Re: Work-energy worries

[Jim Green <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>]

At 23:47 08 10 2002 , the following was  received:
> John Mallinckrodt wrote:
> > ... After all, who
> > among us--other than, perhaps, myself (and I'm not so sure about
> > that)--is flexible enough to accommodate the notion that the boater
> > does work on herself.
>
> The boater does work on the boater.  In more detail,
> various parts of the boater do work on the other parts.
> This hardly seems like a feat of flexibility;  it seems
> like the only reasonable way to approach the issue.  This
> is the Nth reincarnation of the "skater" question.
>   http://www.monmouth.com/~jsd/physics/car-go.htm#sec-skater

I agree with JohnD.  Yes indeed JohnM's approach of using the idea of
pseudowork seems to me to be quite unnecessary.   Each time the ice skater
problem comes up, I get out JohnM's work paper and try to get some help out
of it.  I am still trying.  But I keep the reprint. <g>

Especially for intro students, W=dKE ought to be enough, if the various
systems are broken down appropriately.



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

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.