Large Hardon Collider

[Eliseos]

[edit]
And going through your alphabet (and greek one!) is really nice memory games...I think anyone in physics should do it occasionally. Or they should if they have memories issue like me

Bored as shit at work so here goes, the alphabet for E&M (solely off memory).

A: vector potentia
B: magnetic field
C: speed of light
D:displacement field
E: electric field
F: force
G: proposed letter for separation of magnetic field (Griffiths I think said this would be used for mag fields caused by some displacement current? Not exactly sure)
H: auxiliary field
I: current
J: volume current density
K: surface current density
L: angular momentum
M: Magnetization of an object
N: torque
O: Not anything that I can think of
P: momentum, also polarization of an object
Q: charge
R: radius in poor coords
S: radius in cylindrical coords, also the Poynting vector
T: time
U: energy density
V: velocity
W: work done
X: coordinate
Y: coordinate
Z: coordinate

There you go, all letters except for o used. I think its only not used because it would look like 0.

[Kaylia]

Bored as shit at work so here goes, the alphabet for E&M (solely off memory).

A: vector potentia
B: magnetic field
C: speed of light
D:displacement field
E: electric field
F: force
G: proposed letter for separation of magnetic field (Griffiths I think said this would be used for mag fields caused by some displacement current? Not exactly sure)
H: auxiliary field
I: current
J: volume current density
K: surface current density
L: angular momentum
M: Magnetization of an object
N: torque
O: Not anything that I can think of
P: momentum, also polarization of an object
Q: charge
R: radius in poor coords
S: radius in cylindrical coords, also the Poynting vector
T: time
U: energy density
V: velocity
W: work done
X: coordinate
Y: coordinate
Z: coordinate

There you go, all letters except for o used. I think its only not used because it would look like 0.

You're missing the greek alphabet!

[Eliseos]

My phone keyboard can't do Greek letters

[Woozie]

I don't know if this is cheating, but O for big O notation lol. Some books use it for orthagonal matrices too, but I don't know if that's standard.

α particle
β particle
γ rays

(okay, technically there's a particle named after every greek letter, so I could just cheat and use that all the way down. But these three are the ones widely known and used to people who aren't particle physicists)

Δδ Both are used to indicate small changes in a variable. The lower case one is the standard symbol for proving limits. Delta is also the symbol for the laplacian (i.e. it's another way of writing del squared)
ε Permittivity constant. Small numbers. Standard symbol for limit proofs.
ζ ??
η ?? I've used both of these last two symbols plenty of times, but I can't think of anything that they're standard use for. We used them all the time in real analysis playing the same roles as epsilon and delta (because we often needed two sets of symbols for one problem)
θ Angle
ι No clue
κ Curvature
λ Eigenvalues
μ permeability constant
ν I can't think of any of the top of my head but I'm sure I know a few
ξ no clue
ο Doesn't count because it looks like O.
π Even people who hate math can think of a standard use for this one. Also, pi products, though no one ever seems to use that notation even when it's convenient.
ρ Density
Σ Sums
τ torque
υ ??
Φφ Wave function (in momentum space. This is standard, right?). Angles spherical and (in physics) cylindrical coordinates
χ Don't know what it's called, but it's a standard symbol in E&M.
Ψψ Wave functions in general or wave functions in position space.
ω Angular velocity

It's weird that almost every symbol is used a lot in every book, but so many of them aren't standard use (it varies from book to book) that it makes this list hard to make.

[Eliseos]

I don't know if this is cheating, but O for big O notation lol. Some books use it for orthagonal matrices too, but I don't know if that's standard.

ζ ??
η ?? I've used both of these last two symbols plenty of times, but I can't think of anything that they're standard use for. We used them all the time in real analysis playing the same roles as epsilon and delta (because we often needed two sets of symbols for one problem)
ν I can't think of any of the top of my head but I'm sure I know a few
ξ no clue
χ Don't know what it's called, but it's a standard symbol in E&M.

I think Big O is the only thing we'll find lol, so we'll use it. My Professor used it for something last semester in E&M, so it counts.

Either ζ or ξ I've used in multiple classes for roots of quadratic differential equations. They both look like squiggly lines on my paper so I can never remember which one (not sure if standard, but with multiple classes it has to be close).

I think η is for some density, maybe torque or momentum (not sure if standard)?

ν we've used for a complex velocity in phase I think (or else it was a normal v, but I can't tell ever).

χ is for electric or magnetic susceptibility (standard I think?)

No idea what the u one is for either.

[Kaylia]

a,b,c = geometry, miscellaneous constant,
A,B,C= Vector
d= distance, diameter, derivative, density,
D= Electric potential field
e= 2.71, basis
E= electric field
f= function
F= ma,
g= gravity
h= height (hauteur for us frenchies)
i= sqrt(-1)
i,j,k= iterator
l,m,n= iterator you don't want to see
m,M= Mass
n= finite quantity, iterator in summation
O= 0 nemesis. Error at the end of a series f=x+x²+x³+O(x^4)
p,q= position and momentum, unlikeable coordinate
r= radius
s,t= variable change in geometry (especially in differential geometry)
t= time
u,v= generic vector
U= potential energy
V= kinetic energy
w= wtf is w? I remember it being a constant somewhere in EM, but thats it
x= E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G
x,y,z= uh...x,y,z!


And for greek alphabet (trying not to check what Woozie wrote after copy pasting his stuff but it's hard)

α,β,γ: Rotation angle, generic coefficient in linear algebra

Δ= laplacian, Small variation that are not infinitesimal (approximation)
δ,ε= For any δ,ε> 0...
ε= permeability (or is it permitivity..I can never remember that word right)

ζ= forgot why, but we used that in limit proof. Also used that in mechanics for...something related to energy loss. I want to say friction coefficient, but I'm not sure
η = I call it n
θ= I want to think of a fancy use...but angle is all I can think
ι = wtf is this symbol? a i without a dot?
κ = used that in path derivative for...idk, the vector that follow the curve? Also a constant in electromagnetic
λ= solution to linear equation, wavelength
μ= permitivity? Or the other one, permeativilibity.
μ, ν= Also called u and v. Used in einstein notation a lot
ξ= Symbol that no one ever write properly on the blackboard. Get deformed even more in my notebook making it virtually unreadable. Thankfully, it kinda look a little spring, and is often used for hooke law. Also, whoever decided that ζ and ξ were a great variables choice in mechanics should be shot, because it's impossible to differentiate both.

ο = Lowercap zero.
π = 3
ρ = density
τ = torque, time in relativity
υ= Another u or v?... You guys should see my presentation...I manage to get every single greek letter wrong everytime.

Φφ = angle, potential, lot of stuff
χ = cant think of anything, I know i used it before though
Ψ= This is a devil fork. It's used everytime there is an hellish equation you don't want to solve, like every wave function.
ω = theta best friend.

[Kryssan]

Oooh, I'm game.



A activity, area profile of a heat exchanger

B^2 buckling

C delayed neutron precursor concentration (group denoted by subtext numeral)

c specific heat capacity

D diffusion coefficient

d diameter

E voltage, energy

f frequency

h enthalpy

hp horsepower, pump head

hl headloss

I current

K fracture toughness

k letter denoting the constant of everything (literally, theres like a billion values of k that are all different, who needs to use symbols of old languages when you can just keep using the exact same one argh), value denoting the departure from criticality, criticality or multiplication factor

L inductance

l lifetime

m mass flow rate

N concentration of something, speed

n exponent variable, neutrons - subtext denotes type (expressed in terms of energy level) (can be either a number or a set of letters)

P power, pressure

Q, q heat transfer of something

Q'' heat flux

R resistance, reaction rate

r radius

S source neutron concentration (bar over top means strength)

T reactor period, temperature

t time

U heat transfer

V voltage, volume

v velocity, specific volume

v neutron yield per fission event

W,w work of something (can be shown in capital or lowercase form, generally depends on how equation is being used)

X capacitance

x tenth-thickness (when related to shielding material, generally with subtext 1/10)

α, β, γ Types of radioactive decay, types of particles in an equation

β delayed neutron fraction (bar over top is effective delayed neutron fraction)

Δ, δ, ∂ change of something

Φ flux (of any kind)

θ angle

ξ Squiggle! ...I mean the average logarithmic energy decrement per collision (reference to particle slowing down length in a medium of travel)

ε denotes amount of neutrons accumulated from fast fission

η denotes amount of neutrons accumulated from thermal fission, efficiency

ρ reactivity, density

λ wavelength, decay constant

μ micro (almost never used as anything but a symbol of measurement)

τ torque

φ angle (usually used in terms of flux angle for motor theory)

Σ macroscopic cross-section of a material, summation

σ microscopic cross-section of a material




Tons more no doubt forgetting.

[Eliseos]

I inductance

X capacitance

These would drive me crazy The energy stored in an inductor would be 1/2 I*I^2 if current was also I lol.

[Kryssan]

These would drive me crazy The energy stored in an inductor would be 1/2 I*I^2 if current was also I lol.

Oh crap, good catch. Inductance is actually L, and current is I. Really should avoid trying to do things in the morning. X is still capacitance though... heh.

That also reminds me, what do you guys use for mnemonics? One of my favourite ones for frequency is for the pole/speed translation.

frequency = speed (N) * # of poles (P) / 120

Fuck Nuclear Power Over 120 times.


I wish I could remember the resistor color one... something like Bad Boys Race Our Young Girls Behind Victory Garden Walls Get Started Now... I think. Been years since I had to use it. That was the PC one, there is a non-PC one for the resistor colors but I definitely forgot it. -.-

[Eliseos]

Oh wow, I don't think I've ever seen capacitance as X in any of my texts lol. That is pretty weird.

Anyway, I don't really use mnemonics, unless if assembly programming counts? But those are instructions itself, so I'm not sure if it does. My lab partner knows one for the resistor color codes (I can't even remember that, and he goes through it every week), I just use my TI-89. I never even used one for the planets in grade school, my astronomy was too strong and I could just remember the order.

[Mizango]

Miz, you should have taught your daughter her ABC's that way.

lmao you're right. Perhaps ill have that chance once time travel is routine.

[Eliseos]

While browsing for pics for my new sigatar, I found the helmet for the new F-35:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...met_pa300b.jpg

No wonder why people think UFOs are aliens. Also Vader.

[Mizango]

That's awesome.

[Eliseos]

If I got to wear one of those, I'd shout: "I AM IRON-MAN".

[Mizango]

lol shit me too, I wont lie. Id full time that helmet if I had one.

[Eliseos]

She gives good helmet.

[Eliseos]

[Chun Liroy]

lmao.

[Pirian]

Funny story only slightly related. I took a test once where I was one of only two people to get above a 75. I got a 103 or some shit over 100, and the person sitting next to me got a 90~. The teacher clearly knew the bitch (was a girl) cheated off me, but we had separate versions of the test, and didn't catch her so not much she could do. I didn't give a fuck though. I figured if the bitch was going to go through the trouble of finding, in her test, the question I was on for EVERY question then she probably deserved the grade she got, just because of resourcefulness.

[Eliseos]

Haha, definitely. It takes skill to cheat on an exam and not get caught.