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mathgeek15

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Blog Entries posted by mathgeek15

  1. mathgeek15
    Hey fellow physics peoples, obviously if you looked at the time I posted this I cant sleep. After sleeping for 12 hours saturday and with the robitussium "nighttime" nasal relief worn off, I am wide awake while the rest of the world (at least in this hemisphere) is asleep. Trying to find a way to amuse myself at 5:00 in the morning, I thought this would be the perfect time to do a physics blog post. YAY!!!!!
    So thanks to my cold my brain hasnt been fuctioning all that well, making it really hard for me to 1) get motivated to actually do homework and 2) to understand it. So I needed some help on the calculus homework. So I went over to a friends house for some help at 7:00 last night and I had taken some more robitussium, making me very sleepy. Thankfully, I have a very nice friend that was willing to make me coffee. So we're doing calculus and I just finished the mug of coffee she gave me, and being doped up on drugs and drowsiness I'm staring into the cup trying to figure out if its a shallow flat bottom or a deep cone shaped bottom. Well my friend is like, "what are you doing?" as I poke the bottom. Realizing that the bottom was just a reflection of the rim of the cup and that my face was in the small circle at the bottom of the cup, I go, "OMG the bottom of the cup is a convex mirror!!! Well, after that we had to see if i was right or not, but i cant seem to remember now if it was a convex or concave mirror, so if someone could tell me that would be cool. Definitely a mirror, smaller image, and right side up. Have fun!!
  2. mathgeek15

    Truss Challenge

    By mathgeek15,

    So as some of you know I am working on a independent study in statics. Well recently I was creating a problem packet for the Principles of Engineering class and one of the problems was NOT FRIENDLY. At first it's all like, oh yeah, this is simple, but as you go deeper into the mathematics of it, it gets messier and eviler (that is now a word). I did eventually get the answer thanks to my knowledge of physics, vectors and sign notation, which really was where the problem was. So now I change all the physics people out on APlusPhysics to solve the problem, and if you get it right, you get a:victorious: and maybe I'll make cupcakes..... Ready, Set, GO!!!
    [ATTACH=CONFIG]505[/ATTACH]
    Solve for all the forces on this truss
  3. mathgeek15

    Truss Design Research

    By mathgeek15,

    Hello Fellow Nerds! If anyone reads these blogs (why one would, I don't know), then they would know that I am doing an independent study on STATICS!!! Ooooh, excitement! Actually, I do find it quite interesting, and since I just finished the first part of the independent study, I am moving on to the research part, which I am SUPER excited for. I will be researching different designs commonly used for trusses/ bridges, learning why engineers use that specific shape in different scenarios. Those with a little bridge knowledge probably know about the three basic bridge types: suspension, beam, and arch. But there is so much more than that!!! One of my favorites is the bell truss, which is really cool looking. Since I am still in the beginning phase of my research, I don't know much more than that. I can't wait to learn how the different truss shapes influence the dispersion of the force!
    Here's a picture of the Bell truss[ATTACH=CONFIG]511[/ATTACH]
  4. mathgeek15
    Halloween has just passed, and as a horror film fanatic, I watched the classic Halloween (the original, of course, with Jamie Lee Curtis). At the end of the movie (WARNING: spoiler alert!), Mike Myers falls out the window after being shot multiple times in the chest. Every time I watch that part, I ask how in the world he could have survived? Well, I am going to use to use ol' faithful energy conservation to prove whether or not Mike Myers could have actually survived.
    Mike Myers fell out of a second story window, which the height would be about 12 ft, which is about 3.6576 m. Using conservation of energy, i can find the final velocity of Mike Myers.
    P= K
    mgh= .5mv2
    2gh=v2
    v2= 2(9.8)(3.6576)
    v2= 71.689
    v= 8.47 m/s
    The average human body can survive a fall with a velocity of 143 m/s. Obviously, Mike Myers had no problem surviving that fall, especially sicne he was just falling on nice soft grass. And, according to my horror film buddy, Mike Myers has no concept of pain, so the pain from the bullets never registered to him. Assuming that the doctor has had no prior experience with guns, he could have missed any vital organs, allowing Mike Myers to escape.
    Thanks to physics, the mystery is solved on how Mike Myers survived. Turns out he's not superhuman, just lucky that the doctor can't aim. For those who haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It's enjoyable and not scary. Go Energy!
  5. mathgeek15
    First off, before I even begin, I just got to say that it was really stupid of me to wait to do all my blog posts in the last few days. While I have come up with some really good ones, it's just so much at once. Back onto the topic, I am sitting in my living room watching television and my feet are FREEZING. My mom and my sister both have fuzzy socks, slippers, robes, and blankets to keep them warm, and I've got popsicle feet. However, other than my feet, I feel quite comfortable. So now I am going to explain the physics behind cold feet, and not the commitment issues kind.
    Thermodynamics is the heart of this situation, where the answer to our cold feet stands (haha feet joke). First of all, the rate of heat transfer and therefore the amount of heat transferred is described in the equation H= (kAT)/L where L is the thickness of the material barrier, in this case clothing, muscle, and skin; k is the thermal conductivity of the material, A is the area of the barrier, so basically the body; and finally T is the temperature difference between the different environments, so the temperature of the human body minus the temperature of of the outer air. Since my mother likes to keep the heating bill down, the temperature is quite cold, casing the heat transfer rate to be high going from my body to the air.
    In comes biology. Because the heat of your body is being transferred to the cold air, your body circulates more blood around the core of your body to keep the vital organs warm. Unfortunately, that means cold piggies.
    So now you know why the first thing you run for is a nice fuzzy pair of socks on a cold night. Stay warm!
  6. mathgeek15

    The Physics of Batman

    By mathgeek15,

    "I'm Batman." ~Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory

    I, like Sheldon, am a comic book geek. One of my favorite characters in comics is the Batman and the Bat family. So I decided to explain the physics behind Batman in a blog series!!!! Exciting, I know.
    So for my very first Batpost (hehehe), I am going to explain why Batman is so awesome. After years of discipline and training, Batman can take in information (and secrets) simultaneously, allowing him to see the bigger picture, which is also why he doesnt get along with the other superheroes well. With this abiity, Batman could have made an excellent engineer. Engineers need this exact ability to make sure that their creation will be not only useful to the world, but safe.
    But Batman has sooo many more abilities, including a vast knowledge on languages, escapology, piloting, and a master of disguise and tactician.

    Enough about Batman's brain, Batman also uses forensics in his batcave, a lab so detailled the FBI's crime lab looks like a toy set for kids. With the combinations of his knowledge on chemisty and other sciency stuff, it makes it easy for Batman to get the informaiton he needs to catch the villians.

    Well, I think that's good for now, just to give a little taste of why batman is the best!!!! Dont worry, the other posts will be more exciting.
  7. mathgeek15
    Welcome back Bat-lovers!
    So for this blog the theme is the batcave. Home of Batman. Do I really need to say more?
    What makes the Batcave one of the coolest hideouts in comic book history is because of the equipment and the details. The centerpiece (though it is not actually in the center) is the Batcomputer, a data storehouse and advanced analyzer incorporating multiple hardwired supercomputers. And, time to break the myth, but the Batcomputer is connected to the CIA's networks, allowing Batman to access their information.
    There is so much in the Batcave,I cant help but wonder, WHO DESIGNED IT? Seriously, as a prospective civil engineer, it would have taken a very skilled civil engineer to insecure the stability, security, and safety of the batcave. For the people would havent ever seen the batcae (you should), it's basically a carved out section of a cave with walkways wrapped around the sides of the walls of the cave with pillars to hold the infrastructure up. That would have been a lot of work. Good thing Batman is Bruce Wayne, aka Mr. Billionaire. But still, the detail and complexity of the Batcave is incredible. It's not just one giant room, that's just wear the Batmobile is and the supercomputer. Batman also has room linking off, including a Trophy room, a room specified for suits, and of course a road out of the cave. Which brings up another interesting thought, how did batman wire the cave? Cave is rock, solid rock, so how did Batman put in all the electrics for the Bat fortess?
    It's probably getting boring reading about, well, rock, so hears just some fun stuff Batman keeps in the cave involving Physics:
    fume/pariculate analyzer
    gunpowder and explosive residue analyzer
    latent print development chamber
    global GPS tracking system
    electronic surveillance and line tap detectors
    Facial composite software
    and SO much more!!!!
  8. mathgeek15
    1,200 horsepower jet turbine. Darn. I wish I spoke car. Is that a lot?

    So let's start with the basics on the Batmobile. The Batmobile can go up to 266 mph, which even I know is fast. To put it into perspective, its faster than the typical jet airplane. To top it off, it can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds. Not bad for a car that probably weighs the equivilancy of a tank. The batmobile can also withstand up to 593.3 C and as low as -145.5 C. Where would it be that hot, the center of a volcano?

    Now for the cool stuff. Want to know why the car is so fast? It has a jet turbine. that explains ALOT. The engine uses an impact resistant hydraulics and has a valve exhaust system. The fact that the engine is impact resistant is pretty aweome . since it will protect the engine from damage when under attack. However, the danger of having an impact resistant engine is that is will keep the decceleration time up, with is why cars usually have a "crumple zone" in the front and back, to increase the decceleration time to reduce the impact on the people- ie whiplash, being thrown around, and flying out the window.

    Let's take about the body. The Batmobile has transformed over the years, starting with a little buggy-bat in the 1940s to now with the slick design. The batmobile's design has changed over the years to give it a sleeker look to reduce air resistence on the car, though the car has practically doubled in size, so I can't help but wonder what the friction is like for that car. Wow. Brain Blast. If the car can go 266 mph on the road, how fast could is go on a frictionless plane? Dang. I'm gonna have to come back to that.
  9. mathgeek15
    Ok, to be completely honest I came up with this idea thanks to Mr. Fullerton and Goalkeeper0.
    Anyways, whenever someone talks about Faraday's Cage, I think about that scene in Sorcerer's Apprentice. Not only is it a funny movie, but it's got physics in it. Not to mention Nicholas Cage (hahaha Nicholas Cage, Faraday's Cage, no pun intended). What's not to love? So here's a clip from the movie, which is a great and really cool example of Faraday's Cage. Enjoy the Show!


  10. mathgeek15
    I have been waiting to do this blog post for a long time, and I am excited to do this. I dont know about anyone else, but I like to keep track of my highest viewing blog posts and try to get the most as possible. After (semi) extensive research, I am ready to share my findings with you!!!!
    So, to start off, blog post views increases the same way as the learning curve, slow at first, then increases a a faster rate until the acclereation begins to slow down until it plateaus. However, the difference between the learning curve and the "blog curve" is thatthe blog curve never really plateaus because there are always new people entering the internet and this website, searching for an amusing blog post or specific information.
    [ATTACH=CONFIG]631[/ATTACH]
    So, last quarter when I did my blog posts I recorded the number of views I had after two weeks. I have now created different groups to dicuss the success of each blog post. Keep in mind that the numbers I use are from my blog posts only, so that can be different for other people. Here are my "catagories" based off the numbers:
    High viewers ( a hit): 100+
    Middle Range (a good blog): approx. 65-99
    Low viewers (Better luck next time): >65

    I figured this blog post is boring enough, so check my posts later for advice on creating blog posts. Have fun!
  11. mathgeek15
    As many people know I plan to go to college for civil engineering. Whenever I tell people this, they always ask me what exactly civil engineering is. So, to kill two birds with one stone, I'm going to explain via blog post!

    So basically, to put it in simplest terms, civil engineering is the physics of structures.... sort of. Civil engineering, like engineering in general, has many many many different sections within it. For example, there's structural, geotechnical, materials, construction, transportation, water resources, sewerage, and so much more. Even environmental engineering is considered a subset of civil engineering, although personally I think they should just give environmental its own group, but that will probably happen in the near future with the increase in demand for alternative energy. I am interested in structural engineering, which includes anything from homes to bridges.

    As a structural engineer, I would be in charge of a variety of things. The dictionary definition is an engineer who "analyzes, designs, plans, and researches the structural components and systems." So during a project, I would need to work with other engineering professions and architects constantly to create a design and during the construction of the project.
    Civil engineers use trigonometry a lot because almost all structures involve trusses, but as for physics there are several "units" that can be used. For example:
    Dynamics: Newton's laws, free body diagrams. The purpose of free body diagrams is actually to find the force on each beam of a truss (not to make our lives miserable)
    Linear Momentum: Center of mass, this is used a lot for I beams and of beam types.
    Finally Rotational Momentum: Torque. Torque has everything to do with trusses because you what static equilibrium in all structures. How safe would you feel if the building shook every time there was a gust of wind? I would be very scared.

    One of the final things a civil engineer could be responsible for is overseeing the construction, especially paying attention to the details when the project is being finalized. When I went on a shadowing day, I visited a site with a civil engineer, who kept talking to his partner about certain details that the construction workers screwed up, which irritated him a lot. Not only did I find that humorous, that moment I knew that civil engineering would be perfect for me.
  12. mathgeek15
    Oh my gosh I am crying on the inside. I was creating a really awesome blog post that everyone would love and I went to backspace a letter and it returned to the home blog page. I lost everything. So I am going to explain why when you are tired you do stupid things such as not save.

    According to scientists, during sleep your brain sorts through and stores information, replaces chemicals, and solves problem from the day. When you are tired, it's your body's way of saying, "AAAHHHH me tired." Just like when exercising any other muscle, after a certain amount of time that muscle becomes sore and cramped (headache), in desperate need of a break. However, instead of tightening up and not being able to move that muscle, the brain begins to make poor decisions, make mistakes, and neglect certain details. In addition, many people become more emotional due to lack of sleep, they also become hyper-alert in a negative way: aware of the problems youre facing, but not able to focus on any one topic. An interesting "fact" (i googled it so i could be wrong), but when tired your brain acts in a similar way to when you're tired, slower reaction rate, temperamental, and poor judgement. Another really cool "fact" is that your body/brain sends signals to go to sleep, which requires more energy to fight the urge, which makes you more tired.

    Long story short, give up and go to bed. Which is what I will do now... maybe. I apologize if i repeated myself or if the facts are false.
  13. mathgeek15
    Ok, so I totally got this blog idea from denverbroncos, though after thinking about it the two reseaches are not the same like I thought (my bad). Anyways I decided to do this anyways because its uber-physicsy and funny. Basically, Penny wants to learn what Leonard does for a living, and Sheldon's teaching her. This is gonna be interesting...

  14. mathgeek15
    Its after midnight and I'm tired. So here are some cartoons about Schrodinger's Cat, which I have been thinking about a lot lately for some reason...

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]651[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]653[/ATTACH]

    Cartoon #1: "We may, or may not, have cloned Schrodinger's cat"
    Cartoon @2: "Being simultaneously dead and alive in the box gave me an incredible perspective over the "life, the universe, and everything". And I am here to tell it to the world!"
  15. mathgeek15
    So Friday night was Senior ball!!!! I hope everyone had lots of fun. I sure did, and like many of the girls, came in high heels. However, I tried my best to stay in them for as long as possible, dancing in a knee-length dress in 3-inch heels. It's a lot harder than it sounds. When you wear high heels, the center of body mass vertically shifts upward. Because of this shift, your posture becomes unstable, and increasingly so as the height of the heel increases and with increased amounts of movement. Therefore, with the significant displacement of the center of mass and dancing, which involves lots of movement, its only a disaster waiting to happen. Thankfully, I ditched the heels before that happened, although a certain friend who was pretty in pink did have to face the physics. And the floor.
  16. mathgeek15
    As my second to last blog post ever (for a grade, you can't get rid of me that easy!!!), I thought I should simply talk about how physics is in everything we do. so Here are some summer activity examples most people would not think of:
    Playing on the playground (teeter totter, slides, swings, etc)
    Computers/ video games
    Cell Phones
    Flying a kite
    Water gun wars
    Swimming
    Driving
    Packaging for college (Force required to pull/carry it, increasing mass)
    Baking/ throwing cupcakes
    Sports (Baseball, football, soccer... btw you have to be playing not watching sports)
    Shopping (carrying shopping bags, the production of the clothes)
    Sleeping (See The Physics of Sleeping)

    And there is so much more! So as we all enjoy our last summer before we all go to college, think about how physics is used in everything that we do.
  17. mathgeek15
    So my dog just growled and I thought I should do a blog post on her since I cannot think of any ideas. I was just playing fetch with Pearl in my house, which has hard wood floor (the real kind). Pearl ran on the area carpet onto the hardwood, but when she tried to stop, she ended up skidding past the ball into the fireplace (its just a hole in the wall made of brick so she was unharmed).

    So here's the play-by-play:
    When Pearl was running on the carpet, she was able to get enough contraction to accelerate forward.
    Once Pearl hit the hardwood floor, she couldn't accelerate or decelerate as easy as when she was on the carpet without the friction on her paws.
    When she reached the ball, she attempted to stop abruptly, however, the with the low friction on the hardwood floor, she slid past the ball into the fireplace.

    While my dog is very smart, she is not smart enough to learn physics. But if she could, Pearl would probably not slide into the fireplace every time we play ball. At least I can get amusement from she sliding all over the place.

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