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The Planck constant, or Planck's constant, denoted by , [1] is a fundamental physical constant [1] of foundational importance in quantum mechanics: a photon's energy is equal to its frequency multiplied by the Planck constant, and the wavelength of a matter wave equals the Planck constant divided by the associated particle momentum.
The standard example of a longitudinal wave is a sound wave or "pressure wave" in gases, liquids, or solids, whose oscillations cause compression and expansion of the material through which the wave is propagating. Pressure waves are called "primary waves", or "P-waves" in geophysics. Water waves involve both longitudinal and transverse motions ...
The factor by which the speed is decreased is called the refractive index of the material. In a classical wave picture, the slowing can be explained by the light inducing electric polarization in the matter, the polarized matter radiating new light, and that new light interfering with the original light wave to form a delayed wave.
where e is the elementary charge, ħ is the reduced Planck constant, c is the speed of light in vacuum, and ε 0 is the permittivity of free space. The fine-structure constant is fixed to the strength of the electromagnetic force. At low energies, α ≈ 1 / 137 , whereas at the scale of the Z boson, about 90 GeV, one measures α ≈ ...
The flux density of the incoming solar radiation is specified by the solar constant S 0. For application to planet Earth, appropriate values are S 0 =1366 W m −2 and α P =0.30. Accounting for the fact that the surface area of a sphere is 4 times the area of its intercept (its shadow), the average incoming radiation is S 0 /4.
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt, one joule per second. Electric power, like mechanical power, is the rate of doing work, measured in watts, and represented by the letter P. The term wattage is used colloquially to mean "electric power in watts."
Physics is a branch of fundamental science (also called basic science). Physics is also called "the fundamental science" because all branches of natural science including chemistry, astronomy, geology, and biology are constrained by laws of physics. [58] Similarly, chemistry is often called the central science because of its role in linking the ...
The best-known instance of the parabola in the history of physics is the trajectory of a particle or body in motion under the influence of a uniform gravitational field without air resistance (for instance, a ball flying through the air, neglecting air friction).