Recent content by DaTario

Yes, I saw a subtle longitudinal wave rising from the lower end. It seems to behave as Wilberforce pendulum with almost zero moment of inertia.

So if we filmed the slinky from below from the moment it was released with its lower metal end painted green as in the picture below, we would see this end rotate as it descends, is that it? fig.: Slinky seen from below.

but strictly speaking ##s## is not position, but rather a dimensionless quantity that points to the given position, isn't it?

Thank you. In fact, you had already informed me before (post #110) that ##u'## was ##du/ds##.

When we consider the physics of toppling dominoes we clearly see a set of dead times which are basically those intervals between the beginning of the fall and the instant of collision with the next piece. This intervals of time give basis for us to understand the finitiness of the velocity in...

Dear Orodruin, I am a physicst and I am ashamed of the gaps I allowed to exist in my training as a physicist. But could you please explain the equation ##T(s) = \alpha u'(s) ## and how it relates to Hooke's law? I have never seen this connection between Hooke's law and velocity. I would also...

At the end of it, may be, but IMO not at the stage this problem is usually presented. In fact, I think that the vast majority of physics graduates don't do this translation well. I think they may be able to relate concepts from Newtonian physics to the concept of memory in a system, which is...

I think I understand what you mean when you say physics is not a matter of opinion. I had not done the calculus of this problem. All I had was my physics intuition and I have no problem with your having a better intuition than me in this problem. Congratulations. I am happy to have my question...

In both systems we have: 1) a subsystem whose mass and size increases in time. 2) another disjoint and complementary subsystem containing elastic tensions which are decreasing in size and naturally in tensions. 3) this last subsystem retains an equilibrium configuration which was set up at the...

I remembered yesterday one argument that can clarify the kind of explanation I am seeking. It is related to the plucked string problem (there is no gravity here). It can be solved by more than one method. One of such methods of solving consists in considering its dynamics (fig below) as a bar...

The problem is that with the slinky, the mass is the spring.

Orodruin and A.T. I understand your points and they seem ok to me. As I said, my point is weakly supported, I will no longer defend it here. Thank you very much for this debate. I would like to point out some minor divergencies I have relatvely to what you said in these last posts: A.T. said...

I did not invoke the problem of the electric field produced by a uniformly charged plane, to discuss discrete or continuous approaches. Sorry if I gave you this impression. What I want to exemplify is taking advantage of an opportunity to observe something unique that both contexts seem to...

Believe me when I say I'm not getting off topic. But how do you explain the electric field produced by a uniformly charged plane?

Hi, Orodruin. I think you show signs that you are happy with the explanations you give about this system. I was looking to see if there are people out here who aren't happy with this explanation. The thesis that the two paths of explanation are not distinct seems unlikely to me and I do not...