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Re: Car acceleration



I agree a re-wording is in order.

The problem with "cause" has been discussed before on this list (search for
"F=ma" in the list archives). I just know my students would ask me "If the
force causes the acceleration, what causes the force?"

____________________________________________
Robert Cohen; rcohen@po-box.esu.edu; http://www.esu.edu/~bbq
Physics, East Stroudsburg Univ, E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Horton [mailto:ChrisAHorton2@HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 7:56 AM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Car acceleration


One could argue that E is the correct answer: The force of
the foot on the
pedal causes a chain of events with the result that the car
accelerates.

No, I am not just being facetious. The joker in this deck is the word
"causes". This word as commonly used (and I don't remember it being
redefined in any physics curriculum) does not preclude any number of
intermediate agencies, time delays, etc.

A better wording might be "What force acts on the car to accelerate it
forward?"
Chris