Lately I’ve been in a state of mind that can soak up information, and comes up with really good questions – well I think they’re interesting, leading me to more and more questions (and occasionally to comprehension). One field that’s been appealing this week is physics. I’m reading a book, Reinventing Gravity, that has me thinking about the basics of physics – and marvelling at how much of our universe we humans don’t understand.
So I would be ok with exhaustive comments answering the following questions, or referrals to books or websites that could help me understand these things. I took physics in high school, no problem, and have given a great deal of skeptical thought to Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. This is because I’m fairly convinced the speed of light is not constant. So if you mention the speed of light in your answer, I’ll probably enjoy it more. I understand that I’m missing a few levels of knowledge between high school physics and the edges of theoretical physics I’m trying to reach. Give me your best shot.
You can also use the comment section to add your own questions. The compilation of questions is great food for thought and theory.
Some physics questions:
Are forces energy?
What is light?
Does it have a constant velocity?
Is its speed constant?
If the velocity of light is not constant, what force acts on it?
What is the equal and opposite reaction? (Whence is the energy subtracted?)
What is electricity?
What is electricity?
What is magnetism?
What is heat?
What is heat?
Is it motion in and of molecules,
or that which causes motion in and of molecules,
or the output of motion in and of molecules?
What is gravity?
What is gravity?
How is gravity related to attraction and acceleration (gravitational mass and inertial mass)?
What is the significance of the relationship?
Does the resistance or escape of an object from gravity take any energy away from the gravity-exerting objects?
Does gravity curve space, or is it the effect of curved space?
If gravity is the effect of curved space, what makes space curved?
Matter and energy?
Is anything else (such as time) curved by these things as well?
If spacetime can be curved, what else can be done to it?
Can spacetime be stretched?
If spacetime can be stretched, what stretches it?
Are opposing forces of gravity like Curling brooms, creating a smooth path for matter and energy?
How do permittivity and permeability relate energy, electricity, gravity, and matter?
How do permittivity and permeability relate energy, electricity, gravity, and matter?
What does density have to do with them?
What force causes nature to abhor a vacuum?
(To quote The Little Mermaid), What is fire and how does it burn?
(To quote The Little Mermaid), What is fire and how does it burn?
Must fire produce light?
Can light be produced without fire/burning?
Must fire produce heat?
Are there other ways to convert matter to energy?
Oh my goodness, does time have to come into this?
Oh my goodness, does time have to come into this?
How is time related to the measurement of time?
Must there be a direct correlation?
To God be all glory,
Lisa of Longbourn
Lisa of Longbourn 