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#151 Re: Science HQ » What is a field? » 2024-11-16 04:03:28

Bob

When an artist paints a picture it consists of layers of coloured paints on canvas. The paint is distinct from the canvas but you could say the paint occupies the canvas.  The canvas is the place where the paint 'sits' (cannot think of a better word here).

The fields you have described are abstract concepts. You cannot touch the temperature values; nor can you have an isolated quantum of wind.  But it's useful to think of a set of measurements superimposed on the space itself. It's the set of measurements that makes up the field.

Imagine that by some magic you could lift all the paint off the canvas so it existed separate from the canvas.  That makes two objects.  It's harder to imagine the same happening to the temperatures, but let's try. Somewhere in hyperspace is a set of temperatures that can be mapped back onto the surface of the Earth.  It's not a concrete thing so it's harder to visualise but, if you are going to study advanced physics you'd better get used to it because I think it will happen a lot.  smile

Bob

#152 Re: Science HQ » What is a field? » 2024-11-15 19:17:07

Bob

I'm catching up fast,  On a weather map the region is the surface of the Earth (part of). Temperature is a scalar as it has just magnitude but not direction. Every point has a temperature so the 'field' of tempeatures matches the real world of the surface.

You can show wind simlarly but, as wind has magnitude and direction, this time it's a vector field.

Bob

#153 Re: Science HQ » What is a field? » 2024-11-14 05:27:44

Bob

This is a new area for me so I googled it.  For me the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_(physics)  makes a lot more sense than the Oxford one.

Bob

#154 Re: Science HQ » Action and Reaction Forces » 2024-11-02 22:28:23

Bob

Your acceleration calculations look ok. Just one thing bothers me. Does it make a difference if the force is applied for a measured amount of time. I've searched for an answer to this and made no progress.  Why ask this question?  If you apply a force of 200N for, say, 5 seconds then the impulse is 200 x 5 = 1000 N.sec and this gives that amount of momentum to the two objects.

Momentum before = 0

Momentum after = 1000

If I consider myself ( as the pusher) as at rest with the box moving away at velocity v after 5 seconds then

50 x v = 1000 so v = 1000/50 = 20 m/s

Using v = u + at     20 = 0 + 5a     so a = 4m/s^2

Oh joy! smile up That's what you got before. So maybe all's well in the world of Newtonian mechanics.

I’m thinking that the box, in a sense, is just sitting there, so how can it push me back, when I push it.

Do you drive yet? Don't try to experience this 'box' effect by driving a car into a tree. The tree will definitely exert a big force on you! shame

Bob

#155 Re: Science HQ » Action and Reaction Forces » 2024-11-01 22:54:03

Bob

Hhhmmm, it's more complicated than that. The reason you can move a box at all is because of friction between your feet and the floor. If you tried to push a box whilst floating weightless in space you couldn't do it because you've got nothing to push against. What would happen is you and the box would separate and float apart ( conservation of momentum ).  You'd have the same problem if you were standing on ice.

So your force = the boxes reactive force. That is transmitted through your body to the point of contact with the ground, and, if the friction is sufficient to oppose this, then the box moves. Of course, if it's on a friction surface, you've got to overcome that too.

If you're battling someone who is also trying to push you, then it's largely down to each persons friction as to what happens. If you're on a rubber mat and he's on a sheet of ice, then you'd win regardless of who is stronger. If your surfaces are the same then one or both of you might slide, or you might fear you're about to topple backwards and take a step back.

The starting point for any problem in statics is to make a force diagram.  Put in just the forces that are acting on one object. If nothing is moving then the components in two (usually perpendicular) directions can be equated.  If there's not equilibrium then you can use the first and second laws to work out the acceleration.

Bob

#156 Re: Help Me ! » Dividing powers of 10 » 2024-10-29 23:59:18

Bob

Yes as it's 10 to the whole expression.

I'm of an age where there were no calculators to use for calculations. So logs were taught early on as you can make use of this property:

This converts a multiplication into an addition. Similarly divisions and roots.

Bob

#157 Re: Help Me ! » Can u find the word? » 2024-10-29 01:33:09

Bob

hi Helmetgurus

Welcome to the forum.

Bob

#158 Re: Science HQ » Reference Frames » 2024-10-29 01:24:12

Bob

Your calc leading to -50 is a good one. 

Yes to the frames question.

Speed is a scalar quantity so I wouldn't expect it to be negative. But velocity is a vector so direction is needed. When you start such a question decide which way is positive and if any calc leads to a negative it means it's going the other way.

eg. A ball is thrown vertically upwards at 27 m/s. Taking g as 10, what is its height after 5 seconds.

I'll take 'up' as positive.

g = -10; t = 5; u = 27

using s = ut + 0.5at^2

height = 27 x 5 - 0.5 x 10 x 5^2 = 135 - 125 = 10m (above the ground)

I'll take 'down' as positive

g = 10; t = 5; u = -27

height = -27 x 5 + 0.5 x 10 x 25 = -135 + 125 = -10m  (As down is positive this ball must be 10 m above the ground.

Suppose u = 7, and I throw the ball up leaning sightly over a cliff.

Take 'up' as positive.

height = 7 x 5 - 0.5 x 10 x 25 = 35 - 125 = -90m   The ball has gone up, come down and carried on downwards below my level down the cliff.

When was the ball again level with my position?

t = ?; u = 7; g = -10; s = 0

0 = 7t - 0.5 x 10 x t^2    =>       7t - 5t^2 = 0       t(7-5t) = 0 So we have two solutions, t = 0 and t = 7/5

We should expect the first as we know the ball was at that height when we threw it and started timing. The second is the one that answers the question.


Bob

#159 Re: Help Me ! » Dividing powers of 10 » 2024-10-28 23:58:31

Bob

We are into the realms of logarithms:

So log is the inverse function of 'to the power'

a is called the base and can be anything. Most common are logs in base 10 and logs in the natural log base, e.  Best to have some calculus to appreciate the latter.

On a (scientific) calculator the natural log base button is marked ln, and the base ten button log.

So back to the question

Can I express 2 in terms of 10^y?

Bob

#160 Re: Science HQ » Reference Frames » 2024-10-27 23:37:31

Bob

The way I was taught to do this is to bring the 'WRT-object' to  rest by applying an equal and opposite speed to it, and apply the same speed to everything else.  As you are stationary that means the WRTs in the parts 3 and 4 are just the given information with no change needed.

For part 1 bring the train to rest by applying a speed of 30 m/s in the opposite direction.  Let's say, to avoid confusion, that the train is heading North, and so is the boarder.  So make the whole world go South at 30 m/s so that the train is brought to rest. The boarder is also given a speed South of 30 m/s so its speed North is now (5 - 30) m/s  ie. 25 m/s South.  If a person is on the train they think they're stationary and the whole world is travelling South at 30 m/s. Except the boarder of course who seems to be travelling South at 25 m/s.

You can try this yourself for part 2. You should get the exact opposite answer to part 1

A skateboarder on the train is travelling at 5m/s in the direction of the train’s travel.

So add the boarder's speed to the train's to get 30 + 5 m/s

Bob

#161 Re: Help Me ! » Linear transformations » 2024-10-26 21:05:02

Bob

hi Phro,

That's excellent. I didn't know all that was possible in geo.  It seems to have got a lot better since I last used it (probably 15 years ago!)

Bob

#162 Re: Help Me ! » Linear transformations » 2024-10-25 23:49:41

Bob

OK, got it.

Are you familiar with matrix multiplication?  If not then there are two useful pages here:

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matr … lying.html

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matr … lator.html

In 2D transformation geometry 2 by 1 vectors (coordinates switched row and column) can be transformed by multiplying by a 2 by 2 matrix.

As any such matrix transforms (0,0) to (0,0) this only works when the transform leaves the origin invariant.  The one for the question does as y=x goes through the origin.

I'll call the matrix



y=x is invariant so (x,x) maps onto (x,x)

This gives us two equations

a + b = 1 so b = 1-a         and c + d = 1 so d = 1-c

So the matrix becomes

Now to fix which stretch by considering a single point under the transformation.

I'll start on the line at (2,2) and go one right and one down to (3,1) and again to (4,0)

That's a good point to consider as there's a zero in the calculation.

It's image is at one right and one down and the same again ie at (6,-2)

So (4,0) maps onto (6,-2)

This leads to a = 1.5 and c = -0.5

So the matrix for this transformation is

So what does this do to our points?

QED

Bob

#163 Re: Science HQ » Gravitational Field Strength » 2024-10-25 23:31:35

Bob

If I was doing a calculation involving the forces acting on the man then I would show this downwards. I've never seen a question where I'm expected to consider the forces acting on the Earth but if I did then the man's attraction on the Earth would be upwards.

Bob

#164 Re: Help Me ! » Linear transformations » 2024-10-25 20:45:19

Bob

hi rk_nithi

Welcome to you as a new member!

Easy bit first. This is a vector graphics program called Geometer's Sketchpad.  There is also a free program called Geogebra which works similarly.  Geo is more versatile but takes longer to learn.  Sketchpad costs money but I got it years ago (before Geo) and it still serves me well. I like the control it gives over thickness of lines and colours.

Transformations that leave the origin invariant can be represented by a matrix transformation.  So, in theory there must be one for this one but I'll have to do a bit of work to find it.  I'll come back to this later.

Bob

#165 Re: Help Me ! » Linear transformations » 2024-10-25 19:58:50

Bob

hi Karuna,

Welcome to the forum.

In a stretch the movement is perpendicular to the invarient line. For a scale factor of 2, points move away to twice the distance.

QqaD6h5.gif

Hope that helps. smile

Bob

#166 Re: Science HQ » Friction and Drag » 2024-10-24 23:03:30

Bob

I've definitely been blown along by a wind on my back.  So you're correct.

The website should have said  "Every time the surface of a solid collides with an air molecule, there is force acting on the solid.  If the solid is trying to push through the air, this force will slow it down."

Bob

Not everything on the internet is true.

Physicists sometimes get things wrong; eg. saying there's a thing called centrifugal force.

#167 Re: Introductions » New Grade 12 Math Student Here » 2024-10-20 21:24:23

Bob

The site was set up by Rod Pearce in 2005. He uses the name MathsIsfun on the forum.  You can try emailing him at
maths@mathsisfun.com

With the original server, uploads of avatars was possible. When the switch came that facility was lost (sob sob) but existing avatars still function.

No one has found a way round it yet.

Bob

#168 Re: Introductions » New Grade 12 Math Student Here » 2024-10-20 00:52:48

Bob

I found that the version of PHP you are using is quite old.

Yes it is!!!  The forum is limping a bit.  You could try sending MIF a message. smile

Bob

#169 Re: Help Me ! » Coordinate Geometry question » 2024-10-20 00:42:00

Bob

Find the equation of locus of point which moves on the line joining the points (2,4) and (5,9).

That will be the equation of the line.

Step 1. Find the gradient.

The general equation of a straight line is y = mx + c where m is the gradient, so I'll substitute in (2,4) and m = 5/3 to find c.

So we have

You can also express the locus like this: {points of the form (3t-1, 5t-1) for all t}

Bob

#170 Re: Introductions » New Grade 12 Math Student Here » 2024-10-20 00:26:07

Bob

Although I'm an administrator I cannot use code like that either.  Only MIF himself would be able to fiddle with the fundamental code underlying the forum.

Some BBCode commands are available, chiefly to enhance text. eg square brackets u for underlining, b for bold, huge for large text, color for colours.  Not all of the commands in BBCode work here I'm afraid. The forum moved to a new server several years ago and some commands which had worked now don't.

You can put in a link with url as I did in my previous post.  I think the format allows a 'title' for the link but I deliberately don't use it as I want members to be able to see where they're going when they click it.

http://www.mathisfunforum.com/viewtopic.php?id=30179

For smart maths formating you can use LaTex http://www.mathisfunforum.com/viewtopic.php?id=4397

This thread was made years ago, long before I joined.  You'll see the effect of the server change when you notice some code that clearly worked at the time, now doesn't.

Bob

#172 Re: Maths Is Fun - Suggestions and Comments » Divide Site By Courses » 2024-10-17 02:08:27

Bob

There are currently 17 separate sections, most of which get used at some time and covering all the types of post that people make.  When a member makes a post it appears straight away on the forum. The moderators have to check regularly to make sure no post is abusive, illegal or otherwise unsuitable for publication. That's a big job and we do this voluntarily. It's called post-moderation meaning the check is done after the post appears.

There's an alternative: pre-moderation. With that, posts don't appear straight away. They are put in a holding area until they are 'passed' as suitable for publication.  Such a system is safer but means members don't get quick responses and cannot have a to and fro chat.

If you add lots of extra subsections it makes the job of post-moderation much, much more laborious. I doubt I've be able to keep up.

The key to making a good post is to decide which section it should appear in and then give it a good title so readers know what it's about.  That has worked well for 19 or so years.  I don't want it to change.

Bob

#173 Re: Introductions » A solo scientist new to the forum » 2024-10-16 19:05:53

Bob

hi ktesla39

Welcome to the forum.

Uni is short for University.

According to google that quote is by the  philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.

In The Imitation Game, Alan Turing says:

“Sometimes, it is the people who no one imagines anything of...who do the things that no one can imagine.”

I think the real Turing didn't say this but it's a great line anyway.

Bob

#174 Re: Science HQ » Momentum » 2024-10-15 19:16:44

Bob

do we assume that the 3m/s is his instantaneous velocity?

Yes, that's all you can do.  Momentum must be a vector measure as it has velocity as a component. If the man is accelerating then his momentum is going up.

Bob

#175 Re: Puzzles and Games » Number sequence help » 2024-10-10 20:58:15

Bob

(1,4) (2,6) (3,2) (4,8) (5,3) (6,9)

bobbym once pointed out that you can always fit a function to any set of six points.

To be a 'solution' there has to be sufficient evidence from the given numbers to find a unique rule that will allow you to determine the next number(s).

I'm impressed with your answer phro. I'd never have got that.  But what is the rule that generates 1.5 as the next. I still cannot see it.

Bob

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