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    What are the "degrees of freedom" when referring to particle physics?

    Question #47958. Asked by peasypod. (May 30 04 8:17 PM)


    gmackematix

    		Would that be a number of mutually independent variables determining a particle's position and speed? They must surely depend on how many dimensions you think the space that it moves in has.

    May 30 04, 9:12 PM
    peasypod

    		It is the number of different parameters needed to specify completely the state of a particle or system. For example, the state of a single particle is described by its velocity and its position, so yes gmack.
    But, in order to specify its position in 3 dimensional space, you need three parameters, and in order to specify its velocity in 3 dimensions you need another 3 parameters. So a single particle has 6 degrees of freedom, not two.

    May 31 04, 9:15 PM

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