What Are the Most Fascinating Idealized Entities in Physics?

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on idealized entities in physics, highlighting examples such as massless springs, friction-free slopes, point masses, massless strings, ideally elastic strings, ideal black bodies, and zero internal resistance batteries. Participants also mention containers with zero heat capacity, pendulums performing simple harmonic motion (SHM), ideal gases, and "thin" lenses in ray diagrams. These idealizations simplify complex physical systems, making them easier to analyze and understand.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, including mechanics and thermodynamics.
  • Familiarity with idealized models in physics, such as point masses and ideal gases.
  • Knowledge of simple harmonic motion (SHM) and its applications.
  • Basic comprehension of optics, particularly ray diagrams and lens behavior.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of massless springs in mechanical systems.
  • Explore the concept of ideal gases and their equations of state.
  • Study the characteristics and applications of ideal black bodies in thermodynamics.
  • Investigate the role of idealized models in simplifying complex physical phenomena.
USEFUL FOR

Students and educators in physics, researchers in theoretical physics, and anyone interested in the simplifications used in physical modeling and analysis.

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In this thread mgb listed massless springs and friction free slopes. That made me think - what other idealized entities (not sure of that's the best selection of word, feel free to correct/edit) do we use in physics? Other things that I can think of just off the top of my head are point masses, massless strings and rods, ideally elastic strings, ideal black body, zero internal resistance batteries.

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Physics news on Phys.org
Containers with zero heat capacity
Pendulums that actually perform SHM (the theta = sine theta trick!)
Ideal gasses
"Thin" lenses shown as having no thickness in ray diagrams
 

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