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In physics the Lamb shift, named after Willis Lamb, refers to an anomalous difference in energy between two electron orbitals in a hydrogen atom. The difference was not predicted by theory and it cannot be derived from the Dirac equation, which predicts identical energies. Hence the Lamb shift refers to a deviation from theory seen in the ...
Prism adaptation is a sensory-motor adaptation that occurs after the visual field has been artificially shifted laterally or vertically. It was first introduced by Hermann von Helmholtz in late 19th-century Germany as supportive evidence for his perceptual learning theory (Helmholtz, 1909/1962). [1]
e. Wheeler's delayed-choice experiment describes a family of thought experiments in quantum physics proposed by John Archibald Wheeler, with the most prominent among them appearing in 1978 and 1984. [1] These experiments are attempts to decide whether light somehow "senses" the experimental apparatus in the double-slit experiment it travels ...
Einstein's thought experiments. A hallmark of Albert Einstein 's career was his use of visualized thought experiments ( German: Gedankenexperiment [1]) as a fundamental tool for understanding physical issues and for elucidating his concepts to others. Einstein's thought experiments took diverse forms. In his youth, he mentally chased beams of ...
Augustin-Jean Fresnel [Note 1] (10 May 1788 – 14 July 1827) was a French civil engineer and physicist whose research in optics led to the almost unanimous acceptance of the wave theory of light, excluding any remnant of Newton 's corpuscular theory, from the late 1830s [3] until the end of the 19th century.
Corpuscular theory of light. In optics, the corpuscular theory of light states that light is made up of small discrete particles called "corpuscles" (little particles) which travel in a straight line with a finite velocity and possess impetus. This was based on an alternate description of atomism of the time period.
Electromagnetic wave equation. The electromagnetic wave equation describes the propagation of electromagnetic waves through a medium or in a vacuum. The homogeneous form of the equation, written in terms of either the electric field E or the magnetic field B, takes the form: where c is the speed of light in the medium.
Prism dioptres. Prism correction is commonly specified in prism dioptres, a unit of angular measurement that is loosely related to the dioptre. Prism dioptres are represented by the Greek symbol delta (Δ) in superscript. A prism of power 1 Δ would produce 1 unit of displacement for an object held 100 units from the prism. [2]
Experimental physics is a branch of physics that is concerned with data acquisition, data-acquisition methods, and the detailed conceptualization (beyond simple thought experiments) and realization of laboratory experiments.
Experimental testing of time dilation. Relation between the speed and the Lorentz factor γ (and hence the time dilation of moving clocks). Time dilation as predicted by special relativity is often verified by means of particle lifetime experiments. According to special relativity, the rate of a clock C traveling between two synchronized ...