Re: Physics Laboratory Design

[herbgottlieb@juno.com (Herbert H Gottlieb)]

 "Brian McInnes" <bmcinnes@pnc.com.au> writes:
> > Dan wrote----------
> >  how does a table "know" to push upwards with exactly the right 
> > force to support a book and not drop it or throw it into the air. 

> Notice how sometimes if you drop a book on to the table, the table 
> doesn't "know" exactly what the "right" force is and throws the book a
little 
> bit back into the air.  Perhaps it's because it hasn't had time to get
> acquainted with the book.  Its big cousin, a trampoline net, makes 
> this sort of mistake all the time.
>
> Brian 
........ and if it's a real heavy book, a flimsy table will miscalculate
the force and actually drop the book.

Herb Gottlieb from New York City
(Where our textbooks are getting heavier and heavier and our tables are
getting weaker and weaker)