What is Failing: Definition and 86 Discussions

Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. One person might consider a failure what another person considers a success, particularly in cases of direct competition or a zero-sum game. Similarly, the degree of success or failure in a situation may be differently viewed by distinct observers or participants, such that a situation that one considers to be a failure, another might consider to be a success, a qualified success or a neutral situation.
It may also be difficult or impossible to ascertain whether a situation meets criteria for failure or success due to ambiguous or ill-defined definition of those criteria. Finding useful and effective criteria, or heuristics, to judge the success or failure of a situation may itself be a significant task.

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  1. S

    LaTeX Why is 'pdflatex -halt-on-error -interaction=batchmode' failing?

    Hi, I am using Matlab, and Dynare to run a model. I have the following codes to generate the Latex file. My codes were properly working and I generated the pdf file once. Now I cannot re-generate the same pdf file. I get the warning message ('TeX-File did not compile; you need to compile it...
  2. Math Amateur

    LaTeX Please help with this failing Latex code

    [SOLVED]I keep failing to be able to correct the following Latex Code B' = \{ x \in \mathbb{R^n} \ \ | \ \ a_j \leq x_j \leq t_j \text{ and } a_k \leq x_k \leq b_k \{ for } k \neq j \} Can someone help by indicating what's wrong ... Help will be much appreciated Peter
  3. V

    LED module failing due to DC motor?

    I use a 2 Relay Motor module to control Direction on a motor (linear actuator). When Relay A is active, actuator retracts. When Relay B is active, actuator extents and Led Module is activated. After some repetitions Led module fail. Cause of the fail? I believe Surge voltage, although i am not...
  4. R

    Engineering Want to study mechanical engineering.... but failing physics exams?

    Hi, I'm feeling pretty disheartened after failing my second college physics exam in a row (I have about a low C in the class with homework and labs). I'm a freshman in physics 1, my first college physics class, where we are learning mechanics. I took physics in high school but my teacher was...
  5. A

    MHB Calculate Probability of Successfully Rolling 5 Times

    I'm sorry if it's the wrong forum. I'm just doing a project with little experience in probability, and it's really important for me that the method I use is correct, so I just preferred to ask someone that has some idea on the topic. If you were so kind to explain the method or at least tell me...
  6. R

    Failing in "Classical Dynamics": Seeking Advice for Pursuing a PhD

    Hello, PF members. This is my first post here. I got my undergrad result for final semester few days ago and to my surprise it showed that I have failed in 'classical dynamics'. This is not at all possible as I clearly remember it being easy and quite simple. What bothers me more is that I had...
  7. Q

    Admissions Going BACK to graduate school after failing.... How hard will it be?

    Hi everyone. In 2017, I received a bachelors degree in physics. I liked the subject and wanted to go to graduate school for something more practical, so I did. A year ago, I failed out of a PhD program in engineering. I was the worst student at that point. I was too shy to ask questions in...
  8. A

    Failing students who are close to passing?

    It's very quite easy to fail students who has an F. But,however how do teachers deal with students who are close to passing? What if the student has a 67% as their grade? Do you bump their grade to a 70% or you let them make up work?
  9. Pushoam

    Probability of a student failing a prelim but passing the course

    Homework Statement Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution [/B] The % of course passing students who fail the prelim test is 38%. So, the required probability is 38 %. Isn't the probability of a student failing the prelim when he his passing the course is known already = probability...
  10. R

    Why is conservation of angular momentum failing in this case

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z-avhDqYbxDtMzk6Rv_NES7rIvDmzMPz/view?usp=drivesdk 2.conservation of angular momentum 3.for the above question I tried applying conservation of angular momentum about the point of contact where the cyclinders touch each other but my answer does not match with...
  11. Steven Reichman

    Studying Why do I keep failing this in particular? (Differential Equations)

    Hello everyone. I'm an undergrad physics major with one semester left and I'm having some trouble. I took off 3 years to work on my depression and came back last spring to finish my senior year. Now, before I left I was struggling in all my classes due to my depression, but one was worse...
  12. obstinatus

    Exploring Options for Replacing a Failing PC on a Budget

    Hi all, I'm justifying asking the forum because I'm currently in an introductory computational physics course that requires Mathematica, and I hope to soon start other computational work. My https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009AEPQDI/?tag=pfamazon01-20's motherboard and hard drive are supposedly...
  13. N

    Studying Failing physics -- how can I improve

    Well i failed both physics exams. I am in physics 2 and guess what made an "A" in physics 1. My teacher curved our tests by 25 or more points and everyone made an A or B. So i have an instructor now who really teaches physics. Here is the deal, i studied very hard. Took notes on all classes...
  14. S

    Students failing their first course of Algebra

    This article sounds or reads like the same old problem: http://news.yahoo.com/algebra-unnecessary-stumbling-block-us-schools-170616735.html [Broken] Why should that be? Students fail algebra 1 either because of lack of effort, lack of motivation, or, if for any student the course is difficult...
  15. C

    Do grades matter for PhD? How can I study better?

    Hello, I am an undergraduate at UNLV. Before, I was at a community college for a few years before I went to UNLV. I used to be art major for a few semester but I didn't like it very much so I changed it to general education as I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Last year, I thought of becoming...
  16. R

    Failing a Class? Advice for Physics/Math Major

    Ok, so this is really weird. I am a second year physics major at a decent university. My GPA at the moment is not steller (3.3). I think I totally bombed my lower division linear algebra midterm, and I might (a big maybe, because I am confident that I could pass this class if I put my 110%...
  17. Q

    Programs I am failing my undergraduate physics degree

    Hello, I am currently in a pretty terrible situation and I need some advice how I can get out of this mess. I graduated from high school 2009 and after a gap year I began studying business. I didn't like it at all so I quit after two semesters. At the time I was reading a lot of popular...
  18. jcruise322

    Really good at math, but failing physics?

    Hi, I am an engineering student taking mechanics, and even though I feel like I understand the material, I still do badly on the tests. In fact, I was really excited about the midterm I just took, but I just found out that I got a 55 % on the multiple choice-I have yet to get above a 70% on a...
  19. F

    Failing a technical course on purpose

    I think I bit off more than I could chew and I'm struggling to keep up with my technical courses this semester. Thus, I'm thinking about just giving up on my probability class, since it's lower in priority than doing in well in my CS classes, as a CS major. The class is incredibly interesting...
  20. B

    Can the Deflection of Mild Steel Straps Support a 500kg Load?

    Hi, I'm building a filming system that uses two parallel cables to support a mobile camera system. The cable supports need to fail in bending to reduce the load on the cables. The supports are a mild steel strap, section dimensions 35mm x 5.5mm, distance between cables 200mm. Can...
  21. B

    Failing Intro to Circuits class

    hey guys I am at the point in my college career where i am about to fail my first class (intro to circuits) and I am an ee major (prob a bad start to my major classes). I am probably going to take it again next semester but can people chime in on how to come back after failing a class; the...
  22. T

    Failing Physics and Calc II in the same summer

    Just failed my physics and calc 2 class in the same summer, where do I go from here? Or is it just due to the fact that i the classes were just 5 weeks?
  23. PhiowPhi

    Failing in Analyzing these (unusual) circuits

    I'm studying more (odd) circuits, where Kirchhoff law's would fail because of a magnetic field being part of a circuit, and it's flux is changing. For example this circuit: PS(##V_P##)is an external power source connected to the circuit, where there is a wire that an external magnetic field...
  24. L

    Chances of getting into a PhD program after failing Calc III

    SPOILER: This will be a somewhat depressing rant. I like math (or, I THOUGHT I did), but have been feeling incredibly lazy and powerless recently. I'm currently a freshman undergrad, and I just failed Calc III. I've been barely scraping by recently, having gotten a 40 on the first midterm and a...
  25. A

    Inductive Circuit and Frequency

    Homework Statement A resistor and a capacitor are connected in series to a variable frequency supply. A voltmerter is connected across the inductor and another across the resistor. The supply voltage is kept constant as frequency of supply is increased. State and explain the changes in the...
  26. L

    Nichrome Resistance Wire Consistently Failing

    Greetings, folks! I have spent the past six years developing a matching pair of 13"-square heating plates to mount to the inside bottom (front and rear) of a Sun-Mar Excel NE composting toilet drum. The heating plates are necessary to keep the compost in the composting drum between 70º and...
  27. Pythagorean

    Failing to Replicate: How Often Do PLOS Authors Publish Negative Results?

    How often does this happen? It seems like something that should happen more! http://neuro.plos.org/2014/10/13/this-weeks-most-discussed-plos-neuroscience-article-the-influence-of-partner-specific-memory-associations-on-picture-naming-a-failure-to-replicate/
  28. B

    A failing in 3d gradients?

    So my question is regarding the gradient of a function. Suppose we have a function expressed In cylindrical coordinates. Its expressed as z=rcos2@ I expressed the equation in cylindrical, but for the sake of my logic I'll now talk about it in cartesian. It appears that dz/dx and dz/dy at...
  29. A

    I keep failing tests no matter how hard I try

    It's just this one class I'm taking. It's really, really demoralizing. I normally do pretty well in my classes, I'm majoring in electrical engineering and I've so far kept a 3.2 GPA. I've only had to repeat one class, calculus II, and that was over a year ago, all of my other math classes I...
  30. M

    Why is using Newton's First Law failing me?

    A factory worker pushes a 29.7kg crate a distance of 5.0m along a level floor at constant velocity by pushing downward at an angle of 32∘ below the horizontal. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and floor is 0.24. What magnitude of force must the worker apply to move the...
  31. Dishsoap

    Schools Returning to school after failing out = lower chances for grad school?

    First of all, let me specify that I am not currently in this situation, however my significant other is. He was recently rejected from 13/14 grad schools he applied to and is trying to figure out why. Right out of high school, he went to Purdue for applied physics. He wasn't prepared for...
  32. H

    Programs Failing a non-major(ish) physics course

    I took CS 1 (simple Java stuff) on the first semester, and that was relatively easy for me to do. However, I am not doing so well in my CS2 course, as I just miserably failed one exam to the point of likely losing hope of getting a B on that course. Now, I am a physics and math major, and I am...
  33. B

    TI89 Failing to solve trig system of equation

    Please note: I am in degrees I am remembering to include the restriction (|0<x<90) This is the only equation I've had trouble doing on my ti89 In order to solve a problem I am plugging in the following equations: 520cos(x) = 490cos(y) 490sin(y) + 520sin(x) = 678 Doing this by hand...
  34. S

    Boost Your Physics Grades: Tips from a Columbia University Student

    Hi Guys, I need some advice/help. I am a undergrad at Columbia University, and am in my first semester, with an intended major of Astrophysics. I had my first midterm a month ago, where I got a decent 80%, and my homework grades were pretty consistently around that grade too. I go to...
  35. Last chance U

    I'm failing my prepratory year. (This year is used to get into Uni)

    Hey guys, here's what's happening. I am currently failing my 1 year program which will get me into university. I am interested in studying one of the hard sciences (physics or math). In this program we have 2 semesters. We are done the first half of the first semester. Here are my marks...
  36. Greg Bernhardt

    News War on drugs failing, research suggests

    http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/01/world/war-on-drugs-failing/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 Can anyone find the original study article? [edit: linked on post 3]
  37. D

    Can I Still Get My Masters with Failing Grades?

    I'll keep this short and sweet, for i even manage to fail English and i don't wish to demonstrate it. But during my freshman year, i failed two classes (physics and Humanity, two required courses i may add) What is my likely hood of still getting that master i always seems to want? I am...
  38. P

    How to find critical location of failing

    If an object has a maximum allowable stress and a known width and thickness, how can the critical location of failing be found in the object?
  39. T

    Failing and how to deal with it

    Hi there. I recently just received my results (situated in SA) and for the first time, I've FAILED a module! I feel heartbroken about it, mostly because I know I didn't work hard enough and it eats at me that things could have been different had I only studied. I realized my problem is...
  40. R

    Schools Failing out of College (Warning: Long Post)

    I’m not sure how much to write or how to write something like what I’m about to write. That sentence was weird but I’m more interested in getting some answers or advice than grammar and prose at the moment. I’m a little down right now so this would probably be different than if I wrote this...
  41. C

    Building a high voltage Film Cap, but its failing across the board

    new to this project and have limited knowledge, but the failure is consistent thru all specimens so I am hoping someone could shed some light. Film cap design is rated to 1650v Failure- Cap initially failed around 800v consistently, the curing time was adjusted and a ramping cycle was...
  42. W

    Failing at Calculus: Struggling with Exams and Seeking Advice

    Hi, Well I just had my second exam today from my calculus I class. I really try hard (even too hard) to get good grades and all, and I try not to talk bad about my teacher; but, she is really bad. I just don't get he exams. The exams almost horrible. I still have a change to replace one exam...
  43. J

    Why is Fundamental Math Failing Me?

    My Fundamental Math Failing This should illicit a chuckle or perhaps despair in humanity. The statement "One silver piece is equivalent to two copper pieces" is not equivalent to the equation "S = 2C" (Where S = silver and C = copper). I cannot for the life of me figure out why. I can work...
  44. I

    Get Help Passing Physics Exams: Tips & Strategies

    Hello PF, I just took my 2nd physics midterm today and I didn't do so great. I just don't get how to pass this class! Its so hard. I have tried everything from doing all the problems to reading the book a few times. I understand the concepts fairly well, I say this because I do the homework...
  45. 1

    Why being too logical will lead to failing.

    True or False: "The moon has no atmosphere because we never see any clouds on the moon." Apparently, "The moon has no atmosphere because we never see any clouds" and "We never see any clouds on the moon because it has no atmosphere" are logically equivalent statements to the layman...
  46. B

    What to Do if Failing a Pass/NoPass Class?

    W or NoPass ? What looks worse on a transcript, W or NP? Also, are there ways to withdraw from a Pass/NoPass class with an Incomplete to be finished later? Of course this might be case by case. Basically I am asking this: If you are in danger of getting a NoPass in a class, what is the...
  47. E

    How do you cope when failing a math test =/?

    Hey guys how you cope when a failing a test in math? (if you ever failed one in college engineering). I just had my 1st exam about Integrals and U substitution. Of the 4 problems 2 were good but the other 2 where almost in my hands but failed for some details or made a totally dumb...
  48. A

    Why is my transformerless converter unit failing?

    Hi all, I'm trying to build a transformerless converter unit, that will take an input of 240v a.c, and will output 12v d.c. I used a voltage divider to get a 16v from the a.c supply of 240v and connected my rectifying circuit across the 16v. I got an output of 14.59v. But on connecting the...
  49. A

    Failing point of a lexan spheres?

    Hi I'm a newby and have a project way out of my depth where a wrong calculation will be fatal... I need calculations of : 1.how far a 2500mm and 3000mm sphere of lexan plastic 50mm thick can be submerged in sea water before it will implode/fail (in meters)? See data below. 2.From what...
  50. jtbell

    News Amazon SC Sales Tax Exemption Rejected: 1200 Jobs Lost

    The South Carolina House of Representatives yesterday rejected a bill which would have granted amazon.com an exemption from collecting SC sales tax on purchases from SC residents. In response, amazon.com has stopped construction of a new distribution center near Columbia which would have created...
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