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Single Idea 21731

[from 'Farewell to Reality: fairytale physics' by Jim Baggott, in 27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 2. Electrodynamics / b. Fields ]

Full Idea

Fields can be 'scalar', with no particular direction (pointing, but not pushing or pulling); or 'vector', with a direction (like magnetism, or Newtonian gravity); or 'tensor' (needing further parameters); or 'spinor' (depending on spin orientation).

Gist of Idea

Fields can be 'scalar', or 'vector', or 'tensor', or 'spinor'

Source

Jim Baggott (Farewell to Reality: fairytale physics [2013], 2 'Quantum')

Book Reference

Baggott,Jim: 'Farewell to Reality: fairytale physics' [Constable 2013], p.60


A Reaction

[compressed] So the question is, why do they differ? What is it in the nature of each field the result in a distinctive directional feature?