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How lift is generated by a moving wing is understood satisfactorily. But the rigorous explanation requires elaborate theoretical background, and hence there are many simpler explanations in the popular literature. In the first part of this article, some such popular models are discussed after briefly dealing with some required preliminary ideas. The concluding part of the article will deal with some...
We describe how Wilson’s concept of the renormalization group revolutionized our understanding of the physics of phase transitions, and of quantum field theory in general. We underline the key ideas of Wilson, based on earlier ideas of Landau, Ginzburg, Kadanoff and many others, which gave us an insight into the observed universality of diverse physical phenomena, and the remarkable efficacy of a...
Our attraction to another body increases if the body is symmetrical and in proportion. If a face or a structure is in proportion, we are more likely to notice it and find it beautiful. The universal ratio of beauty is the ‘Golden Ratio’, found in many structures. This ratio comes from Fibonacci numbers. In this article, we explore this concept along with its applications.
Allostery is a mechanism by which the activity of a large number of proteins is regulated. It is manifested as a change in the activity, either ligand binding or catalysis of one site of a protein due to a ligand binding to another distinct site of the protein. The allosteric effect is transduced by a change in the structural properties of the protein. It has been traditionally understood using either...
Recent studies show that nearly 40% of the 118 elements that make up everything – from the chemist’s arsenal to a variety of consumer products, are facing depleting supplies. Based on this data, in 2011, Mike Pitts and his colleagues at the Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network developed a new type of periodic table. Their analysis revealed that 44 elements are facing limited supply, or...
Metal substitution reactions are simple redox reactions. These reactions demonstrate the relative activity and the electrochemical series of metals. In particular, the purpose of this study is to help students comprehend the displacement reaction among, Mg metal and solutions containing Cu+2, Ni+2, Pb+2, Cd+2, Co+2. This study is an important experiment towards understanding reaction kinetics.
The fundamental particle nature of the Dark Matter (DM) that constitutes more than 80% of the gravitating matter in the Universe is unknown. There is no suitable candidate for this DM in the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. The so-called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), predicted in many scenarios of possible new physics beyond the SM, are currently one of the most favoured candidates...
A cambered surface that is moving forward in a fluid generates lift. To explain this interesting fact in terms of simpler models, some preparatory concepts were discussed in the first part of this article. We also agreed on what is an acceptable explanation. Then some popular models were discussed. Some quantitative theories will be discussed in this concluding part. Finally we will tie up all these...
The Earth’s ionosphere consists of plasma produced by the photoionization of thin upper atmospheric gases by UV rays and photons of short wavelength from the sun. The upper ionosphere is used for radio communication and navigation as it re-ects long, medium, as well as short radio waves. Since solar radiation is the main cause of the existence of ionosphere, any variation in the radiations can affect...
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