Eric

I'm not a student but I love to understand nature. I have nobody who can check my work.

When I calculate the time dilation for the Sun, I get approx .9999894

When a calculate a small black hole with 3.8 solar mass at 20km radius, I get .6633

I'm referring to the (radical) 1-2GM/rc^2 formula.

Did I do this cotrectly?

I'm not a student, I'm just a 37 year old who wants to figure things out.

First of all, I understand the time dilation formula (I can manually write it out, I hope I'm typing it correctly. If its not typed correctly, bear with me): sqrt 1 - v^2/c^2

The above formula explains time dilation for me. When it comes to gravitational time dilation, a book I read explained it in an interesting way. If I understood it correctly, the gravitational time dilation is based on the velocity at that moment. So if at the surface of the earth, it would be 9.8 m/s. Does that mean that if we used the formula I typed above for gravitational time dilation, the v would be 9.8?

Next, would someone mind either directing me to a site or type out a step by step for the gravitational time dilation n the surface of the earth? Since I'm not a student, I'm a little confused with the units. Sqrt 2GM/rc^2. I'm not sure if I'm using M correctly

For the last few years Ive tried my best to understand why I cant pinpoint a particles position and momentum at the same time. Im not a student, just someone who likes to learn.

Today I came upon a Pittsburgh University site that, I believe, put it together for me.

Here goes: a sine wave is uniform and has a definite momentum. The wave represents a particle spread throughout space.

When we add multiple waves together, the result is one wave that is no longer uniform, it tends to be concentraded in one spot. That concentration represents the particles position. But since we dont have a uniform wave, we no longer know the momentum.

Do I understand this correctly? Could you add anything else?

For the last few years Ive tried my best to understand why I cant pinpoint a particles position and momentum at the same time. Im not a student, just someone who likes to learn.

Today I came upon a Pittsburgh University site that, I believe, put it together for me.

Here goes: a sine wave is uniform and has a definite momentum. The wave represents a particle spread throughout space.

When we add multiple waves together, the result is one wave that is no longer uniform, it tends to be concentraded in one spot. That concentration represents the particles position. But since we dont have a uniform wave, we no longer know the momentum.

Do I understand this correctly? Could you add anything else?

Ive read a few books over the last couple months, and came upon an understanding of some aspects of time dilation.

For my example, Ill use black holes (since I saw a couple shows on them yesterday). Ill give my understanding, you tell me if Im right, or wrong:

Mass bends and stretches space and time. I imagine a flat piece of rubber stretched in a 2 dimensional plane, with grid patters drawn on it.

If I move my hand from left to right at a constant speed, parallel to the X axis (for example), I will cross each point at constant times, one after the other.

If I add a round heavy ball to the middle of the piece of rubber, it stretches and the grid pattern also stretches. I picture each of the grid patterns squares becoming flat and stretched out.

So, would the person traveling through this bent space not notice any difference, because to him, each grid pattern square is the same. Would he be stretched with the same geometry as the square (but not notice it)? Would he still think hes traveling at the same speed, from point to point as if there was no mass?

Would the observer from above see him stretched out to fit the geometry the mass created? So he would look thin and long? IS this why he seems to be traveling so much slower than before?

I'm not student, but reading a Trig book which has some wrong answers. Here is one below, I will give you the question, then the answer. Tell me if it is right or wrong, then please tell me why its right or wrong:

Q. If csc z = 17/8 and cos z = -15/17, find cot z?

A. If csc z = 17/8 and cos z = -15/17, then sin z = 8/17 and tan z = - 8/15. Therefore cot z = -15/8

My book doesnt explain certain thing well enough, so I usually try to find patterns, or search through the internet to find my answers. The odd even trig functions shouldnt be hard, but I cant reconcile these.

Shouldnt the positive fraction, csc z, mean cot z would be positive also since both are odd functions (tan z also) and the even function, cos z, is negative? If not, explain why or please tell me where to go.

I was told the gravitational effect from a piece of dust would be felt across the Universe (obviously as long as its had the time to travel that far).

That got me thinking, physics doesn't generally like infinities. Would the gravitational effect eventually divide down to the Planck length, thus going no further?

Ex. If I wanted to build a bridge across the universe with bridge segments starting at 1 meter, then the next being half of the meter, then half of that half, and so on... eventually I would get to the Planck length and my bridge would not be able to continue.

As we learn more and more about String Theory or Loop Quantum Gravity, could my idea be correct?

Is it possible to transfer books from my Google book reader to another reader on my Galaxy 8.9 tablet through ATT?

Im reading math books, the Google reader isnt formating the text correctly. I can ignore most of the problems, but the reader isnt correctly formatting math equations with exponents. Ex Three squared shouldnt look like this -----> 32 It should have the small 2. When I read the same book on my HTC sensation, there are no problems

Any suggestions? Calling or messaging ATT is worse than a colonoscopy, so hopefully I can get an answer here.

Im reading a few books about Strings. From what I understand, a quark, for example, is a vibrating string or brane. This confuses me. Allegedly, the size of the string is 10 -35m, but the quark is 10 -18. How is the string so much smaller than the quark if the quark is a string? Obviously Im missing something, but all the searching on the internet leads me nowhere.

Im not a student, so I dont have anybody to answer my questions.

Im reading a Leonard Susskind book. I always get slightly confused on Wave Functions. Let me know if Im comparing the Slit Experiment and the Cat Thought Experiment correctly, and do I correctly understand Wave function:

Since we dont observe Schrodingers cat for the first 10 minutes of the experiment, we dont know if its dead or alive. Since there are 2 possibilities, is that an example of the Wave Function? If so, its like a wave in the real world that moves back and forth or up and down (like an ocean wave)? Once we see the cat is alive (or dead) the wave is no longer in effect, because we observe the outcome and there are no either possibilities?

If Im correct so far, does that compare to the Double Slit Experiment directly? The photons act as a wave (possibly being in more than one place at the same time) until we use a device to correctly measure their location?

Im not a student, but you guys normally help me out when I read these books, so be nice if my question doesnt make sense.

Im not a student, I am reading a Leonard Susskind book.

Im trying to picture a 3 shere. Would I picture a 4 dimensional space? So, if it was Earth, a line could either travel east, west, south or north, then be back at the beginning 12000 miles later? Then from that point on earth ( if earth was 4 dimensional space) it could travel up or down, and in which ever direction it travels, it will be back at the beginning 12000 miles later?

3 weeks ago i knew nothing about physics, dimensions or anything other than basic adding and subtracting math, so bear with me

PS, I asked this yesterday with no replies (It was Sunday)

Im not a student, just reading a book.

If the universe is expanding, space and time are expanding from a single point. If im an observer from the outside watching this happen, does matter expand with space? In other words, if I was an observer watching from the outside, would a single particle expand with space?

Sorry if my question sounds dumb. I asked a question here yesterday, I got some good answers, but I really am not a student, just reading String Theory for Dummies.

Im not a student, just somebody who likes to learn.

Im reading a beginners book on physics, and Im trying to visualize the light waves and also the double slit experiment. Ive read every source I could find on the internet, but kind of unsure if Im visualizing the right thing.

Would I visualize photons moving through the electromagnetic waves? Do the photons move from point A to B?

Help me visualize this. Sorry if the question Im asking sounds stupid or completely wrong.

I noticed T-Mobile is offering the Galaxy Tab 7.0 for $99. I would like to know how this compares to the 10.1. Obviously I realize the screen is much larger, but a savings of $350 is pretty big.

I currently have an HTC Sensation phone. With the Sensation, I trade stocks, search news articles and email. Id probably use the Tablet for the same things and maybe more. I couldnt see myself playing games or watching movies.

What are your opinions? $99 seems like a deal...

I know absolutely nothing about physics, but I have always wondered, is the Higgs boson the most basic particle that all particles are made of and it can not be broken down into anything else?

I realize this question may be 1000 times more difficult than how I worded, but a basic yes or no and maybe a link or 2 would be appreciated.

Could somebody explain, or point me in the right direction, why its bad for the economy to have the rich earn a larger portion of income every year.

I want politics out of this conversation. I hear from both sides, but I want facts.

I know the answer cant be as simple as "When the rich earn more, it takes away from everybody elses share".

Im usually good at researching, but this one has me stumped.

I have zero knowledge of Astronomy or Physics, but I have always wondered; If we were a few light years away (or any distance) from a pulsing light, would we see the light spread out if it was traveling in gas or dust (or something so we could observe it)? Or, would it illuminate the gas or dust at the same time?

Hopefully somebody understands what Im asking.