Re: Apparent weight

[John Mallinckrodt <ajmallinckro@CSUPomona.Edu>]

On Sun, 15 Feb 1998, Rick Tarara wrote:

>      The apparent weight is then the force
> that we perceive (to be our weight).  To be sure, in _most_ cases, this is
> what the bathroom scale reads, but what the bathroom scale reads is an
> UPWARDS force.

I don't see that this is necessarily the case.  Bathroom scales depend on
a pair of forces that cause compression. You can *interpret* the scale
reading in a variety of ways.  For me personally, the most obvious
interpretation would seem to be that a scale reads the force exerted *on*
it--a "downward" force in the usual situation.

John
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 A. John Mallinckrodt      http://www.intranet.csupomona.edu/~ajm
 Professor of Physics    mailto:ajmallinckro@csupomona.edu
 Physics Department       voice:909-869-4054
 Cal Poly Pomona            fax:909-869-5090
 Pomona, CA 91768-4031   office:Building 8, Room 223