Chapter 34: Q28CQ (page 1237)
Discuss whether you think there are limits to what humans can understand about the laws of physics. Support your arguments.
Short Answer
In terms of what humans can grasp, the laws of physics have no bounds.
Chapter 34: Q28CQ (page 1237)
Discuss whether you think there are limits to what humans can understand about the laws of physics. Support your arguments.
In terms of what humans can grasp, the laws of physics have no bounds.
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Get started for freeQuantum gravity, if developed, would be an improvement on both general relativity and quantum mechanics, but more mathematically difficult. Under what circumstances would it be necessary to use quantum gravity? Similarly, under what circumstances could general relativity be used? When could special relativity, quantum mechanics, or classical physics be used?
For experimental evidence, particularly of previously unobserved phenomena, to be taken seriously it must be reproducible or of sufficiently high quality that a single observation is meaningful. Supernovais not reproducible. How do we know observations of it were valid? The fifth force is not broadly accepted. Is this due to lack of reproducibility or poor-quality experiments (or both)? Discuss why forefront experiments are more subject to observational problems than those involving established phenomena.
Distances to the nearest stars (up to\({\rm{500 ly}}\)away) can be measured by a technique called parallax, as shown in Figure\({\rm{34}}{\rm{.26}}\). What are the angles\({{\rm{\theta }}_{\rm{1}}}\)and\({{\rm{\theta }}_{\rm{2}}}\)relative to the plane of the Earthโs orbit for a star\({\rm{4}}{\rm{.0 ly}}\)directly above the Sun?
(a) Use the Heisenberg uncertainty principle to calculate the uncertainty in energy for a corresponding time interval of\({\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{ - 43}}}}{\rm{ s}}\). (b) Compare this energy with the\({\rm{1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{19}}}}{\rm{ GeV}}\)unification-of-forces energy and discuss why they are similar.
What is critical temperature\({{\rm{T}}_{\rm{C}}}\)? Do all materials have a critical temperature? Explain why or why not.
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