2492: Commonly Mispronounced Equations

2021-07-23T14:09:16Z

ErikE:

{{comic
| number = 2492
| date = July 21, 2021
| title = Commonly Mispronounced Equations
| image = commonly_mispronounced_equations.png
| titletext = "Epsihootamoo doopsiquorps" --the Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LAGRONJ EYSIBARYMOODMOOSIOYLERSIBRYMOOAMOOBAMOOSIMASIBRSIQORTFAHMOOVYFAHMOOVY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete: the elided equation in the incomplete notice needs explanation. It would be interesting for more people to weigh in on personal history eliding equations. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a collection of very commonly used physical and mathematical equations, along with their "correct" pronunciations. Equations are normally voiced out loud either by their names ("Mass–energy equivalence") or by saying the parts out loud using normal linguistic rules ("E equals M C squared"). This comic instead asserts that equations are meant to be said out loud like words, using their own set of phonic rules.

Though this premise may seem absurd, sometimes this kind of pronunciation is used as an abbreviation or a mnemonic device. For example, the equation A=Pert used for compound interest is commonly taught and pronounced as the "pert" equation, while SOH-CAH-TOA is used as a mnemonic for the equations for sine, cosine, and tangent (sine: opposite over hypotenuse, etc.)

Some nerds have both the trait of using equations as commonly as others might chat, and of finding it entertaining to make up new funny sounds ("input", "pwn"). Saying the equations more rapidly can speed up work or make work seem more enjoyable. This phenomenon is called {{w|elision}}.

The pronunciation given for F=ma is the same as the actual pronunciation of FEMA, the acronym for the {{w|Federal Emergency Management Agency}}.

{| class="wikitable"
!Equation
!Pronounciation
!Explanation
|-
|{{w|Newton's law of universal gravitation}}
|Fuh-''JAM''-er
|G, the gravitational constant, is merged with
|}

List of equations:
* {{w|Newton's law of universal gravitation}} (F = ...)
* {{w|Mass-energy equivalence}} (E = ...)
* {{w|Pythagorean theorem}} (a² + ...)
* {{w|Area of a circle}} (A = ...)
* {{w|Entropy_(information_theory)|Shannon entropy}} and {{w|Diversity_index#Shannon_index|Shannon index}} (H = ...)
* {{w|Ideal gas law}} (PV = ...) -- sometimes said "PIV-nert" as a mnemonic, but according to Randall, this is a "mispronunciation".
* {{w|Euler's identity}} (eiπ = ...)
* {{w|Newton's_laws_of_motion#Newton's_second_law|Newton's 2nd law of motion}} (F = ...)
* {{w|Wave equation}} (c would conventionally be c2) (∂²u ...)
* {{w|Derivative#Definition|Derivative}} (f'(x) = ...)
* {{w|Quadratic formula}} (x = ...)
* (title text) {{w|Schrödinger_equation#Hydrogen_atom|Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom}}

The form of the Schrödinger equation intended seems to be '''Eψ''' ''"epsi"'' = − '''(ℏ2/2μ)''' ''"hootamoo"'' '''∇2ψ''' ''"doopsi"'' - ('''q'''2/4πε'''0r)ψ''' ''"quorps"'' – pronounced, it seems, with a silent 4πε. (μ is mu, ψ is psi, ∇ is a {{w|Nabla_symbol|Nabla}}).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Each equation is bordered, with a pronunciation guide beneath.]

Commonly Mispronounced Equations

'''Row 1'''

F = G m₁m₂/r² 
FUH-'''''JAM'''''-ER

E = mc² 
'''''EM'''''-CAH-TOO

a² + b² = c² 
AT-'''''BOOT'''''-COOT

'''Row 2'''

A = πr² 
'''''APP'''''-ER-TOO

H = -Σpᵢlog pᵢ 
HA-'''''SPLOG'''''-PEE

PV = nrt 
'''''PAV'''''-NURT

'''Row 3'''

e^iπ = -1 
'''''EYE'''''-PIN

F = ma 
'''''FEE'''''-MAH

∂²u/∂t² = c ∂²u/∂x² 
'''''DOOT''''' CAH-'''''DOOX'''''

'''Row 4'''

f'(x) = lim h→0 f(x+h) - f(x) / h 
'''''FAX'''''-LIM-OH '''''FAX'''''-UH-FOX

x = -b ± √(b² - 4ac) / 2a 
ZA-'''''BO'''''-BA FAK-'''''TOH'''''-AH

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category: Language]]

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2492: Commonly Mispronounced Equations