Re: Gravity and pi

["Van E. Neie" <ven@PHYSICS.PURDUE.EDU>]

> dear phys-lers,
> I recall reading the Thomas Jefferson once proposed that
> the meter be defined as the length of a pendulum with a
> period of two seconds (at sea level).  If this had been
> done, then g in m/s^2 would be precisely pi squared.

But would it not be a coincidence that the meter, which was defined
originally as being one ten-millionth the distance from the Equator to the
Pole, turns out to be the length that gives almost exactly 2 s for the
period of a pendulum?  If the Earth were the same circumference but had a
different density, that wouldn't be the case.

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Van E. Neie                                      ven@physics.purdue.edu
Dept of Physics                                 PH:  (765) 494-5511
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