Physics

Hi I'm wondering what the explanation for this odd icicle that formed on my ice-tray recently? (2 photo's are attached). Thanks, Grant

I am a bit confused about these two concepts. One example is the X-ray diffraction experiment. I think the principle of X-ray diffraction is interference of X-rays, not the diffraction. why it is called diffraction?

In my Calculus class today we were discussing thermodynamics, and one person claimed that he has thought of a way to violate the laws of thermodynamics. His proposal goes like this. Water expands when it freezes, so as energy is released from water, and it freezes, the expansion could be harnessed to give more energy then you started with, so you get the energy that is released from the water, in addition to the energy generated by the movement of the water as it freezes. I don't have enough of a background in physics to counter this, could someone else help me to understand how this fits in with thermodynamics?

I am going to see Michio Kaku talk about his new book, Physics of the Impossible, at a local Borders on thursday. I haven't read the book yet but I plan to buy it at the store. From what i understand, the book is him discussing what technologies that we now consider impossible may be a reality in the future and what may never actually be possible. I don't know if he claims that certain things are impossible but if he does, I may be inclined to disagree. The reason for that is, there is no 100% concrete, indisputable evidence of something being impossible. I'm not sure that I can even imagine how to prove something to be impossible like that without having a Hawking-like T…

Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

The plasma injectors are fused and the warp coils are fried, but is that why the warp field destabilized? It seems the answer may be "no". Apparently, when QM is taken into account, warp fields destabilize near c and the inertial bubble becomes irradiated. http://arxiv.org/abs/0904.0141 Now, who's working on the Star Gate? Merged post follows: Consecutive posts mergedAlso, what possible FTL is left?

why's diffraction grating better than double slit experiment for finding wavelength of a wave

Don't sure this is the right forum for my thread because I am referring about a medical device that is blood analyser. The problem of this device is it can't suck the blood sample in the pre-dilute mode. The blood will be attracted into a so-called White blood cell basin. At that time, a plastic pot is at "negative pressure" and it connects to White blood cell basin via a valve. In the others way, the tube that sample will be attracted into also connect to that basin. So when I test "ON" that valve while no using sample (means the tube is connected to air pressure. The basin get two pressure, "-" from the pot and "+" from air. And so in that test mode, another motor …

I recently aquired a device that turns neerby EM noise (unlike an AM radio) directly into an electric signal (for human hearing frequancy signals) for headphones. It is called an Induction Receiver and has a magnetic pickup that is a coil of wire. Other names include ground meter. I created another thread in the past asking for one to be made for me, this one is really good. It is bi-directional and creates a rich soundcape of noise and the best I can describe it intuitivly is as if elecrisity made a noise as it flowed. Although it's a bit heavy on mains hum. The device can fit into my pocket and is like having an extra sence. Please PM me to be added to my go…

What's the difference between centripetal and centrifugal force?

Is the Photoelectric effect the same thing as the Photovoltaic effect? If not what are the differences? Thanks G56

What is the smallest object ever observed with gravity? Also, how is it determined/known that subatomic particles (ie free electrons) have gravity?

Fairly straightforward question: why do solenoid actuators always have such short displacements? Is it due to the limitations of their typically small size? Could you theoretically design one that has a longer displacement, especially if you can make the moving shaft longer than the magnetic region? I'm partially thinking in terms of the jumping ring demo that's standard in first-year Physics labs. Also, why does the ring jump higher with AC? Is it greater voltage?

I am at an ethanol refinery. We are measuring the wt% of ethanol in our beer prior to distillation. I measure the volume rate of this beer into the distillation system. I would like to convert the wt% ethanol in the stream to vol% to allow me to calculate the max 200 proof ethanol production from this stream. I've been told to multiply the wt% by 1.2, 1.23, and 1.26 by different people. I know this is temp dependent, but I don't need to be so exact. I believe these numbers may come from mixing with water and not the stream I have. The sg of the beer is 0.9385 and the sg of the stream after ethanol is removed is 0.9795 (still contains 0.05 wt% ethanol). Can anyo…

Hey guys, I'm trying to create a large square column of light that has the same diameter all the way down. This is proving to be extremely difficult. I was wondering if anybody had any ideas of how this might be created? Although not square would theater lights be able to achieve a spotlight that doesn't gradually expand as it moves further from the source or is this just going against the laws of light? Any input would be extremely useful!!! Thank you. Nez

Hi! Now, I heard a religious person tell that God exists outside time. Is this possible? I mean can something exist outside time? I'm a christian, and with low education, so I thought I ask peope that should know, ie, you. Just mentioned my christianity, so that you do not think me trying to disprove God or something. No. Just need to know the facts of it, ie can something exist beoynd time. thank you for your comments!

I wonder what makes anything trnsparent, translucent or opaque? Light can travel through vacuum but not through a brick-wall, but on the other hand sound (which is also energy), can go through a wall!

I'm lead to understand that green is the easiest colour to replace when working in a digital format hence green screens etc in films, why is this?

Hi guys, I just remembered a question that bugged me for a few days, months ago. I was watching cool youtube videos of the electric arc phenomenon and I noticed that the noise they produce was always a "b flat" (musically speaking). Does this mean that the frequency of the waves that the electric arc is producing is always the same, independently from the source? Why is it always the same? I mean, in one video there's a huge arc more than a meter across making a thick b-flat tone/noise, and other videos showing smaller arcs from different sources on different places, but all of them producing b-flats!! Did I, by a strange coincidence found only the ones producing b-…

I've never fully understood the difference between alternating current and direct current. What is the difference? Could someone explain in simple terms and then maybe in more detail?

Quick question, really no reason to go any further than this... Does air reflect light? i.e. if you shine a very strong beam of light through normal air (with absolutely no dust) will you see a faint beam of light? Or if you use a lens to focus that beam of light onto a single point, will you see a bright point? Oh and if it absorbs and re-emits the light, thats just as good... I need it for my hologram design!

Walk into a bar... No sorry, I am wondering if someone would like to attempt to explain what exactly is a field in terms of physics. Is it a place in space that has special properties? Do all forces have a field and what the different if they are vector or scalar. EXACTLY, and as simplistic as possible. So Norman don't even think about it.

why does splitting the atom produce so much energy? is all that energy stored within atoms?

Just wondering... what causes a rainbow to curve?

why do you have to have special lights for artificial plant growth? is it that one just uses more energy and also puts forth more photons similiar to the suns amount to plants? why is it that flourescant{i know theres another one, thats better, tungteen or something, though thats the filament in light bulbs so i could be getting it mixed up} is so much better than just a normal light bulb? dont they produce the same thing and only that one thing?{photons}