Questions tagged [questions]
The questions tag has no usage guidance.
303
questions
5
votes
1answer
60 views
How can we bring an old question back to the users' attention?
The question we want to ask might have been posted by another user years ago. It is possible that the question did not get any answers or the answers were/are not satisfactory.
What should we do for ...
2
votes
0answers
61 views
Maybe add an indicator showing level of question
There is an existing discussion/request for a system to tag or otherwise indicate level of questions:
Can we have a level-of-question tag please?
Differentiate research-level questions?
The idea is ...
10
votes
3answers
381 views
The “experience of a photon” question
I’m sure everybody is aware of the question that people love to ask, i.e. some variation of “what’s the experience of a photon (or someone traveling at $c$, etc)?” This question is always roundly ...
7
votes
2answers
201 views
How to treat suggested edits that "correct a formula"?
Once in a while I see a suggested edit that claims to "correct a formula" (this is usually written in the edit summary). Is there a general "rule"/recommended procedure for such ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
When does a closed question become open?
I have posted a question, Fidelity between initial state and final state. But due to inadequate details, it got closed. Now I have added details as much as possible. When will my question open again?
0
votes
0answers
57 views
What can I do to improve this question?
I think there is some confusion regarding my question (which is not obvious to me). And for now it has $4$ downvotes and $2$ upvotes (and the comment section has become a mess).
Can someone enlighten ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
Reopen my question on physics [duplicate]
I'm sorry for being asking non clarified questions. That won't be repeated. Is it ok to remove the ban?
10
votes
4answers
329 views
Why would my question on tachyons be closed as off topic if most other questions on tachyons are still open?
When I type tachyons into the search engine of the site I find a lot of open questions about tachyons but my question about tachyons was closed as off topic
If electrically charged tachyons exist, ...
-4
votes
1answer
111 views
What if I ask a "what if" question?
What if I ask a "what if" question? What are the criteria for the question not to be closed? The question should be about physics. That's clear. The question shouldn't be completely random ...
11
votes
3answers
295 views
When I post a self-answer, is it expected that in the question I should pretend I don't know the answer?
Stack Exchange explicitly encourages writing a self-answer, when appropriate.
Derek Muller posted a video about a wind-powered vehicle that can go downwind faster than that downwind itself.
(The ...
-8
votes
3answers
417 views
Is EM theory appropriate on Physics.SE?
I'm having trouble posting anything relating to EM theory derived from Maxwell on this site. I'm continually having posts deleted 7 day ban's refusing to accept references particularly my own work, ...
14
votes
1answer
212 views
I am being told conflicting resolutions for fixing a closed question, what should I do?
I had a question that was closed, and I was given the following instructions:
Those questions listed did not provide me with the answer to my question, so I followed the advice and opened a new ...
2
votes
1answer
51 views
Is a question about whether something is possible on topic?
Is a question that asks whether something is possible within the laws of physics on-topic here?
(Very vague) Example: assuming any level of technology, can you do this within the laws of physics, or ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Why did someone downvote my question without reading it completely?
I had asked this question today. Within 20 seconds someone had downvoted the question. Here's the proof:
It's not possible for a person to read the whole question in 20 seconds. So why did they down-...
2
votes
1answer
103 views
Why are there few answers on homework-and-exercise questions?
I actually asked a question with the homework-and-exercises tag. Then, I was searching some question with the tag. I had visited 50 pages. Most of the questions don't have answers. And, most of the ...
2
votes
1answer
111 views
Posting and self answering basic derivations
It can be difficult at times to find quality derivations for 'some' of the basic formula used in high school physics, so I thought what if I post and self answer the basic derivations. Does this sound ...
16
votes
1answer
253 views
When are questions with multiple different possible answers good?
It is well known that we do not encourage/allow questions that solicit open-ended discussions or that can only be answered by providing personal opinions, etc. However, at least to me, it seems a bit ...
2
votes
2answers
106 views
How much editing of a question is acceptable? (e.g. Chicken Question)
In regard to the chicken question meta post one of the answers included this paragraph:
This opinion is based purely on the actual question, and ignores the silly story. Surely the silly story can be ...
0
votes
0answers
72 views
Why has my question about the Einstein field equation been closed? [duplicate]
I would not have wanted to write this. In fact, I am so sorry of the fact that many times some questions are not considered as they are too stupid.
My question Scalar curvature is $0$ for ...
1
vote
1answer
65 views
Are downvotes (on the meta side) regarded as a (negative) answer to your question (on which you can answer yes or no)?
In this question I asked whether it is a good thing to edit a question with the purpose of downvoting it. It got downvoted 7 times (up till now). This was written:
Downvotes on Meta are different ...
0
votes
4answers
131 views
Should "fun questions" be considered on- or off-topic?
There are a number of questions on this site that start with a fun, sometimes ironic context. Here are some more recent examples
How do I find the approximate surface area of a chicken? (meta ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
Why can't I vote two times to reopen a question?
This question received hot attention initially. Then it was closed. I and others didn't agree and voted to reopen. And so it was. Then, again, the question was closed. I wanted to reopen it, but ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views
Should I re-ask a question that was recently closed by editing it and removing meta-comments?
I recently asked this question: https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/622976/
This question was closed and I was directed to this meta thread by a comment: https://physics.meta.stackexchange.com/q/13449/...
18
votes
4answers
644 views
Bounty on "entrance exam" question
On the question Why is the center of a torch beam visible even through an opaque body like my finger?, the OP started a bounty stating
I really need this material to answer my entrance examination ...
-2
votes
4answers
123 views
Someone other than the OP adding "homework-and-exercises' tag to a question, and then the question gets closed as a homework-type-question?
On this question by Kashmiri, here, it was originally posted without the "homework-and-exercises" tag. And if you look at the question itself, nothing about it seems homework-type. Later the ...
5
votes
1answer
110 views
2
votes
1answer
47 views
Where are the new questions?
I apologize if I am delusional and imagined this, but I believe that in a not-so-distant past it was possible to display questions sorted by date so as to get the most recent ones on top of the list. ...
-1
votes
2answers
80 views
Why aren't "duplicate" questions allowed?
It implies that some random answer from the past is the definitive answer. And we all know that questions can be answered many different ways. And the duplicate question usually isn't an exact ...
28
votes
1answer
384 views
The $F=ma$ competition was February 18th, 2021
The $F=ma$ competition is the largest physics competition in the United States, and took place online the afternoon after this Meta question first appeared. It is a multiple choice exam with tricky ...
10
votes
1answer
331 views
What is the mechanism for questions to go viral?
I have noticed that while most questions get a few views or a few hundred, some rack up, over time, hundreds of thousands. I understand how this sort of thing happens on social media, where "...
11
votes
1answer
293 views
Does 'Semiconductor Physics' have a home in Physics SE?
I have seen a number of questions on PN-Junctions, Avalanche Breakdown, Biasing and MOS...etc, that have gone largely untouched; which is understandable, do these types of questions belong here or ...
11
votes
0answers
219 views
Are Fermi problems allowed on physics.stackexchange? [duplicate]
I am new to physics.stackexchange.com, but I not new to Stack Exchange per se. I asked a question which I consider a Fermi problem:
In physics or engineering education, a Fermi problem [...] is an ...
7
votes
1answer
428 views
Improvement of a poor question by non-authors
There are already many Q&A related to the improvement of a question by the original author. It is quite obvious and well documented how to proceed to improve the form of a question. However, I did ...
2
votes
1answer
95 views
Is it possible to know why a question vanished from my "recent inbox messages"?
I have been for several days discussing a question with the asker using comments. Yesterday a message appeared asking me if I wanted to move the discussion to a chat. I asked the question asker if he ...
-8
votes
2answers
130 views
Why is the 'Physics' Stack Exchange site closing some interesting questions?
I came to the main site for searching an interesting question about a possible universe inside atoms.
Here is a list of questions:
Universe inside atom
Does our Universe reside in the smallest ...
-2
votes
2answers
353 views
Deleting answers due to the Homework policy is not beneficial
The homework policy doesn't seems like a counter-productive policy on Stack Exchange.
I understand Stack Exchange policing their questions, but policing removing answers to "homework like ...
5
votes
1answer
86 views
What should be done with questions tagged [resource-recommendations] that are not actually asking for recommendations?
Continuing on from this discussion: Why was this answer made community wiki? — about a question that had the resource-recommendations tag.
As pointed out in Emilio Pisanty's answer, the main ...
2
votes
4answers
97 views
Tags for calibrating answers to the level of question
A problem I find with the site is that often answerers don't know how to calibrate an answer to the level of the questioner. This was both good and bad for me personally as I'd get insight into topics ...
12
votes
2answers
336 views
"You did the measurement wrong" is not an answer
I've seen two hot network questions in the past two days where one of the highly upvoted answers was a variation on "you did your measurement wrong". In both cases, this answer was ...
20
votes
3answers
465 views
Is it encouraged to write an answer to your own question if it is just a summary of the comments?
I recently asked a question on how the uncertainity principle applies to a situation described there. There have been some comments, which, I think are at least partial answers. I commented that and ...
1
vote
4answers
166 views
Another thread about deleted comments
This question is entitled If there is an infinite number of universes doesn't that mean there is a universe where there is not an infinite number of parallel universes?. I downvoted this question ...
8
votes
1answer
248 views
Are "check my understanding" questions permitted?
I know that "check my work" questions are off-topic, I understand the reasons behind that, but does this also apply to "check my understanding" questions?
For example:
My ...
2
votes
3answers
238 views
Why don't some questions on Physics Stack Exchange have any answers for the past many years with very high votes? Why are they not active now?
The below links are two examples of such questions which are not answered in 7-8 years. I also read on that questions that they were active some 3-4 years ago. What is the problem with these types of ...
21
votes
5answers
366 views
Are questions about the identification of physical phenomena on-topic?
This question was just closed as off-topic. It is a well presented question, which was well-received, and it got a good, canonical answer. The stated reason for closing was that "it doesn't ...
14
votes
2answers
243 views
Care over closing "duplicate" questions
On a number of occasions, I have seen questions closed as duplicates although the linked question either did not have answers, or had only poor answers, and in some cases it had already been closed (...
3
votes
1answer
168 views
Answering question with multiple parts?
Suppose a user post a question with multiple parts.I know it's not recommended but suppose he does.
Ex: A question with multiple parts
I know it's a closed question but it's enough to illustrate my ...
1
vote
3answers
82 views
Is it valid to ask for a brief translation for a paper in a foreign language?
I have been deterred to ask for a brief translation of an old physics Russian paper in the stack. Is it valid to ask such a question according to the policies of the site? If not, could it be worth to ...
-6
votes
2answers
187 views
Meta-commentary in questions should sometimes be allowed
I've edited in a 'meta-comment' into this question, which was rolled back by a moderator:
Note: answer accepted for sake of closing the question, though parts remain unanswered, and will be ...
-5
votes
1answer
176 views
Asking if the following post could be suitable for the main site Physics Stack Exchange
I've cross-posted yesterday this on Meta of the site MathOverflow Asking if the following post could be suitable for the main site MathOverflow.
I would like to ask if the following questions can be ...
-9
votes
2answers
119 views
Easing our policy for some topics
At Physics StackExchange, we discuss almost all types of physics topics. Some get more attention and some get less, but it depends upon various things, including our site policy. Our policy has been ...
