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Re: EMF



What about preserving EMF but saying that F stands for a
word which is not force? For example, fuel, fin, flame or
factor. Nobody will think think it is a real fuel, real flame,
real faucet, real finger, real favor, real fire, etc. I would
choose "factor" but almost anything is better than force.
Ludwik Kowalski

SSHS KPHOX wrote:

Reading in The Physics Teacher(vol39, Feb 2001 p 69) today a letter from N
Legault and D Peschard caught my eye as the term electromotive force has
always seemed a quaint nuisance. I don't know how much it annoys my
students and I don't know who is in charge of symbols and terms, if
anyone.

They propose the term electomotive potential with the same symbol (capital
script E). Does this make sense? How does one institute changes like this
that make sense or does one?

Ken Fox
AP/IB Physics Teacher
Smoky Hill High School
Aurora, CO