What Are the Discontinuous Processes Found in Nature?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter acherentia
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the existence of discontinuous processes in nature, exploring various examples and interpretations of discontinuity across different phenomena. Participants examine concepts from physics and mathematics, including acceleration, quantization, phase transitions, and mathematical functions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that acceleration can be considered discontinuous when starting a car, as it changes from 0 to a positive value.
  • Others argue that acceleration is continuous, suggesting that a closer examination of time reveals a smooth transition.
  • One participant claims that many phenomena, such as light, momentum, distance, and time, are quantized, implying a discontinuous nature.
  • A participant describes discontinuous functions using the example of the tangent function, noting that it approaches infinity at certain angles but does not identify natural processes that behave similarly.
  • Another participant mentions the oil-water interface as a potential example of a discontinuous phenomenon and discusses phase transitions as another instance.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the definition of a "process" and whether certain examples fit this definition.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on what constitutes a discontinuous process, with multiple competing views and interpretations remaining throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the definitions and assumptions regarding what qualifies as a discontinuous process, and the discussion reflects varying degrees of understanding and interpretation of related concepts.

acherentia
Messages
46
Reaction score
0
I am wondering if there are any discontinuous processes in nature and which are they, if any. thank you.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Acceleration is often discontinuous. For example starting a car - stepping on the gas changes the acceleration from 0 to something definitely positive.
 
Well if you look at the graphs that's not exactly what seems to happen. You might need to zoom in on time to understand that it's continuous. I don't think acceleration can be considered a discontinuous process.

mathman said:
Acceleration is often discontinuous. For example starting a car - stepping on the gas changes the acceleration from 0 to something definitely positive.
 
Pretty much everything is discontinuous and quantized.

Light, momentum, distance, time, etc... are all quantized so its not continuous.
 
My understanding of discontinuous functions would be something like tan theta where it zooms off to infinity as you approach 90 degrees, then returns from the opposite direction.

I can't think of anything in nature that behaves like that. Even if you found something that appeared to do so, I think that adding another dimension would probably resolve the problem, as it does for tan theta (draw it on a cylinder).
 
acherentia said:
I am wondering if there are any discontinuous processes in nature and which are they, if any. thank you.

I don't know about a *process*, but an oil-water interface is about as discontinuous a phenomenon out there.

In general, the more fine-grained you model a phenomenon, the smoother things appear. Phase transitions can remain discontinuous, so can a few other effects (caustics, for example).
 
that's really more towards my chemical plate, i never thought of phase trasitions. i am not sure what you mean by caustics but i will look it up.
 
Curl said:
Pretty much everything is discontinuous and quantized.

Light, momentum, distance, time, etc... are all quantized so its not continuous.

everything you mention does not fit my definition of a process.
 
Curl said:
Pretty much everything is discontinuous and quantized.

Light, momentum, distance, time, etc... are all quantized so its not continuous.

acherentia said:
everything you mention does not fit my definition of a process.
His point is that any process involving them (at the quantum level) would be discontinuous.
 
  • #10
Aha...well I never dragged it one step further. I hope you're right because I will take what you say for granted for now.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad How Can I Build a DIY High Vacuum System Using Copper Instead of Glass?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Undergrad Forces Required For Steeling A Blade?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
High School The Purposes of Physics: Understanding the Fundamentals of Nature
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Graduate Dynamics and convergence of a general flow network
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
1K
Troubleshooting Jump Discontinuities: Causes & Solutions
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
High School What is this part of a graph on the axis called?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
19K
Undergrad Good positing in electrostatics problem with dielectrics - Poisson problem with conditions at the Dirichlet or Neumann edge
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Undergrad A high school physics problem demonstrating relative motion
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
High School Speed of light and Euler's constant
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
Do scientists have a social life?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K