The Concept of Equilibrium in Geomorphology INTRODUCTION The concept of equilibrium in geomorphology as a theory to explain landform evolution was first tabled by American geologist Grove Karl Gilbert. He was born on May 6, 1843 in Rochester, New York, United States of America. (Pyne &Stephen,1980) He was also one of the founders of the modern study of geomorphology. Howard,1988 said “Gilbert’s concept of equilibrium is also known as the principle of least force or Gilbert’s theory” (Howard,1988). It is one of seven major geomorphic theories of landform development; notable other include the Theory of L.C. King and Davisian Theory. (Tiwari,n.d) Image 1: Grove K. Gilbert (Lowe,A.,1920) Equilibrium is a single word that grasp a number of different ideas. Equilibrium within …show more content…
As a result the term, for many, has degenerated to the status of a non-corrigible regulative principle; although a few geomorphologists make precise use of equilibria terminology, their precision is invariably lost on the larger audience. (Thorn &Welford,2009) Equilibrium is related with force in dynamics, with energy in thermodynamics (and probability by extension), and with pure numerical behaviour in mathematics. (Howard,1988) In General System Theory, equilibrium is traced from thermodynamics but applied, by analogy, almost 2 exclusively to mass and resulted a purely geomorphic version of equilibrium (dynamic equilibrium). Seeking a Definition The first hurdle equilibrium has in geomorphology is its definition; the term is often used in a variety of ways and usually leads to imprecision; however Howard (1988) offered a definition that conforms to the spirit of prior usage while offering operational rules capable of quantitative testing. This definition is paraphrased and somewhat amended below as a series of prepositions followed by imperative corollaries and
"Paul David Buell." Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. Max Planck Institute, n.d. Web.
...concrete theories and empirical truths, no matter how factual, that we may attempt to use
outlines seven controlling assumptions. Discuss three of the assumptions and give an example of each.
a key factor within our responsibilities. We must learn how to apply different theories to certain
There is a lot of information presented in the text. This is why McNeill has to be careful with the organization of concepts in his book. M...
...ys that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and this is also displayed when a bat hits a ball. The bat exerts force on the ball, just as the ball exerts force on the bat. This force can sometimes even be enough to break the bat, like in the illustration below.
In this inquiry the relationship between force and mass was studied. This inquiry presents a question: when mass is increased is the force required to move it at a constant velocity increased, and how large will the increase be? It is obvious that more massive objects takes more force to move but the increase will be either linear or exponential. To hypothesize this point drawing from empirical data is necessary. When pulling an object on the ground it is discovered that to drag a four-kilogram object is not four times harder than dragging a two-kilogram object. I hypothesize that increasing the mass will increase the force needed to move the mass at a constant rate, these increases will have a liner relationship.
Understanding the plate tectonics theory is very important, especially when investigating natural disasters like earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. It is also gives scientists the ability to understand how mountains were formed between two tectonic plates. There are three types of interactions between plate boundaries: convergent, divergent and transform. Looking back at the history of these three different interactions, earthquakes, like the one in Haiti, volcanic eruptions, like at Mount St. Helens, and the creation of mountain belts, like the Mid-Atlantic Oceanic ridge, gives information on future consequences of tectonic movement, and what can happen when the plates interact with each other.
The acceleration of a body or object is directly proportional to the net force acting on the body or object and is inversely
Discuss this view with detailed reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related text of
Newton’s Second Law of Motion. It states, “The force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that object times its acceleration (Lucas, paragraph 2).” Mike 's car, which weighs 1,000 kg, is out of gas. Mike is trying to push the car to a gas station, and he makes the car go 0.05 m/s/s. Using Newton 's Second Law, you can compute how much force Mike is applying to the car with this formula ( F= 1,000 x 0.05 which equals 50 newtons). This is easy,
This article hasn’t provided an introduction; however a lengthy summary of the study which identifies the problem, purpose and rationale for the research study has been provided in the background. The introduction should give the reader a general sense of what the document is about, and preferably persuade the reader to continue reading. This prepares the reader for reading the rest of the document (Burns & Grove, 2001 p.636; Nieswiadomy, 2008 p.380; Stockhausen and Conrick, 2002).
relaxation to direct the opponent’s force away. Because its main purpose is not to take
phenomena in terms of the functions they perform. The society conceived in functionalism is a
Mathematically, Hooke’s law states that F equals the displacement or extension length multiplies a constant k, or F = k∆l. F is the force in the spring which migh...