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Re: Why work before energy in texts



From: Ludwik Kowalski <kowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>

Joe Heafner wrote:

Regarding the chosen reference level, relativistically all potential
energy must go to zero when the interacting particles are infinitely
far apart.

Ludwik Kowalski commented:

I would say the same is true for "mutually interacting particles"
in classical physics. Right?

Joe replied:

I'd probably buy that. The point is that the zero point
really isn't rigorously arbitrary.

Most introductory textbooks teach that PEgrv = 0 can be
chosen arbitrarily at any distance between a particle and
the center of our planet. For example, at the sea level, at
the floor level, at the top of a laboratory table, at the roof
of that building, etc. A blunder or an apparent paradox?
Ludwik Kowalski

Who knows....


Cheers,
Joe

CVAC Home Page <http://users.vnet.net/heafnerj/cvac.html>
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