Most misunderstood physics concept

[Deneen2000]

Two items come to mind:

1. For the "Average Joe," I suggest the atom whirl symbol which falsely depicts electrons as merely particles orbiting.

2. That straight lines exist.

 

[PhDeezNutz]

A lot of the stuff you guys are talking about goes over my head and I'm graduating with my BS in physics in a couple of weeks. I'm not the greatest student but I am going to grad school. I guess that's just a sign that I need to work harder.

 

[dkotschessaa]

A lot of the stuff you guys are talking about goes over my head and I'm graduating with my BS in physics in a couple of weeks. I'm not the greatest student but I am going to grad school. I guess that's just a sign that I need to work harder.

Going into grad school thinking you don't understand anything is probably the best way to start out. :D

 

[John Robert Manley]

What do you think is the most misunderstood concept in physics and why? I'm guessing it's something in QM or relativity, but maybe somewhere else?

Hi Greg,
This is my first ever post on a Physics Forum.
For me the thing I have most difficulty understanding is quantum entanglement.
Is it at all possible that the two particles could in fact be just a single particle?
I like the spinning coin analogy that says if you observe on side of the coin as 'heads', the other side must be 'tails'
The moment you observe the qualities of one particle, you instantly know the qualities of the other.
But could it be that the two entangled particles were really only one particle with opposite qualities?
The quantum world is so strange it seems that almost anything is possible.

 

[Carrock]

And to stay on topic, for the most misunderstood concept, I nominate Big Bang. It seems especially prone to breeding misplaced sense of understanding both in laymen and in people who should know better. I blame the name.

Fred Hoyle is still causing problems with Big Bang 60 years after he derisively named the concept...

 

[jim hardy]

entropy.

 

[mfb]

Is it at all possible that the two particles could in fact be just a single particle?

No.
You can even entangle completely different things, like an atom and a photon.

 

[Hendrik Boom]

In fact, if your friend observes a particle, she will then be entangled with the particle, and you can find out the state of the particle simply by asking your friend.