Category: Physics

How do you remember thermodynamic relations? A mnemonic used by students to remember the Maxwell relations (in thermodynamics) is “Good Physicists Have Studied Under Very Fine Teachers”, which helps them remember the order of the variables in the square, in clockwise direction. How do you remember Gibbs free energy? The equation often seen for Gibbs […]

Which of the following will be the same for all orbitals in a given subshell? Explanation: The quantum numbers that are used in the identification of an electron are n, l, m, and s. All the orbitals in a given subshell have the same value of n(principle quantum number) and l( azimuthal quantum number). What […]

Are a pair of scissors a compound machine? A pair of scissors is a compound simple machine that uses levers to force wedges (scissors blades) onto something to cut it. Many machines have many simple machines as parts of them. Is a wheel and axle a compound machine? A compound machine is a machine that […]

Is it 1 degree or 1 degrees? 1 is a singular unit, so at 1 degree you are one unit above your zero point. You can have 1 or -1 degree outside. Anything else should be plural. I would say 1 degrees is correct. What’s the coldest temperature a human can survive? 32 degrees Fahrenheit […]

What is the correct flow of energy? The flow of energy is always unidirectional. The energy passes from primary producers to primary consumers. From the primary consumers, the energy is passed to secondary consumers and then to tertiary consumers. How does the energy cycle work? The energy is used to continue life’s processes (i.e. reproduction, […]

Can eye muscles get sore? When your eyes are not properly aligned, you may experience double vision, which the brain rejects. To compensate for the misalignment and keep your eyes moving in sync, the extraocular muscles have to work overtime. Eventually, these tiny muscles become strained and fatigued, leading to a range of painful symptoms. […]

What is the value of k in electrostatics? The symbol k is a proportionality constant known as the Coulomb’s law constant. The value of this constant is dependent upon the medium that the charged objects are immersed in. In the case of air, the value is approximately 9.0 x 109 N • m2 / C2. […]

What happens if you shine red light on a blue object? So what happens if you shine only red light onto a blue object? All of that red light gets absorbed and the blue object will seem to be dark, almost black. If you now shine a blue light onto that blue object all the […]

Can you buy a baby giraffe? There are only a few individuals who own giraffes, and these raise them so that eventually they can be purchased by a zoo. Simply put, giraffes are not only wild animals, but they can grow to more than 16-20 feet tall and weigh an average of 2,628 lbs. How […]

How do we release the energy stored in fossil fuels? All the energy in oil, gas, and coal originally came from the sun, captured through photosynthesis. In the same way that we burn wood to release energy that trees capture from the sun, we burn fossil fuels to release the energy that ancient plants captured […]