What does Æ mean in physics problems? please help?

[Anonymous]

i see this in a lot in solving of problems, what is Æ?

[vjreejr]

I have a BS in physics and never saw that used in physics equations. However, it is a letter in some languages including Old English . Certain of our words would be spelled using that letter, but we now spell with "ae". The word "eon" used to be spelled "aeon" like that. This is from etymonline. com; a good site for etymology (word origins):
aeon (n.)
1640s; see eon.
One used in physics is "ether" which was "aether" or "æther". Physicist will emphasis the "ae" spelling because "ether" is a class of chemicals whereas "the aether" was the hypothetical material that permeated all of space before it was discovered that it didn't exist.

This is perhaps the best example of the use of æ:
Encyclopædia Britannica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86

However, you will see this in physics: Å
That is a Swedish letter which is used to represent the unit of length called the Ångstom; there are 10,000,000,000 Å in 1 meter.

[rthomas43]

I'm a physics major, and I have no fucking idea. We clearly used a different symbol for whatever that represents.

In what context is it used?

[Asker]

We find the average force on the tackler from
Ftackler = Impulsetackler/Æt = (+ 4.6 × 102 kg · m/s)/(0.75 s) = 6.1 × 102 N (East).

[vjreejr]

I suspect what is happening is that your "Æ" is actually something else, but the font that you are using is translating that to Æ. I'll try and show in a few minutes...

[vjreejr]

I have a Chromebook and am having a difficult time illustrating what I want to say, but if you teacher is using Symbol font for certain characters, when you cut-and-paste into something that doesn't have Symbol font, the character will be translated into a different character in standard fonts. I've seen that Æ
quite often when I've done this.

[vjreejr]

I suspect from the nature of the equation that you provided that the Æ is actually Δ ("delta") which is used to indicate difference. Your "Δt" = 0.75 s. Unfortunately, in whatever you are using, the Δ (like in Symbol font) is being translated to Æ. I can't prove that now because I am not on a PC.

[vjreejr]

Seriously @Asker, talk to your teacher about this.

[Asker]

ah! ok that wuld make a ton of sense thanks!

[rthomas43]

I don't feel I deserved this MH lol

[Asker]

haha yeah well u did! and thanks! (nice beard btw)

[rthomas43]

Thank you :)

[Asker]

no problem, kind of a duck dynasty kinda look so kudos!

[rthomas43]

Believe it or not, I've never watched that show! :/

[Asker]

what!! really? such a great show! so funny XD

[rthomas43]

Maybe I'll give it a go.

[Asker]

you should! makes me want a family like that XD

[harakiri]

AE? activation energy? though i suppose that is more about chemistry...

[cheonsongyi]

Chopin's Etude op.25 no.1, Æolian Harp!! If you ask a music major.

[Aizou]

The letter originally represents a latin diphthong
which later was converted to an actual letter in the alphabet
of certain alphabets on the northern globe.

I believe it actually started as a rune
of some sort, but I have no further details
about that, as of right now.

I know they use the letter as a symbol
in some cases, for "Æon".

We don't use the letter in physics here
so I'm not too certain on what it could be. ^.~

[Error_204]

Haha, Aether doesn't exist. (en.wikipedia.org/.../Aether_%28classical_element%29)

[BertMacklinFBI]

its a letter from the old English alphabet. grapheme

[SurströmmingLover]

It's a letter of the Danish alphabet