I think Feynman's chess analogy would get to the heart of the OP's question:
If you don't want to watch the video:
Science is like observing a chess game when we don't know the rules. We deduce the rules by watching the game being played, for example that a given bishop is always on the same...
jambaugh, thanks for your thorough response, though the math is beyond my understanding. It seems to be a generalization of the equations used to find if a structure is statically determinate or indeterminate and to determine the number of degrees of freedom given number of members and number...
I've come across this design issue several times, and don't know of any solution in industry. The basic assembly is this:
A spherical bearing is fitted to a threaded rod end with a nut to clamp the ball to the rod end. The design intent is to allow angular displacement about the two axes...
I have some MATLAB experience, but none in Python. I was thinking of going the pencil and paper route to determine if the scales should be linear or log (pretty sure linear in this case), and what their spacing/orientation should be, then draw the nomograph in AutoCAD or something. I might try...
I've been very interested in analog computers lately, and a simple application of one has come up at work where I simply need to solve for RPM given a part diameter and feed (tangential) speed. It's simple enough to do the calculation in each instance, but I think it would be useful for the...
Thanks for the reply. How am I to understand this from the point of view of a simple strength of materials problem, where I am asked to find the shear stress in a shaft with an applied torque, and to compare it to the shear allowable for that material.
For example, a torque of 150 in*lb and a...
When finding the Von Mises of given a stress tensor who's only element is a single shear component (τ):
\begin{bmatrix}
0 & τ & 0\\
τ & 0 & 0\\
0 & 0 & 0
\end{bmatrix}
the result is simply √3×τ. Is the Von Mises criterion not valid when considering a single component as in this example? I...
Hi all. It's been a few years since I've posted here, but it's remained a great go-to resource for me.
Any time I have dealt with mechanical vibrations, the fundamental frequency was based on a constant stiffness. However, I have never encountered the subject of finding the fundamental...
Many months have passed, but I have some pics of the clock as it is now. It runs, however not in the configuration in these photos.
This is the first design seen in the images above, but it wouldn't run. Too much friction.
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/4638/img0023ov.jpg
Here is...
IPS drives me nuts. If I know an object's weight in lbf (a flat, 10" radius disk for simplicity's sake), and want to find it's MOI, the formula is I = 1/2*w/g*r2. Now here's where i get confused:
Since I have the object's weight in lbf, it's mass is numerically equal, so a weight of 2.6lbf...
Forgive me for saying so, but what's the big deal? Unless this is significantly more efficient than current hydro-power devices, then why all the hooplah? And there has been an endless refinement of hydro turbines since they have been invented, trying to squeeze out a bit more efficiency. Is...
Are you asking whether there are other ways to generate power other than thermal? Thats what I gather, since nuclear power is "gathering mechanical energy at a quantum level", but it's still just a glorified boiler/steam turbine system.
Whats so bad about "chaotic heat", anyway?
While trying to find an answer, I came across this interesting problem:
This problem was asked in a 1901 issue of the NY Times. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B00E1D81330E132A25754C1A9659C946097D6CF
My mind often wanders while driving, and since I had been reading a lot about watches one particular day, as well as having read an article on springs made of carbon nano-tubes, I thought it might be possible to power small electronic devices with a mechanical self-winding watch movement...