Ask a physicist anything.

[Tinker Grey]

Why are rainbows always curved?

Why cant they be straight?

Because they're fabulous.

 

[Cabal]

Because they're fabulous.

 

[pgp_protector]

how much would space have to be curved to get Pi to = 3

 

[Jazmyn]

(roughly that much)

 

[JusSumguy]

So, e.g. when examined on small scales matter can be seen to diffract, but the rest of the time it's doing it's usual particle thang.

But light is different. It doesn't matter what scale, or model it's examined with. It still presents this behavior.

In fact, can you honestly say that light is a waveform or a particle at any point in an observation? The recent observations seem to suggest that it's not one or the other at any given time, but rather both at the same time, at all times. No matter the scale.

Light is truly a quandary.


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[Wiccan_Child]

how much would space have to be curved to get Pi to = 3

Pi is defined for a Euclidean circle. Non-Euclidean geometry is not allow!

If redshift equals distant/velocity, why is the red spectrum in a rainbow connected to the other spectrums? Shouldn’t it be farther away?

No. Redshift doesn't literally refer to those wavelengths that look red. It means light is shifted towards the redder end, rather than the bluer end. A microwave can be redshifted to a radio wave, even though neither are actually red.

Why are rainbows always curved?

Why cant they be straight?

Because the light is coming out of a central point in all directions equally, thus creating a circle.

 

[Cabal]

But light is different. It doesn't matter what scale, or model it's examined with. It still presents this behavior.

In fact, can you honestly say that light is a waveform or a particle at any point in an observation? The recent observations seem to suggest that it's not one or the other at any given time, but rather both at the same time, at all times. No matter the scale.

Light is truly a quandary.


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Good point - maybe it's fairer to say that one nature will appear to dominate over the other. One can still see quantum effects with large-scale "continuous" waves, e.g. photoelectric effect, while at small scale while interference, diffraction between photons will occur, e.g. double slit experiment, ultimately the measurements you get out will be individual light particles at a photodiode.

 

[Doveaman]

Because the light is coming out of a central point in all directions equally, thus creating a circle.

Does this mean that the rainbow is a semicircle because the sun is a circle? Which means that if the sun was a square the rainbow would be a semisquare?

 

[Doveaman]

I read somewhere that a square is a rectangle having all four sides of equal length. Is this true?

 

[Bushido216]

Yes...?

 

[pgp_protector]

I read somewhere that a square is a rectangle having all four sides of equal length. Is this true?

In Euclidean geometry, the term rectangle normally refers to a quadrilateral with four right angles. This is a simple rectangle.

A Square fits this definition.

 

[catzrfluffy]

You know there's absolute zero, is there some absolute hot temperature that nothing can be hotter than?

 

[TheReasoner]

You know there's absolute zero, is there some absolute hot temperature that nothing can be hotter than?

nope. There is no maximum temperature. Temperature is only the measurement of the [average] kinetic energy of the particles in the sample you're measuring. This can, as I understand it, continue to infinity. You can add energy until the particles themselves fly apart, but you should still be able to add energy to the remaining parts indefinitely.

I'm sure WC can explain more thorougly. I'm new to this jazz

 

[Wiccan_Child]

You know there's absolute zero, is there some absolute hot temperature that nothing can be hotter than?

Yes, though you have to go into a funky area of thermodynamics and general relativity. It's the same kind of funk that allows you to have a negative temperatures, infinite temperatures, etc.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Does this mean that the rainbow is a semicircle because the sun is a circle? Which means that if the sun was a square the rainbow would be a semisquare?

Rainbows are actually circular, it's just that the Earth actually blocks out half of it. Airplane pilots can see the true, circular rainbow. Sort of like this:

It's circular around the Sun, you'll notice. It's not that the Sun is a circle, but that the light is radiating outwards in all directions from what is basically a central point. If you had a long line of light, you'd get a long line of rainbow.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

I read somewhere that a square is a rectangle having all four sides of equal length. Is this true?

Yep.
And, a straight line is just a circle of infinite radius.

 

[JusSumguy]

You know there's absolute zero, is there some absolute hot temperature that nothing can be hotter than?

Technically, there's no such thing as cold. It's just a word we use to describe a temperature warmer than we think warm should be. Very arbitrary word. When it's 56 in So. California, it's cold. In Michigan it'll take 20 to even notice it.

Any degree of cold is actually a measurement of heat. So, absolute zero means a total lack of heat.


-

 

[PhilosophicalBluster]

Yes, though you have to go into a funky area of thermodynamics and general relativity. It's the same kind of funk that allows you to have a negative temperatures, infinite temperatures, etc.

Say what?

But absolute zero is when the molecules just stop moving completely, right? How can you have less movement than standing still?

 

[catzrfluffy]

What do you Physies want for Christmas, assuming anything and everything is possible?

 

[pgp_protector]

What do you Physies want for Christmas, assuming anything and everything is possible?

Anything & Everything ?
I'd like a TARDIS please.