Question about conservation laws & Feynman Lectures

In summary, Hal Boyle explains that professors simply can't discuss a thing in their lectures, and that Habit compels them to deliver a lecture.
  • #1
Tac-Tics
816
7
I just got a copy of Feynman's lectures on Physics the other week. They are very interesting.

Near the end of the 4th chapter, he begins discussing conservation laws. One of the laws he gives is the conservation of baryons. I noticed early in the first volume, the lectures were published in 1960, a few years before the theory of quarks came about. Would it be off to say that, had the book been published today, this conservation law would be replaced by the conservation laws of quarks and color?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Tac-Tics said:
I just got a copy of Feynman's lectures on Physics the other week. They are very interesting.

Near the end of the 4th chapter, he begins discussing conservation laws. One of the laws he gives is the conservation of baryons. I noticed early in the first volume, the lectures were published in 1960, a few years before the theory of quarks came about. Would it be off to say that, had the book been published today, this conservation law would be replaced by the conservation laws of quarks and color?

It is still conservation of baryon number ! It is amazing, but actually you don't have to change a word in the Lectures, after all this time...
 
  • #3
vanesch said:
It is still conservation of baryon number ! It is amazing, but actually you don't have to change a word in the Lectures, after all this time...

Heh, good to know.

It's stuff like this that caused me, when I got about 4 chapters into Volume III, to reconsider and start at Volume I, even if have to skim the parts I'm familiar with. (There's nothing like ignorance for overestimating your abilities ;-)
 
  • #4
The lectures are fantastic, but there are a couple of errors, including one in freshman physics where he states that a Faraday cage works both ways. There's an interesting note from Kip Thorne at the bottom of the page, including a quote from Feynman, "You should, in science, believe logic and arguments, carefully drawn, and not authorities. You also read the book correctly and understood it. I made a mistake, so the book is wrong. I probably was thinking of a grounded conducting sphere, or else of the fact that moving the charges around in different places inside does not affect things on the outside. I am not sure how I did it, but I goofed. And you goofed, too, for believing me."
http://www.feynmanlectures.info/flp_errata.html
 
  • #5
atyy said:
And you goofed, too, for believing me."
http://www.feynmanlectures.info/flp_errata.html

From the link:
last updated 10/29/2008

:rofl:
 
  • #6
vanesch said:
:rofl:

Dang! It took me half an hour to realize what you meant! :rofl:
 
  • #7
vanesch said:
It is still conservation of baryon number ! It is amazing, but actually you don't have to change a word in the Lectures, after all this time...
I've read Feinman 10 years later in 1970.
So i can suppose Feinman is solid :)))
And fractional charge is liquid.
And quark is gas.
And broken now supercollider proves that barion number is forever.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professors simply can't discuss a thing. Habit compels them to deliver a lecture.
What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn't have any doubt - it is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn't want to go anywhere else. Hal Boyle
 

1. What are conservation laws?

Conservation laws are fundamental principles in physics that state that certain quantities, such as energy, momentum, and angular momentum, remain constant in a closed system over time.

2. What is the significance of conservation laws?

Conservation laws are important because they provide a framework for understanding the behavior of physical systems and allow us to make predictions about their behavior. They also help us to identify fundamental symmetries in nature.

3. How do conservation laws relate to Feynman Lectures?

Feynman Lectures on Physics is a renowned series of physics lectures that cover a wide range of topics, including conservation laws. Feynman explains these laws in a clear and concise manner, making it easier for readers to understand their significance and applications in different areas of physics.

4. Can conservation laws be violated?

Conservation laws are considered to be absolute principles and are thought to be unbreakable. However, there have been instances where certain conservation laws have been observed to be violated, but these cases are still being studied and investigated.

5. How are conservation laws tested and verified?

Conservation laws are tested and verified through experiments and observations. Scientists use mathematical equations and models to make predictions about the behavior of a system and then compare those predictions to actual observations in order to confirm the conservation of a particular quantity.

Similar threads

Replies
15
Views
1K
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
28
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
131
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
992
  • Mechanics
Replies
10
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Classical Physics
Replies
28
Views
914
Back
Top