Re: little gee and its sign

[Jim Green <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>]

> Jim's point is well taken, but he is too adamant here by saying 'in any
> case'. The fact is g_vec *is* an acceleration.

This of course is merely semantics -- but I would hold that g is NEVER
acceleration -- It can be numerically equal to the "free fall"
acceleraton.  But for an intro class, g is a gravitational constant, which
has nothing to do directly with acceleration.   To hold otherwise is
pedagogical disaster as has been well demonstrated already in the thread.

I am sorry that my "tone" is not welcomed, but I am truly amazed at the
opposition to these thoughts.  But then the same people think that there
are tidal bulges, that heat is a substance, and that energy moves -- alas
wanders hither thither and yon through the galaxy.



Jim Green
mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen