Re: Galileo's Freefall Experiment

["Bob Sciamanda" <trebor@velocity.net>]

To emphasize the speciousness in Galileo's argument I would point out
that a valid argument would be:
If two combined objects fall together in a force field WITHOUT ANY
INFLUENCE (force) OF ONE ON THE OTHER (no glue needed!), then these
objects will fall separately "at the same rate" in that same force field.
Note that this is almost an empty statement - the premise is simply a
re-wording of  the desired conclusion.

But it does perhaps suggest a more sensitive testing technique.  Note how
the toppling (and disintegrating) brick chimney fails this test!.  (a
springboard for class discussion)

-Bob
Bob Sciamanda
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (ret)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Sciamanda <trebor@velocity.net>
To: phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu <phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu>
Date: Sunday, September 13, 1998 1:01 AM
Subject: Re: Galileo's Freefall Experiment


> Hi Tom,
>    I don't think there is any record of Galileo actually doing the
> experiment, but - if memory serves me - he did offer the argument that
> different objects must fall at the same rate simply because they surely
> must do so if fastened together!  This is a specious argument (it could
> just as "logically"  be applied to electric fields).
> I think this is in his "Two New Sciences".
>
> Bob Sciamanda
> Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (ret)
> trebor@velocity.net
> http://www.velocity.net/~trebor
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom McCarthy <TMccarthy@steds.org>
> To: phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu <phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu>
> Date: Saturday, September 12, 1998 11:03 PM
> Subject: Galileo's Freefall Experiment
>
>
> > Hello,
> >    I have a question.  Supposedly, Galileo performed a freefall
> experiment
> > where he dropped a composite object of two pieces and the dropped them
> > separately.  Does anyone know the gist of this experiment or where
there
> is
> > a good read on the subject.
> >    Thanks a lot in advance.
> > Tom McCarthy
> > Saint Edward's School
> > 1895 St. Edward's Drive
> > Vero Beach, FL  32963
> > 561-231-4136
> > Physics and Astronomy