with a force of mg, the rope will be...

Terminal Velocity In Glycerin 2.10 in "Classical Mechanics" Homework Statement For a steel ball bearing (diameter 2mm and density 7.8g/cm3) dropped in glycerin (density 1.3g/cm3 and viscosity 12 N s/m2 at STP) the dominant drag force is linear drag given by flin = 3*pi*n*D*v where D is the...

Homework Statement "A passenger (mass m) initially at rest steps out of an airplane. Assume down is the positive x-axis and put the origin at the airplane. Assume the air resistance force is linear in the velocity so F(air)= -mbv. Find the distance D he has fallen when his velocity is...

Homework Statement A particle has a velocity u = -V0 i + V0 j and position (d,0) at t=0. At any time t its position in polar coordinates is (r,theta) and velocity V = V0 cos theta i + (V0-V0sin theta) j. At t =t, angular velocity of the particle at the origin will be -----------------...

Hi, I'm currently a physics major attempting to earn my bachelor's degree. I was just told by the tiny physics department at my school that they won't be offering the classical mechanics course that I need in order to graduate before that fateful date, they suggested that I add an additional...

reading this http://uk.arxiv.org/abs/1004.2529 about supposed parallels between the mathematical structure of probability in QM and some problems in economics question is that are there really any violations of classical probability theory, such as Pr(A) > Pr(A \cup B) in QM? The supposed...

Homework Statement Hi, I am trying to work through exercise 2.1 on page 37 of Microcavities (by alexy kavokin, jeremy baumberg, guillaume malpuech and fabrice laussy) the problem is to prove | g^{(1)}(\tau) | = | cos( \frac{1}{2}(\omega_1 - \omega_2)\tau) ) | where...

A block is resting on a frictionless surface as shown in the figure attached with this post. Calculate the minimum force F required so that the block will topple? The dimensions of the block, free body diagram and other details are there in the picture attached. Now, since the surface is...

Homework Statement A point mass m moving along the z axis experiences a time dependent force and a fricitional force. Solve the equation of motion m\ddot{z} = -m\gamma\dot{z} + F(t) to find v(t) = \dot{z}(t) for the initial velocity \dot{z}(0) = v_0 Hint: what is the time derivative of...

Homework Statement A point mass m is exposed to a time dependent force F(t). Determine the position r(t) of the point mass for the initial conditions r(0) = r_{0}and v(0) = v_{0} Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution \sumF= ma F_{z}(t) - mg = ma a = 1/m F_{z}(t) - g...

I am taking calculus based physics I (classical mechanics) in a few days. I'm shooting for 100s on my tests so I need to be diligent. What is the best way to study classical mechanics? What I plan to do is take notes on the chapter before lecture, and after I will do all the problems (not...

So I'm looking for a decent book which I can use as a reference for now (and hopefully at some point read all the way through) on the mathematics of physics. And by "mathematics of physics" I mean a single book which covers the bases of most math needed for any undergraduate and maybe even the...

Why do first-year grad students take classical mechanics, besides those wanting to analyze mechanical systems? This would be a course along the lines of Goldstein, etc. Do some of the concepts/methods show up later in quantum mechanics, nuclear physics? If they skipped this mechanics...

I am reading an introduction to quantum computing and I have a question about one thing I don't understand. "In classical physics, the possible states of a system of n particles, whose individual states can be described by a vector in a two dimensional vector space, form a vector space of 2*n...

Can anyone give me some suggestions?Thanks.

This is an extract from my lecture notes: "For classical stochastic systems, w(p,x,t)dpdx = prob. particle is in dpdx. w\geq0 \int dp \int dx w(p,x) = 1." 1. Can anyone please explain what a classical stochastic system is? 2. Why is there a question of probability in analysing such a...

Hello everybody, I recently had to do with a model of a single Spin coupled to a very generic quantum mechanical bath (the actual point was finding pulses that manipulate the spin as accurate as possible despite having a finite length in time but as this doesn't have anything to do with my...

Homework Statement Assume a ball has mass "Me" and wrapped by water like ocean and Earth ,the water has mass "Mw" and density \rho ,when the ball spin with angular velocity \omega ,and the shade of system goes to ellipsoid, please expres the water depth in spherical coordinate system Homework...

Homework Statement You have a latice of particles that all have spin 1, but they can change the direction of their spin so constraint \left|S_j\right|=1. There is only interaction with the closest neighbours so we have the following hamiltonian: H = -J \sum_{\left\langle ij \right\rangle}...

This question has been bugging me. I have a math degree, and my computer knowledge is limited to VERY BASIC programming and being able to build my own PC, so I thought this would be a good place to ask. Note: This question has no "clean cut" forum to fit into. I read ALL the forum...

Hey everyone, I posted this a while back in General Physics without any reply, and it looks like this is actually the germane forum (despite the fact that I'm explicitly NOT looking for QFT) -- but I couldn't find the "move thread" option... Anyway: I'm looking for some books that...

Wondering if it is only the formulae of quantum mechanics that routinely include complex numbers (a real component plus an imaginary one, e.g. i (the square root of -1)). If so, doesn't this immediately suggest (or even demand) that the (un)reality of the quantum realm is fundamentally unlike...

Classical Mechanics Homework question Question - A light elastic string AB of natural length L and spring constant K, lies slack on a horisontal plane. A particle of mass m also at rest, is attached to end A of the string. The other end B is pulled along the plane with constant velocity V...

I'm beginning a directed study in QFT this fall and my supervising instructor told me I'd need to know some basics of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics before we began (he also told me I needed to go back and review Perturbation Theory) since I'd need to know the formalism I guess? I've...

Momentum of "massive" classical free field A "massive" classical free field such as that given by the http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.1003" . If the de Broglie relations are used, and v is the group velocity, the field can have momentum given by p=γmv. Can we assign such a field p=γmv without the...

Let's discuss only classical fields and particles. For fields, E[SIZE="1"]2=p[SIZE="1"]2+m[SIZE="1"]2 applies only if the field is free. In the presence of sources, we have to use the energy-momentum tensor. For particles, does E[SIZE="1"]2=p[SIZE="1"]2+m[SIZE="1"]2 apply only when they...

Can a massless classical particle experience a nonzero Newton's second law force? Dickfore produced a very interesting formula in https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3333233&postcount=52 . Is this generally accepted? Are there other expressions that work? Or are all acceptable...

Hi all, I'd like to improve my understanding of classical electrodynamics, but as a UK PhD student my time for self-study is pretty limited- we don't make much time for general physics education at a graduate level. I was wondering if someone could recommend a short path through Jackson's...

Classical charged particle's reaction to a retarded field This is something I've been curious about for a while -- every once in a while, I'll see some random reference to it in an article, but I never feel like it's the whole story. The situation is this -- you have a moving classical...

Which is better at determining whether the universe has a cause? From my basic understanding, quantum mechanics is generally accepted to be indeterministic whereas classical mechanics is deterministic. Posted in the philosophy question because this is related to the first premise of the Kalam...

Homework Statement Using the corresponding constraints conditions, calculate the kinetic energy of 1)A homogeneous cylinder of radius a that rolls inside a cylindrical surface of radius R>a.Homework Equations My toughts: I hope they meants "roll without slipping". Let's consider this case...

Please teach me this: I think that the classical physical laws are the relations between expectation values of macroscopic objects(the values are taken average on ''quantum values'').The quantum physical laws in one sense are the relations between operators.Then there are a great difference...

Homework Statement Determine the principal moments of inertia of a circular cylinder with radius R and height h. Homework Equations Not sure. The Attempt at a Solution This is the first problem of this kind I attempt to solve. From what I've read on wikipedia, the tensor of...

A ball of mass m rests at times t less than 0, at height h above the ground. at time t=0 the ball is released and fell on the ground after hitting the ground, the ball rests there. a) x represents distance from the ground, drive and expression for the phase diagram when the ball moving toward...

Homework Statement Determine the possible trajectories of a particle into the following central potential: U(r)=U_0 for r< r_0 and U(r)=0 for r>r_0.Homework Equations Not sure. What I used: Lagrangian+Euler/Lagrange equations.The Attempt at a Solution I used polar coordinates but I'm not sure...

The title may be a bit vague, so I'll state what I am curious about. Since complex field is 'extension' to the real field, and in electrodynamics we use things like Stokes theorem, or Gauss theorem, that are being done on real field (differential manifolds and things like that, right?), can...

Homework Statement In Drude - Lorentz' FREE ELECTRON GAS MODEL , it has been said " since the conduction electrons move in a uniform electrostatic field of ion cores, their potential energy remains constant and is normally taken as zero, i.e., the existence of ion cores is ignored." I don't...

I'm an aerospace engineering major. I'm wondering if, in the future (perhaps after graduation), a treatment of classical mechanics under Taylor's book would be useful to me. I will be taking classes on statics and dynamics, but after that, there doesn't seem to be any further treatment of...

These are professor Balakrishnan's quantum physics lectures, he also has classical physics lectures, they're worth watching,, he's good.. Enjoy ^_'' Edit: These are not very introductory, for that you can see Susskind's Lectures, or something else you might find..

When we study a classical system of distinguishable particles, we use parameters \epsilon_{j} for the energy states and n_{j} for the number of particles in \epsilon_{j}. But clearly, the energy states are not discrete in classical systems. Surely, this is nonsensical. Why are we doing this then?

I know how photons are diffracted round a corner in quantum mechanics. But is there also an explanation in classical electromagnetic theory (i.e. by Maxwell's laws?) Imagine there was an EM wave traveling purely normal to a slab of material which is highly attenuating, but which has a small...

Homework Statement A particle of mass m moves under a uniform gravitational field along a rod which moves in a vertical plane with a constant angular velocity \vec \Omega. Write down the motion equations of the particle and calculate the constraint force. Is the energy conserved...

I have often seen it stated that the Uncertainty Principle (UP) is a unique feature of Quantum Physics, but surely it applies classically too? For example, if someone throws a ball across a room, and I take a photo with a shutter speed of 1 second, the resultant photo will tell me a lot about...

Sorry if this is a bit stupid, but I have absolutely no grasp on chromodynamics or really any nucleic forces... Is there a 'classical' way of expressing the strong force in an equation? By classical, I mean extremely simple, approximate way of describing it for two point particles. Like a...