Theoretical Definition and 999 Threads

As an undergraduate, I have a choice between working under two different professors in the Physics department at the university that I am enrolled in. One is theoretical, so my work would be in helping derive equations, and the other has a lab (not a super high-tech one, but a lab nonetheless)...

Greetings! I just finished my bachelor's degree in physics. I am now applying for a master's degree in physics. My bachelor's thesis was an experimental study about aerosol. I am planning to shift to theoretical physics. However, I want my topic to be related to materials science...

I am soon to apply for university and I am not quite sure what I want to study. Theoretical physics and astrophysics/astronomy/cosmology all seem like very interesting fields of physics to me. How do I go about when I choose my career path? Which one of the fields has been more prospering than...

I am a student from Electrical Engineering department and now at the end of 3rd year in my university.But I want to do MS in Theoretical Physics in my university at the end of 4th year.The Theoretical Physics department offers these courses (listed below) in their MS and I have to choose among...

Author: L.D. Landau, E.M Lifshitz Title: Course of Theoretical Physics Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0750628960/?tag=pfamazon01-20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0750627689/?tag=pfamazon01-20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0750635398/?tag=pfamazon01-20...

I want to go to grad. school in theoretical physics after I'm done with undergrad (aiming quite high: Perimeter Institue, Cambridge's DAMTP, MIT, etc. I know it's hard but I want to keep optimistic about it). Which pathway would be more appropiate/realistic? route 1: I self study math courses...

Hello dbmorpher here, I was looking at some articles on entropy and wondered, could this be used to calculate time? Entropy is known as the arrow of time, figurative I know but could actually be used to measure. If there was a device that calculated the entropy in a set system couldn't it...

I am looking at the cross-sectional shape of a sagging membrane. I have several theoretical models, neither of which fit perfectly. So rather than comparing values, I'm comparing shapes. One model fits fairly well, however I'm unsure of which quantity is correct to specify a 'goodness' of a...

I'm in the 10th grade and i am trying to decide what to study in college. I am really good in physics, math, and chemistry. The thing is that i am very much interested in astronomy and stuff like quantum mechanics and string theory. A lot of people keep telling to study something more...

Hello everyone, I'm considering becoming an Applied Physicist. I just need some help. Here are the questions I would like answered. -What would a Theoretical Applied Physicist research? -What would a Experimental Applied Physicist research? -Which one would have more of a likely...

I am planning to pursue my phD in theoretical physics. But my mathematics skill is not that good and physics concept is ok. So can it possible? Hope someone can give me some guidance. Thanks

physics, of course, is a broad subject with many fields within it, but who do you consider your top 3 most influential/top living physicists in the world.

Is geometric algebra and geometric calculus worth learning for a theoretical physicist? What are the advantages of this approach against the usual vector calculus ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_engine This is one of those threads where the OP proposed a device which will not work and hopefully by the end understands why. So here's the device... Air enters through a long intake tube. At the end of the tube it enters a combustion chamber where fuel is...

Homework Statement So, I was sitting in my algebra based college physics class and we were talking about buoyancy. According to Archimedes' Principal, "an object that is completely or partially submerged in a fluid experiences and upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced."...

Question: What's next for me? What should I learn next in physics and math? (I want a career in theoretical physics - phd route). I've learned: Physics: Newtonian Mech w/ calc, Griffith's Intro to Electrodynamics, Goldstein's classical mechanics, griffith's intro to quantum mechanics...

Hi all, I still have a year of undergraduate studies left but I'm very, very interested in mathematical, theoretical physics. I would love to do research in string theory; does anyone know if McGill University is at least decent for this as a graduate school? It's probably a naive question to...

What model correctly predicts the sensitivity of a resisitive wire straing gage to applied strain? This question is motivated by an an old pamphlet found in a used book store, "Theory Of Strain Gage Flight Test Instrumentation" by Eugene Frank, 27 May 1946. The gage factor of a strain gage...

So imangine a potential well that looks like this: --_-- where the 1st and the third line have a potential U and the 2nd line has U=0. A wavefunction is coming from the left with E>U. When the wave function hits the first potential change(where the ΔU = negative), does some of the...

I am in the process of choosing the topic for my thesis. Originally I came from a more theoretical branch of physics but I realized that I do not see my future in university research, but more in the industry. I want to do research with more direct applications, but now I am not sure what my...

Call me crazy, but am I right in thinking that people with a Phd in Theoretical Physics could take up a position in a university as an experimentalist? Is it a strange thing for a theorist to do? Or is it not that black and white? Is it more of a blur? Would theorists be viewed just as capable...

Hello, Isn't the theoretical max. speed in deep space unlimited? There is no friction. Therefore, any energy we add to the spacecraft will increase its speed. So can't the speed of light be reached? Thanks.

Hello, I would like to know what can do theoretical physicist who don't get a job in academia, after a phd in theoretical physics or after a postdoc for example. I am thinking about people working in theoretical high energy physics, cosmology or things like that. If we compare the number of...

Homework Statement Calculate the theoretical pH of each solution. The first solution was 30.00 mmol of HOAc (acetic acid) and 53.00 mmol of NaOAc. There was no water in this solution. Homework Equations We have to use this equation. The Attempt at a Solution I'm unsure of what...

I am currently a sophomore majoring in physics in college. I also plan to major in math because I am very interested in theoretical physics. The math adviser that I spoke to could not give me much information on what math subjects are important for a career path in theoretical physics, so if...

I'm sorry if I'm posting this question here, but for some reason i can't add a new topic in the right section (i think it should be "Advanced Physics Learning Materials") ..I'm also sorry for my english... By The Way... Just one simple question: i'm looking for the note or the webpage for...

Does anyone have a good theory for magnetic force? No need to talk about domain alignment or electron spin, (although if you have something deeper then just electron spin, id love to hear it)this much is known. I'm talking about the actual FORCE of magnetism. As in: If you are in a vacuum...

I'm not sure if anyone knows what I mean by saying my desire is to hypothesis and experiment, and build upon the basis of other theorems. I wonder if majoring in physics with a concentration on astrophysics are the proper choices in relation to my desired career path. I suppose I'm leaning...

Hi everyone, I realize this is only loosely related to mathematics, but I didn't know where else to ask this question (if I post it in a finance forum I'll get 100 different answers from people who probably didn't really understand the question). I think mathematicians are the kind of people...

You are pushing a wooden crate across the floor at a constant speed. You decide to turn the crate on end, reducing by half the surface area in contact with the floor. In new orientation, to push the same crate across the same floor with the same speed, the force that you apply must be about: A)...

Homework Statement This question is from a theory stand point. I understand the definitions of velocity and acceleration separately. For some reason, I can not conceptualize them in equation form. How do you really know a*t= velocity or d/t=v ? Is there a proof for this or something? I need to...

Hey :) Homework Statement So, for a school assignment we had to create a carnival game and then calculate the empirical & theoretical probability of it. My game was called 'splat the rat;' basically, I put a computer mouse down a pipe and a contestant had to try and hit it with a little...

Hi. I'm taking diff eq course this semester and the text is the latest Boyce DiPrima diff eq with boundary value problems. The first test is mostly proofs on theorems about continuity, like the Heine-Borel theorem, Bolzano-Weierstrauss theorem, etc. The book doesn't go into much details about...

Does one need to be relatively super intelligent (to a human that is average) to make a significant contribution to the world of theoretical physics ie something on the same caliber as Relativity?

I have a very simple and straightforward question. This has been troubling me for quiet a long time now. Can i go for a phd in theoretical physics with a masters in applied physics ? I basically mean to say that: Will applied physics degree create any kind of hindrance for phd in...

Hey, I came across (http://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~hooft101/theorist.html) in which Gerard 't Hooft has written a guide on becoming a good theoretical physicist and was wondering if anyone is using it, and if so d'you like it?

Hi, I am a graduate physics student and I am looking to buy a new desktop. I was wondering if anyone had any opinion on a great desktop for a theoretical physicist. I mostly use mathematica for symbolic computations but from time to time I use C or C++ to write numerical programs. Any...

I have accepted an offer to study physics at Warwick University in England this September, however I have not decided yet as to whether or not I would like to proceed into an experimental or theoretical career and would just like to know whether or not it would be possible to get onto a...

I work for a drug company & they have a department of Metrology - "Metrology is the science of measurement. Metrology includes all theoretical and practical aspects of measurement." Anyways, so what exactly are the theoretical aspects of measurement? To me, they would be something like...

I posted this in the engineering section but no replies : ( ... Let us see if the physicists can help. Homework Statement Given: Density (D) of Si is 2.328 g/cm^3. Si has diamond crystal structure. Find: Theoretical density of a single crystal of Si. Homework Equations...

On a scale of 1 - 10, where 10 means the journal is peer-reviewed, highly regarded, responsible and influential, and 1 means the journal is self-published junk science ... where does the Russian "Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics" (JETP) lie, in your opinion? Jeff

Hi friends, I am Harsh kumar from India. I am a computer graduate, with a good sense of district Mathematics. I always want to be an theoretical physicist but i unfortunately ended with computer graduation due to my personal reasons I am physically handicap, never mind that, but as my life leads...

I'm leaving high school to choose a degree and I'm having a hard time choosing and I thought I wouldn't loose anything by asking here for opinions and maybe similar experiences. I have mediocre grades overall, though I get very good physics and maths sometimes, others I get average (14/20...

Hi there, I am currently trying to decide where to go for my M.Sc. degree. I have to decide between the Intercollegiate Program at London, I was accepted at Queen Mary Univ. London, and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. My main interests are Quantum...

Homework Statement comparing two partitions: Let f be defined on the interval [0,2] by f(x)=0, if 0≤x≤1 and f(x)=1 otherwise. Consider two partitions P={0,1,2} and Q={0,1-\epsilon, 1+\epsilon,2}, and calculate the difference of the upper and the lower sum with respect to each partition. By...

If you wish to skip the back story, skip to the last paragraph. The honors college at my university (Arizona State) requires undergraduates to complete a thesis if they wish to graduate from the honors college. I've been extremely excited about presenting a worthwhile thesis as a physics...

I was wondering can one master both experimental and theoretical physics in one particular field of physics? There are past examples like Enrico Fermi,Richard Feynman etc . I want to have the fun of both. Is it possible?

Right, so I intend to do a masters in Mathematics but all the modules I'm going to take are in theoretical physics. I'm going to take a mix of everything from QFT, GR, Fluid Mechanics and Astro, just cause I find it all interesting, but not really specialising in any particular area...

I am a devout mulim and I love physics so can someone be a theoretical physicist and still be a religious person who believes in God?

Basicaly wanting to know the maximum velocity achievable if we sent out a craft purely to go as fast as poss using gravity assist + initial escape burn. Obviously a time limit would be needed so let's say 10years of gravity assist manouveres. How fast could we go? Would the gforces involved...