What is Confusion: Definition and 1000 Discussions

In medicine, confusion is the quality or state of being bewildered or unclear. The term "acute mental confusion" is often used interchangeably with delirium in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems and the Medical Subject Headings publications to describe the pathology. These refer to the loss of orientation, or the ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time, location and personal identity. Mental confusion is sometimes accompanied by disordered consciousness (the loss of linear thinking) and memory loss (the inability to correctly recall previous events or learn new material). The term is from Latin: confusĭo, -ōnis, from confundere: "to pour together", "to mingle together", "to confuse".

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  1. S.Daedalus

    A firewall confusion related to disentangling the vacuum

    So while reading some old threads/blog posts on the black hole firewall paradox, it occurred to me that I had some residual confusion regarding why firewalls (supposedly) form at all. IIUC, the argument is that usually, the vacuum is a highly entangled state, and that disentangling it (in order...
  2. thegreengineer

    Electricity. What kind of current should I use?

    Look, I found that there exist two kind of electric current: conventional flow and electron flow. I have read that in every situation I have to use the conventional flow, however I'm going to work with electric circuits using copper wires. In solids, only negatively charged particles (electrons)...
  3. J

    Confusion with Tensors: Understanding Finite-Dimensional Vector Spaces

    First let me give the definition of tensor that my book gives: If V is a finite dimensional vector space with dim(V) = n then let V^{k} denote the k-fold product. We define a k-tensor as a map T: V^{k} \longrightarrow \mathbb{R} such that T is multilinear, i.e. linear in each variable...
  4. Sab95

    Confusion regarding Interference of light

    I have been reading optics for the past few months. If light has the property of interference, when I look around, why don't I see any interference patterns. does it mean all the waves around me are in phase ? Another question is, why don't Cellphone signals interfere with each other ? they are...
  5. H

    A slight confusion regarding dark energy & energy conservation

    I know there has been a lot of threads on the forum about this topic, but my question is slightly different from the others. I have recently read this article by Sean Carroll (http://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2010/02/22/energy-is-not-conserved/); now, I'm completely aware (& convinced)...
  6. T

    Confusion regarding signs in SHM problem

    Homework Statement A spherical ball of mass M and radius r rolls without slipping in a cylindrical of radius R .Find the time period of small oscillations .Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution Please have a look at the picture attached . The ball moves to the right and upward, and...
  7. T

    Confusion about EM Transmission coefficient - critical angle

    Hi, The reflection coefficient (R) of an EM wave is, as far as I know, 1 if there is total reflection and -1 if there is total reflection AND the phase changes by 180º. However, we also know that the transmission coefficient is given by T = R + 1 (or by its own formula, which should give the...
  8. W

    Independence from a variable - Graphical confusion

    http://postimg.org/image/pb0eu3ap3/ So I've got this graph, and magnitude, M, depends on the number of points, N,... but it shouldn't. http://postimg.org/image/pb0eu3ap3/ The line of best fit is... M = a*N ^b It's been a while since I studied, but knowing their relationship would it be...
  9. I

    Double subscript (Force) notation confusion?

    Shouldn't it be Pdc = 22kN rather than Pcd? I mean the 22kN force arrow is pointing towards C? Because Pdc means the P from D to C no?
  10. thrush

    Time Dilation: SR Basics & Confusion

    Hi everybody, I'm learning Special Relativity, and probably ok with four vectors, the metric equation, the Lorentz Transform, and the Doppler shift, etc., but enough about me. I'm still a little confused about time dilation. In several hypothetical examples of SR that I have seen, two...
  11. AdityaDev

    Choosing Between BSc or B.Tech for Engineering: Job Opportunities and Advice

    I am afraid that I won't get good rank in engineering entrance exam. I have an option of second attempt but I will get distracted easily. So the next option is a BSc. What kind of jobs will I be able to do if I follow this path: BSc->MSc? Or should I sit and study another year for this path:B...
  12. K

    Is Everything Just a Matter of Belief? Exploring an Existential Crisis

    Hello everyone. This is my first post on these forums. I came here for guidance, as I am currently very confused with the nature of reality, and how I should be thinking. I can't imagine that anyone here will have an absolute answer, but I am hoping to be grounded a little. The biggest problem...
  13. Jimster41

    Confusion: Fluctuation Theorem, Poincare Recurrence Theorem

    Is Poincare' Recurrence Theorem (PCRT) considered a possible explanation for the "low entropy" initial conditions of the universe? Is the following a roughly correct paraphrasing of it? For a phase space obeying Liouville's theorem (closed, non-compress-able, non-decompress-able), the...
  14. thegreengineer

    What does 0 V exactly mean in an electric circuit mean?

    I'm a mechatronics engineering student, and I know that electronics is a requirement in most engineering programs. I'm been dealing with electronics recently and I've been studying electric circuits. I've been noticing that in some of them instead of being closed (in diagrams) they are like...
  15. S

    Dynamics pythagorean confusion

    Homework Statement In position 1, the 0.25kg block is held against the spring, compressing it by 150mm. the block then is released, and the spring fires it up the cylindrical surface. Neglecting friction, find the contact force exerted on the block by the surface in position 2.[/B] 1/2kx^2 -...
  16. D

    Waveguides and Cavity resonator Equation confusion

    Homework Statement This is not a homework question and I am asking this question out of curiosity. We have been taught rectangular wave guides and cavity resonator recently and I don't want to gulp the wave equations as it is, so the problem that I am facing ( I have written it on paper and...
  17. Jackson Lee

    Confusion about inner inductance of transmission line

    I was reading textbook and felt confused about this-- when trying to deal with inner inductance of transmission line, only the fraction (x/r)^2 of total current, which interlock with magnetic lines should be considered. However, isn't the inductance or even flux linkage an intermediate...
  18. S

    Confusion regarding Solar Eclipse

    If solar eclipse occurs at 12h 12m 12s actually. Then at what time one will see it on earth. Will the speed of light affect the time if moon starts covering sun at 12 h 12 m 12s when one will see covering on earth? at what time? I just want to know I am just curious do you think the time taken...
  19. M

    Graph Scale Confusion: Estimating Values from Plots

    Hello, I have to estimate some values from a plot (shown in the attachment). The trouble is I'm not sure how to read one of the scales could someone please explain the nature of the scale along the top frame, the angular scale, i.e how it is spaced. One of my aims is to estimate which angle...
  20. D

    Confusion over definition of relations in set theory

    I'm coming from a physics background, but find pure mathematics extremely interesting, so have decided to try and gain a more fundamental understanding of the subject. I've recently been reading up on relations and how one can define them as sets of ordered pairs. I am particularly interested in...
  21. D

    Slight confusion in proof of Hadamard's Lemma

    I've been reading Wald's book on General Relativity and in chapter 3 he introduces and uses the so-called Hadamard's Lemma: For any smooth (i.e. C^{\infty}) function F: \mathbb{R}^{n}\rightarrow\mathbb{R} and any a=(a^{1},\ldots,a^{n})\in\mathbb{R}^{n} there exist C^{\infty} functions H_{\mu}...
  22. B3NR4Y

    Confusion About Notation with Tensors

    I wasn't sure where to post this, and I hope this is the right place. I've been reading ahead of my lectures, and I've gotten a book that introduces tensors. It very quickly introduces Einstein Summation Convention, which I think I understand, \sum_{i=1}^{3} x_{i} y_{i} = x_{i} y_{i} = x \cdot...
  23. B

    How TI-89 Calculator Rearranged Exponent Confusion - Ben

    My TI-89 calculator rearranged $$ 2^{2m+1}-1$$ to $$ 2\times 4^m - 1 $$ I can't for life of me work out how it did it. Is anybody able to put me out of my misery? Thank you in advance! Ben
  24. Calpalned

    How Do General Plane Equations Differ from Tangent Surface Equations?

    Homework Statement What's the difference between the two equations for a plane? This question is somewhat related to my other, overarching question here: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/i-am-confused-about-how-multivariable-calc-works.798798/ Homework Equations ## a(x - x_0) + b(y -...
  25. X

    Confusion about voltage in a circuit

    So basically, I am inferring the following based off of what I've learned. When we hook a battery up to a circuit, this creates a potential difference. Say we use a 9V battery. Here is a picture: From what I know, the horizontal is a equipotential surface, and the vertical has different...
  26. B

    Resistance, wire thickness, fuses, current -- Confusion

    Homework Statement In a book discussing a simple electrical circuit it said "If a thick wire is used in the experiment, the current will be extremely high for a very low voltage. The wire can get very hot very quickly". This got me thinking about fuses in plugs. Is the fuse in a plug a thick...
  27. S

    Confusion on entropy change calculations for irreversible process

    I was studying 2nd law thermodynamics. In that context found the clausius's inequality saying closed integral of dQ/T <0 for irreversible process. And from the reversible process entropy was defined. And from that view they said that for irreversible process dS>dQ/T. Now when I saw some...
  28. F

    Confusion of centrifugal force

    Hi, I am kind of confused about how a centrifugal force works. Every where i search there seems to be 2 opinions, that centrifugal force is indeed a force and others that argue that it is not. What I want to understand is in (for example) a centrifuge, which rotates very quickly with a test...
  29. nomadreid

    Confusion over Windows backup files

    As my computer kept urging me to back up my system onto an external hard drive, I decided I would buy one, but first I needed to find out which size to buy; so I backed up the system on the computer itself to find out how much space it takes up. This created two files (one, WindowsImage, and...
  30. R

    A confusion with tangent galvanometer

    When no current is passed through the coil it shows no deflection i.e. B is in the direction shown. But according to theory both fields should be perpendicular (Earth's horizontal field and the one due to coil). But I am confused because the coil would ideally create a magnetic field that is...
  31. S

    Confusion About Quantum Uncertainty

    From what I have heard, it is impossible to know the exact position and the exact velocity of any particle, but what I don't get is why. Does one of those values just not exist at any given point, or does measuring one change the other, or is it maybe something completely different?
  32. K

    Confusion over potential energy equation.

    Hi, I am confused over the potential energy equation. I have been taught that potential energy is MGH M=mass, G=gravity on surface, and H=height from earth. However being on the internet and learning more i have noticed people use GmM/r^2 and i am very confused why it is switched. please help me...
  33. S

    My Confusion Regarding the Strong Force

    In an effort to clarify my question, allow me first of all to state what I believe I DO understand: All observed elementary particles are either fermions or bosons. Ignoring the Higgs boson (which gives other particles mass via the Higgs mechanism), there are four forces operating in the...
  34. 22990atinesh

    Small confusion regarding logarithmic formula

    I've a small confusion about formula ##\log^3 n = \log \log \log n## or ##\log^3 n = (\log n)^3 ##
  35. thegreengineer

    Integral calculus: integral variable substitution confusion

    Recently I started seeing integral calculus and right now we are covering the topic of the antiderivative. At first sign it was not very difficult, until we started seeing integral variable substitution. The problem starts right here: Let's suppose that we have a function like this: \int...
  36. S

    Should I Do a Summer Project in Plasma Physics for My High Energy Physics Goals?

    Hi! I am in second year of my college. I want to pursue theoretical physics and plan to work on things like String theory and High Energy Physics. Now I was trying to get a summer project in Physics and I have been offered an opportunity to do a project in theoretical Plasma Physics. Is it right...
  37. thegreengineer

    Basic Electronics: Transistor confusion

    So, recently I started learning about electronic components and then I started learning about semiconductors. The one which I've been having some real trouble to understand its function is the transistor. So I bought an electronics textbook called El ABC de La Electrónica (The ABC of Electronics...
  38. ZARATHUSTRA

    Solving Gauss' Law Confusion: q/ε & Changing Surfaces

    Ok, so a lot people said that 1. the charge outside of the enclosed surface wouldn't influence the total flux that penetrate the surface 2. q/ε wouldn't change if the charge inside the surface does not change (see my painting, so it can help you understand what i meant) i was ok with these...
  39. Y

    Conservation of Energy Confusion

    Question: A person wants to jump in the air. To do so, he has to crouch a distance C. He then has a push-off phase, where the he accelerates upwards by a distance C. At the end of push-off, he then achieves takeoff (airborne). The end of his takeoff distance is H, and H is the difference between...
  40. G

    Why do sunsets appear different colors than the sky?

    The sky is blue because blue light resonates with the air molecules and therefore has a higher scattering intensity (due to Raleigh scattering). Thus, we see blue light when we look at the sky (any light that we see, while not looking directly at the sun, must have been scattered). Is this...
  41. I

    Work, Energy & Power confusion

    I have quite a hard time understand how these things relate and where i go wrong. I think this fits in better here since what I'm having trouble with is the theory and not a specific exercise problem. So the book I'm using derived this connection between work and potential energy when a...
  42. F

    Confusion over packing fraction

    so what i understand is that packing fraction is mass defect per nucleon. mass defect is the difference between total mass of the nucleons and the actual mass of the nucleus of an atom. if A=mass number [M][/p]=mass of proton [M][/n]=mass of neutron M=mass of nucleus then packing...
  43. H

    How Does Quarter Wavelength Impact Wave Reflections?

    Reading up on quarter wave transmission lines and I'm confused about the actual length of the line. Is a quarter wavelength line equal to the length of the incident and reflected wave? Or is it only equal to the length of the incident wave?
  44. D

    Understand Relativity & Lorentz Transformation - Aaron

    Hi all,I am trying to understand relativity and Lorentz Transformation more clearly but I have some problems. Assume that we have frame F' which is moving at velocity v with respect to F. Now assume we have an object, O, moving at velocity, w, with respect to F. Frame F has its own time, t, and...
  45. Satvik Pandey

    Just a confusion -- A mass falling onto a pivoting rod

    Homework Statement A rod of mass ##M## and length ##l## is pivoted at the center(##O##) in horizontal position. An object of equal mass(having velocity ##v##) falls vertically on the rod at distance ##\frac{l}{4}## from ##O## and sticks to it. Find the angular velocity of the rod just after...
  46. Ahmad Kishki

    Confusion over quantum mechanics operators

    are operators solely used to find the expectation value of something? What does it mean to use the momentum operator over wavefunction? What does it give? I am guessing it doesn't give momentum since momentum can never be a function of space. How to calculate kinetic energy, given the...
  47. A

    Great! Glad to hear you were able to figure it out. Keep up the good work!

    In deriving the pressure of a gas, my book states that 'if all molecules are equally likely to be traveling in any direction, the fraction whose trajectories lie in an elemental solid angle dΩ is dΩ/4π'. This initally made sense to me, but then thinking about it, I wrote dΩ=sinθdθdφ and this...
  48. A

    What is the purpose of the analogies and equations used in the QM TV program?

    Hi I was watching a TV program about QM on BBC4 given by Jim Khalili. I am a little confused by two aspects. First, he attempted to draw an analogy about polarisation of entangled particles always being opposite when measured, by using a card game where a dealer deals cards in pairs. I think it...
  49. S

    Angular Momentum of a Particle Confusion

    Homework Statement I was reading the textbook section on angular momentum, and I'm having some difficulty grasping angular momentum. Here is a question: In the book, it says that the angular momentum L is equal to vector r cross vector p for a particle. But, for a rigid body, the equation...
  50. F

    Sturm-Liouville confusion

    So the basic idea is that the differential operator acting on the vector space V of functions f:[a,b]->ℂ, with some weight function w(x) L≡d/dx[p(x)d/dx]+q(x) is Hermitian (self-adjoint) if we have that for any two functions u(x), v(x) in this vector space, [u*(x)p(x)dv/dx]ab=0, thus L has real...
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