Potential Definition and 1000 Threads
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Earthing of two parallel conducting plates
If both S1 and S2 are switched on, then the charge on the leftmost and rightmost surfaces will be zero. Also, we may assume that a charge q would appear on the left surface of Y, and a charge Q-q on the right surface of the same. due to this, there will be a charge q-Q on the left surface of Z...- palaphys
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- Earthing Electric field Potential
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Capacitors, equipotentials, and electric fields
I am very confused, all i have thought about right now is that, in that isolated branch connecting A, B and C, the net charge would be conserved. Not sure how to proceed. I feel that, if there is a charge ## -Q ##at A, and a charge ##-Q_1 ## at B, then the charge at C MUST be ## Q+Q_1 ## maybe...- palaphys
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- Electricity Electromagnetism Electrostatics Field Potential
- Replies: 5
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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A Late time and early time approximation for EOS
In the article https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.1682 effective potential in equation 16 is approximated for early universe and obtained equation 21 and for later time in equation 26. Some constraints are given in equation 4 and 5. Can anyone explain how this approximations are made? I was trying to... -
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Why is the electric force the negative of the position derivative of EPE?
My interpretation of this equation is "how much does the electrical potential energy changes when I move the particle a little bit"? Suppose that I have some arrangement of charges, with Q at x and q at x'. Then I move the charge q a little bit in the direction of Q (dx), it will require some...- lys04
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- Electric Energy Potential
- Replies: 5
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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Electric Potential Energy of Point Charge Systems
Here is my line of thinking: I know A and B aren't correct since the work done would be negative since the electric force and displacement are in opposite directions. When calculating the electric potential energies to consider options C and D, I thought the initial electric potential energy of...- flyonthewall
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- Electric Energy Potential
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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I Particle in a potential well
Hello. Help me understand the energies. The energy of a particle in a potential well, formula 1. An electron in the field of a nucleus, as an example of a particle in a potential well, and it turns out according to this formula that the further from the nucleus, the more energy is needed. And...- Malvina
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- Energies Potential
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Quantum Physics
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Electric potential of nested spherical shells
For (a), I got ##V(r)=0## For (b), using Gauss law I get the electric field in the region to be ##\vec E=\frac{kQ}{r^2}\hat r##, then: $$V(r)-V(b)=-\int^{r}_{b} \left(\frac{kQ}{r^2}\hat r\right) . (-dr ~\hat r)$$ $$V(r)-0=\int^{r}_{b} \frac{kQ}{r^2} dr$$...- songoku
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- Electric Potential
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Find the work done by a spring using potential energy considerations
At first I tried using U1 = 1/2kx^2 from -x to zero then U2 from zero to +x but I don't know shall I add U1 and U2 or subtract them?- good jelly
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- Potential Spring Work
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Calculate the Electric and Magnetic field for this Multipole Radiation
Hi I have problems with the following task I now wanted to try to calculate the vector potential, which according to my professor's script is defined as follows: $$\mathbf{A}(\mathbf{x}) = \frac{1}{c} \int d^3\mathbf{x}' \frac{\mathbf{j}(\mathbf{x}')}{|\mathbf{x} - \mathbf{x}'|}$$ I have...- Lambda96
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- Calculation Potential Vector
- Replies: 19
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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Why does the PE of particles during steam condensation decrease?
The answer says it decreases but shouldn't it increase? according to the kinetic model, KE accounts for particle vibrations. PE accounts for the attractive forces between particles. Since condensation means gas -> liquid, it means the particles become closer and hence the attractive forces...- shirozack
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- Energy Particles Potential
- Replies: 14
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Potential in spherical shells
In r<a the potential is V_o. I don't understand why in a<r<2a, V(r)=V_o-\int^r_a E*dl. I would write V(r)=\int^r_a E*dl+\int^2a_\infty E*dl I dont know how to write math symbols here but I wrote question here...- per persson
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- Potential Spherical
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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How can the electric potential be constant between two points in a wire?
Homework Statement: circuits - terms Relevant Equations: - How exactly can the electric potential be constant between two points in a wire; (assuming that it is electron current); if the electron is moving from a region of high electric potential to a low electric potential because of the...- du_768
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- Electric Potential Wire
- Replies: 6
- Forum: Electrical Engineering
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I Change of coordinates in a potential energy field
Hello, I am having some confusions in what should be basic pointwise Newtonian mechanics, and would like to get some help with that. It is all about changing coordinates in potential energies. Let us start by considering a point particule in a 2d world with an axis x (left-right) and an axis z... -
Electrostatics and current problem with 3 metallic balls
Theres a picture of the circuit attached. I did not understand how to start the problem since we dont know the distance between the terminal A and the sphere to write the absolute potential at terminal A. So I looked at the solution and im afraid I dont understand it at all. The teacher took...- tellmesomething
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- Absolute Circuit Potential
- Replies: 29
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Why does electric potential energy increase if you move against the field?
My understanding of this question is that, if you have a proton standing against a positive electric field, and move it in the opposite direction of the field, you're putting in work and therefore should have greater electric potential energy. But that idea breaks down when you consider a...- BuggyWungos
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- Electric Field Potential
- Replies: 6
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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B E. Potential Energy: Uniformly Charged Hollow Sphere and Point Charge
I was doing a problem with this one detail. It says that the electric potential energy of an uniformly charged hollow sphere and a point charge is (at the surface of the hollow sphere; both positive): $$U = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r}$$ I guess this assumes that the hollow sphere is a point charge. Now...- Heisenberg7
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- Energy Potential Uniform
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Electromagnetism
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I The potential on the rim of a uniformly charged disk
This comes from Griffiths' Electrodynamics and is problem 2.51 or 2.52, the disk has a surface charge density and my usual approach to solving these problems is to pick an area element and find a way to create a vector to the point(s) at which the potential is evaluated at. I sent a picture of...- chaos333
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- Charged Disk Potential
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Electromagnetism
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What is taken as datum level for the following absolute potentials?
We take out "formulas" for electric potential from the relation $$V=\int E.dx$$ Some general formulas are : For a hollow sphere : ##\frac{Q} {4π\epsilon_0 x}## when x>R, x =distance of that point from the center And the problem is we just input the distance in sums to calculate absolute...- tellmesomething
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- Electric Potential
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Conservation of Momentum Problem - Mechanical and Kinetic Energies
I'm confused on this problem, as I feel they state two completely contradictory things in the explanation of how to solve it. The first statement that I feel contradicts the second is this: "We can see that the bullet’s speed v must determine the rise height h. However, we cannot use the...- Ascendant0
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- Kinetic Momentum Potential
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Harmonic potential exercise with perturbation theory
Hello there, I'm training with some exercises in view of the July test, so I will post frequently in the hope that someone can help me, since the teacher is often busy and there are no solutions to the exercises. A particle of mass m in one dimension is subject to the potential: ##V(x) =...- keyzan
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- Harmonic Perturbation Potential
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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I Finite potential well transmission coefficient
In the last page of this image, the formula for the transmission coefficient, i'm not sure exactly what it means. The page says there is no reflection when the sine term is 0 cuz T=1), but for scattering states E>0 anyways? So won't it always pass through? Or is there a chance for a particle...- lys04
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- Coefficient Potential Transmission
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Quantum Physics
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How to find the potential of a field that has regions of non-zero curl
We know that in electrostatics, there is path independency for line integral of E, so E is a conservative field and thus we have E=-gradV. Integrating this from ro(reference point of our choice) to the point r we are studying, along a random path, we get the solution of the above equation...- kated
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- Field Line integral Potential
- Replies: 3
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Gauss' law and the potential V (plane layer case)
Here is the exercise: And these are my attempts: This is for the first question about the electric field. (I know I'm missing the drawing, which is a drawing of the plane layer of thickness 2e with a cylinder on it as a GAUSS SURFACE ). As for the second question, I'm not sure about it, so I...- srnixo
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- Electric Gauss Potential
- Replies: 7
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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The value of the spring constant k that I calculate seems too high
I expanded ET1=ET2 to get (Total energy at top) 1/2mv^2+mgh = 1/2kx^2 (Total energy at bottom) Rearanged i got k = (mv^2+2mgh)/x^2 so [(73)(20)^2+2(73)(9.8)(52)]/0.465^2 =479137.945N/m- dannolul
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- Constant Kinetic Potential
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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A I'm trying to follow the proof given in Box 5.3 of MCP (Thorne/Blandford)
I'm trying to follow the proof given in Box 5.3, page 235, of the MCP book regarding the Van der Waals grand potential. It seems to me that there is a missing factor (2l−1)!/(l−1)! in the last term of Equation (8). What am I doing wrong?- jouvelot
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- Potential Van der waals
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Thermodynamics
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Electromagnetism problem: Merging of 2 charged drops of mercury
I originally thought that this problem was simple, and it still seems like it is, but there are conflicting solutions and I don't know which is correct. So I first solved for R1 and R2 using V=kQ/r where R1 is 0.514 and R2 is 0.54. My original thought was volume is conserved so V1 + V2 = V3 and...- Elj
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- Charge Electromagnetism Potential
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Elastic Potential Energy - Positive or Negative?
So I understand that I have to integrate the negative of the force function to get the change in PE. I get -(20x^2 - 2x^3) and when I evaluate it from 0 to 2, I get -64N. But, of course, the change is positive. What am I missing? Thank you.- amandela
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- Elastic Energy Potential
- Replies: 5
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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B Gravitational potential energy, a thought experiment
Hi PF, long time no see. Hope you are all well. Recently I have come into a mental conundrum of a cosmological physical nature. After doing some napkin calculations about the energy of celestial bodies and transforming them into mass via E=mc^2 I've found that said energy is by no means small...- Lok
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- Energy Gravitational Potential
- Replies: 125
- Forum: Special and General Relativity
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Gravitation Potential Energy -- Questions about calculating the sign of GPE
I believe that this is due to context of application, but now, I'm starting to doubt myself. For example, a helicopter lifting itself has positive PE change. I really don't intuitively understand how this works. Can someone kindly explain this to me?- Quantum Psi Inverted
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- Energy Gravitation Potential
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Mistake in "Foundations of Electromagnetic Theory"?
The book wanna show how to find potential of a dielectric. The problem arises when it uses a vector identity. Still there is no problem. My problem is that I cannot understand why ##\rho_P= -div P##? I think it should be ##-div' P##. The book is wrong? In next page it uses ##-div'## In...- MatinSAR
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- Foundations Potential
- Replies: 6
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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Force field in spherical polar coordinates
Picture of question: Part (a) : ##\nabla \times \vec F = 0## so a Potensial exists. I don't have problem with this part. Part (b) : what I've done : First experssion is 0 because ##\theta = \dfrac {\pi} {2}##. I don't know how to integrate over ##\theta ## when it is a constant.- MatinSAR
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- Integration Potential
- Replies: 20
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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B Symmetry regarding induced potentials?
A homework thread, https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/point-charge-with-very-thin-metal-sheet-along-a-spherical-surface.1057702/, references https://arxiv.org/pdf/1007.2175.pdf. There is an uncharged conductor and a point charge. In the paper referenced, ##\bar\phi_y(x)## is defined as the...- haruspex
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- Induced charge Potential Symmetry
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Electromagnetism
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I Force of an Electron on a Potential Wall?
I've been looking at a practice test for an introductory class in quantum physics, and I've found a really weird question. It asks for an estimation of the force that an electron exerts on the walls of a box of known length during a collision. This seems like an entirely nonsense thing to ask...- HarrisonG
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- Electron Force Potential
- Replies: 7
- Forum: Quantum Physics
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Potential associated with a conservative force field F
Given the potential energy, the force is obtained as F = -∇U(r). A conservative force field F is associated with a potential f by F = ∇f. Does the first expression arise from this last one? If so, with -∇U(r), would one obtain the electric field E instead of the force F?- AntonioJ
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- Electromagnetism Potential
- Replies: 3
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Why Does a Particle Not Remain at x(t)=0 in a Negative Quartic Potential?
This question is from Collection of Problems in Classical Mechanics by Kotkin & Serbo, here, the answer is given as the following: However, the graph of ##-Ax^4## looks like: so shouldn't the trajectory be just ##x(t)=0##?- deuteron
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- Classical dynamics Potential
- Replies: 5
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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Particle moving from one potential to another
Attaching the image of the problem as an image. Somehow text is not copied from the book. Somehow, I can't imagine the picture in my head. We can do it in 2D plane. I know, it mentions the solution, but need to see the drawing, otherwise, my logic fails. I thought that maybe, first half space...- gionole
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- Drawing Particle Potential
- Replies: 13
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Question about the integral used to calculate the voltage between two points
^^- lys04
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- Electricity Energy Potential
- Replies: 8
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Understanding of Voltage potential
I am bit confused with voltage potential terminology again to basics When it is referred as Voa it is Voltage of "o" wrt "a". Is it correct? But other major question is as per the document I would have written KVL as Voa - I1 * Z = Vn. I am really confused with notation used.- PhysicsTest
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- Potential Terminology Voltage
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Electrical Engineering
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What Am I Doing Wrong in Calculating Potential on a Grid?
Looking at the image, I see that due to symmetry, the bottom-left negative charge and the bottom-right positive charge cancel out, leaving me with a triangle around the center. I'm not entirely sure how to solve for potential at the origin specifically, but I believe that the potential energy of...- ab200
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- Charges Grid Potential
- Replies: 10
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Potential difference between 2 points in a capacitor circuit
In the given circuit, a transient current will flow and when this current finally stops at equilibrium, the charges ##q_1## and ##q_2## are assumed to deposit at the capacitor plates as shown below. The dashed line indicates an isolated system that will have it's total charge conserved. If I...- vcsharp2003
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- Capacitor Capacitors Circuit Difference Electric circuit Electric potential difference Points Potential Potential difference
- Replies: 30
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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I Callan-Symanzik equation for Effective Potential
Hey all, I am looking equations (13.24),(13.25) in Peskin & Schroeder's QFT book and I am confused about how they change from the Callan-Symanzik equation for the Effective Action to the Effective Potential. I thought the relation for constant ##\phi_{cl}## was ##\Gamma[\phi_{cl}] = -(VT)\cdot...- thatboi
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- Effective potential Potential
- Replies: 1
- Forum: Quantum Physics
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I The Potential of Back-to-Back Photons: an Experiment
In some cases, photons can be produced in "back to back" (BTB) conditions. For example, electron-positron annihilation produces two photons, each at 0.511 MeV, with equal and opposite momentum. Or pretty close, up to the original velocities of the electron and positron. Start with a source of...- Grelbr42
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- coincidence Experiment Photons Potential
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Quantum Physics
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Method of Images, combination of an infinite plane and a hemisphere
Problem: I have done part a) in spherical polar coordinates. For part b) I thought it would be just: $$\sigma = -\epsilon_0 \frac{\partial V}{\partial r}$$ But I got confused by "You may want to use different coordinate systems .." So I assume partial derivative w.r.t to r is the spherical...- milkism
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- Combination Electrostatic Hemisphere Images Infinite Method Method of images Plane Potential Surface charge density
- Replies: 10
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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Experiment about diode related to temperature and potential difference
(a) I know some of the apparatus needed for the experiment, such as DC power supply, ammeter, voltmeter, maybe rheostat. But I don't know how to change the temperature of diode. What is the correct and safe way to change the temperature of diode? Thanks- songoku
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- Difference Diode Experiment Potential Potential difference Temperature
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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I Electric potential and potential difference
Electric potential = "absolute potential" Textbooks usually connect both ends of two capacitors, of different voltages, in parallel. What would happen if we only connect one end of the capacitors? Perhaps we would have to solve for Maxwell's coefficients of potential for these two cases (to...- yucheng
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- Difference Electric Electric potential Potential Potential difference
- Replies: 7
- Forum: Electromagnetism
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Electron encountering metal surface (1D Step potential)
I am struggling with how to go about this; in particular, I'm not sure I understand what state is being alluded to when Ballentine says "For an electron that approaches the surface from the interior, with momentum ##\hbar k## in the positive ##x## direction, calculate the probability that it...- EE18
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- Electron Potential Step potential Surface
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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I Potential energy of spin anti-alignment
Hello everybody, I consider two electrons that have enough kinetic energy to reach their respective classical electron radius. This would be: 2.0514016772310431402e-13 J The corresponding speed is v = 287336682 m/s. The electric field is E = \frac{k_{e}}{R_e^2} = 1.8133774657059088443 ×...- Sky Darmos
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- Energy Potential Potential energy Spin
- Replies: 14
- Forum: Other Physics Topics
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MIT OCW, 8.02 Electromagnetism: Potential for an Electric Dipole
Here is a depiction of the problem a) The potential at any point P due to a charge q is given by ##\frac{kq}{r}=\frac{kq}{\lvert \vec{r}_s-\vec{r}_P \rvert}##, where ##r## is the distance from the charge to point P, which is the length of the vector difference between ##\vec{r}_s##, the...- zenterix
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- Dipole Electric Electric dipole Electric potential Electromagetism Electromagnetism Mit ocw Potential
- Replies: 1
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help
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Electrodynamics - finding potential of a non conducting shell
- jerry222
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- Conducting Elecrostatics Electomagnetism Electro dynamics Electro statics potential Electrodynamics Physics Potential Shell
- Replies: 2
- Forum: Advanced Physics Homework Help
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Rate of loss of potential energy
I got answer for (a), which is 0.51 m For (b), loss of potential energy = 35 x 9.81 x 0.51 = 175 J Rate of loss of potential energy = 175 J / 1 s = 175 W But the answer key is 80 W. Where is my mistake? Thanks- songoku
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- Energy Loss Potential Potential energy Rate
- Replies: 3
- Forum: Introductory Physics Homework Help