aiusepsi.co.uk - Latest Comments in Musings on Science, and other things

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

aiusepsi — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:25:53 -0000

Hope your exams go well!

Thermodynamics has been and gone, along with Electromagnetism and Maths, next up is Quantum Mechanics. Should be fine, hopefully.

I'm also quite looking forward to Viva la Vida, I really liked Violet Hill, so hopefully the whole thing should be good.

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Heather — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:58:05 -0000

At least all that extra time will ensure its Whedon-patented-uber-awesome. That kind is blatently the best.

I point and laugh at your worried-ness. I only have 2 SFPU tomorrow and History and Physics next Wednesday; 4-day weekend! No major flops yet I think, it's all good. Looking forward to..what was it...Thermodynamics? (I fail at the remembering of your degree modules.) The one you are a-fearing of, anyway.

Also very excited about Viva la Vida, coming out on the 11th. It's previewed quite well!

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

aiusepsi — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:42:17 -0000

It does look several kinds of awesome. Especially the proper one, where they don't steal footage from old Buffy episodes.

Alas, it apparently won't actually be broadcast until January!

How are your exams going, anyhow? I've got one on Wednesday... it's worrying, it is.

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Heather — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:45:36 -0000

Have you watched the new Dollhouse trailer? It does wonders for the pre-examination soul, I've found...

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Lucy — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:06:20 -0000

Physicists. And Americans. And the real world.

Pfff!

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

aiusepsi — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:29:08 -0000

It's a Simpsons quote :P

Anyways, the thing about physics is you get a lot of approximation in the theoretical calculations anyways. It mostly isn't important, because as long as the approximation isn't too far out, the experimentalists won't be precise enough to notice the difference anyway.

Making pi exactly 3 is only a 4.5% error, and a pretty good experiment has 10% error anyway.

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Lucy — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:45:17 -0000

"Pi is exactly 3"?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! !!!!

I am disappointed to say the least!

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Josh — Sat, 31 May 2008 21:40:53 -0000

I read the first part of Q5, could not remember what degeneracy was so moved on.

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

aiusepsi — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:57:25 -0000

Oh, I did the other stats question, so I have no idea. I thought it looked nasty!

The sum over states is N = Sum(all r) (nBE), then when that goes to an integral, it's N = n0 + Integral nBE dr, then you have to make it into an energy integral, epsilon = hwr, so epsilon/hw = r, therefore dr = depsilon/hw, which is where the hw comes from, it's from the change of variable. Maybe add an extra step explaining you have to count the ground state separately because it has 0 energy?

Bit late now though anyway.

I had no idea about how to do the last part of the other stats question, so I chucked away 3 marks. Never mind!

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Josh — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:38:08 -0000

I also had no idea how to get the 1/(hw) to appear in the stats question, so I just put an arrow and said that it tended to that when T tended to what ever it said in the question.

I don't know of any question I definitely got wrong, but I know of many that I could have gotten wrong, or at least only partially right.

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

aiusepsi — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:02:47 -0000

That's a point about the ocean question. If it was any other way, it just wouldn't work as a cycle! It's hard to wring 4 marks out of that.

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Josh — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:57:13 -0000

I fudged a lot of the calculations to get the answers, so I am not sure. I either did brilliantly or terribly. So, I expect 65-75% ish, but would not be surprised if it was higher or lower. I am not confident of even writing enough in some places, eg. the ocean question for the carnot cycle. It gave you the answer in the question, and thn gave you four marks for the hell of it.

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

aiusepsi — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:20:51 -0000

Pi is exactly 3! Sounds horrible!

I thought it was alright, I'm fairly confident of getting a first there. You?

Re: Musings on Science, and other things

Josh — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:33:32 -0000

Still about half a season behind, shall watch after Exams.

I am being crushed at the moment by the sheer volume of SSP to memorise. And being infuriated by some of the approximations. I spent 30 mins chasing down a lost Pi only to find out it was approximated to 3 and canceled out a constant.

How did you find Thermo + SP btw?