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Melchoire

Member Since 14 Sep 2009
Offline Aug 15 2015 10:26 PM

Posts I've Made

In Topic: Tell me 1 interesting thing you've learned about at your job or at school

01 June 2013 - 06:08 PM

I stopped taking math at Algebra 2 in high school. Closest thing I've come to calculus is chemistry and physics lol..

 

Funny thing is I was doing h/w for electric circuits when I realized this. But then again circuits is basically applied calculus.


In Topic: Tell me 1 interesting thing you've learned about at your job or at school

01 June 2013 - 05:04 PM

I mean this in the kindest, most lighthearted way possible. What in the hell did you just say?

 

You need a bit of calculus background to understand it :p

 

Have you taken any classes before?


In Topic: Tell me 1 interesting thing you've learned about at your job or at school

01 June 2013 - 04:05 PM

This is something kinda cool that "clicked" in my head when I was doing my h/w the other day.

 

Y'know how the derivative of sin(x) is cos(x) ? I always wondered in the back of my mind how differentiating sinusoids always gives you sinusoids, but I just memorized the identities and accepted it.

 

There's another type of function that will return itself when you differentiate it: ex.

 

How are these connected?

 

Well according to euler's formula:

eix = cos(x) + isin(x)

 

From this you can write both sin and cos as a sum of 2 exponentials. And it just so happens that when you differentiate them, the main properties of the function remains the same (since d/dx[ex] = ex).

 

And that's why integrating and differentiating sinusoids give you sinusoids.


In Topic: Tell me 1 interesting thing you've learned about at your job or at school

01 June 2013 - 01:18 PM

Don't get questions wrong on a test. I got 4 wrong out of 60 questions, and I had to do 20 different push-ups for each: 1 Handed, diamond, decline and wide angle. 

 

Here's something of slight interest that is more pertinent to my job. I'm a C-130 mechanic in the US Air Force, so I need to know pretty much everything that pertains to my air frame.

 

The C130 uses 3 hydraulic systems to operate features throughout the plane. The Utility system powers flight controls, the Auxiliary system powers the cargo ramp and door. Tying both of these systems through what is called the 'ground-test checkout valve', this allows us to operate the flight controls (Ailerons, Rudder, Flaps & Elevators) on the ground. The third and final hydraulic system that is used, is the Booster system, and well...it boosts shit.

 

I don't think I can tell you the exact fuel distribution we use in all 8 of the tanks, but for every flight, we use around 34,000LBs of fuel. My aircraft is one of the smallest cargo planes in the fleet, something like the KC-135 holds like 200,000LBs of fuel. 

 

On a regular day, I have around 20-30 people's lives in my hands. If I don't do the best I can to take care of my plane, people may die.

 

Oh and don't argue with a Master Sergeant as an A1C (Airman First Class), that never turns out in your favor x.x

 

Holy shitballs! What does it need with 34,000lbs of fuel? How long does it stay in flight? And why aren't we measuring it in volume units?


In Topic: Tell me 1 interesting thing you've learned about at your job or at school

01 June 2013 - 01:28 AM

Crouching tiger hidden dragon.

 

What? Are you even trying?


Oh. 

 

Some of the natural gas lines in Oklahoma are made of wood and from the 1800s and still in use today. The reason they can still be used is because the clay dirt is so tightly compacted around the pipes that oxygen can't get down to them and they can't leak gas. The gas companies there don't necessarily want Oklahomans to know that because it's kind of scary to think about, even though it's safe.

 

That is actually pretty cool. Did you learn this at work?