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Re: Naive conceptions



At 09:08 12/14/97 EST, Emilio Roxin wrote:
....
Assume we are in a helicopter, observing the traffic along a highway.
The highway is packed with cars, almost bumper-to-bumper, going at a
uniform speed of 55 m.p.h. From time to time there are some gaps
("holes") between cars. Would you not say that these gaps are also
moving at 55 m.p.h.?
Regards Emilio


It was not so long ago (within 5 years) that Scientific American
carried an interesting piece on highway traffic flow - and its
treatment by way of a sort of fluid dynamics - I seem to recall a quite
convincing demonstration of a critical speed beyond which the
'laminar flow' became turbulent.
My memory fades - but I seem to recall that 'hole' velocity could be
independent of vehicle velocity...

brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK