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0 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is a conservative force?

Currently I have three different pictures to describe/understand conservative forces. For the moment I just want to get an electron from point A to point B. In the near surrounding is another electron ...
Imago's user avatar
  • 253
1 vote
1 answer
10k views

Derivation of formula of potential energy by a conservative force [duplicate]

the formula for potential energy by a conservative force is given by: $$ F = -\nabla U(r), $$ which in one dimension may be simplified to: $$ F = -\frac{dU}{dx} .$$ My question is how is it ...
humble's user avatar
  • 460
35 votes
4 answers
4k views

The physical definition of work seems paradoxical [duplicate]

So this is possibly a misunderstanding of the meaning of work, but all the Physics texts, sites, and wiki that I've read don't clear this up for me: In the simplest case with the simplest statement, ...
Addem's user avatar
  • 1,229
10 votes
4 answers
2k views

Does the displacement in the definition of work correspond to the displacement of the object or the point of application of the force?

Work is defined as $$W = \vec{F}\cdot\vec{s}$$ But what what exactly is $\vec{s}$? Is it the displacement of the body on which the force is being applied? Or is it the displacement of the point of ...
Gerard's user avatar
  • 2,770
13 votes
4 answers
8k views

What does Feynman mean when he says that $F=ma$ is not exact?

Chapter 12-2 in Feynman Lectures Vol. 1 states: In fact the law, $F=ma$ is not exactly true; if it were a definition we should have to say that it is always true; but it is not ... First, because ...
darthcoder's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
41k views

Exactly how much lift is needed to overcome the weight of an average person?

I am designing a "glider" of sorts, and I have some basic questions about the physics involved to get me started. How much lift is required to overcome the weight of an average person, say 150 pounds? ...
lastmjs's user avatar
  • 125
4 votes
2 answers
15k views

Does a force do work on an object with constant velocity?

I know that a force does no work on an object if the object's displacement is zero, but if an object is moving at a constant velocity $\bar{v}$, and a force $\bar f$ (let's say that $\bar f$ and $\bar ...
BlueBomber's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
4k views

Why is the mechanical advantage of a wedge = length of slope/ width?

Mechanical advantage is defined as Force Output/Force Input For a symmetrical wedge with the length of the slopes being equal and the width being the distance between the end points, the articles ...
pran's user avatar
  • 207
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is there a definition of force? [duplicate]

Well, Newton's three laws talks about forces, but no definition is given. In truth, Newton's second law gives an idea of what total force is: the time change rate of momentum. But, if we have a force ...
Gold's user avatar
  • 36.4k
112 votes
6 answers
13k views

Are Newton's "laws" of motion laws or definitions of force and mass?

If you consider them as laws, then there must be independent definitions of force and mass but I don't think there's such definitions. If you consider them as definitions, then why are they still ...
user5402's user avatar
  • 3,043
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

Clarification regarding Newton's Third Law of Motion and why movement is possible [duplicate]

Newton's third law states that to every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If that's the case, then how do things move at all? Shouldn't all applied forces be canceled by the equal and ...
ThisIsNotAnId's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
9k views

How would you determine whether an object is at equilibrium? [closed]

How would you determine whether an object is at equilibrium or not? What is the definition of equilibrium?
divup's user avatar
  • 11
11 votes
4 answers
11k views

Define Pressure at A point. Why is it a Scalar?

I have a final exam tomorrow for fluid mechanics and I was just looking over the practice exam questions. They do not provide solutions. But pretty much I have to define pressure at a point and also ...
Greg Harrington's user avatar
45 votes
3 answers
8k views

History of interpretation of Newton's first law

Nowadays it seems to be popular among physics educators to present Newton's first law as a definition of inertial frames and/or a statement that such frames exist. This is clearly a modern overlay. ...
user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
1k views

What exactly is $F$ in $W = \int_{a}^{b} F dx$?

I am trying to teach myself some basic physics, here is something I do not really understand about the definition of work: When moving from $a$ to $b$ (in one dimension), the work done is defined to ...
koletenbert's user avatar

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