Re: [Phys-l] Equations again

["Richard Tarara" <rbtarara@sprynet.com>]

I just want to make this comment on all of this.  Mathematics is a TOOL
used by physicists to MODEL the physical world.  When we write equations,
we are trying to model that world.  Like all models, there are limitations.
All of the nuances of formal modern algebras may not necessarily be
applicable to the equations we use to model the physics.

Rick


> [Original Message]
> From: JMGreen <jmgreen@sisna.com>
> To: Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
> Date: 4/29/2006 6:10:59 PM
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Equations again
>
> A colleague belatedly supplies an example of what I was trying to address:
>
>  From the Wikipedia article "Conservation-of-Energy:"
>
> "...For a thermodynamic system with a fixed number of particles, the 
> first law of thermodynamics may be stated as: (sic)
> dbarQ = dU + dbarW, or equivalently, dU = dbarQ - dbarW, where dbarQ 
> is the amount of energy added to the system by a heating process, 
> dbarW is the amount of energy lost by the system due to work done by 
> the system on its surroundings and dU is the increase in the internal 
> energy of the system...."  (punctuation sic with dbar replacing the 
> symbol used)
>
> Now, folks, Q and W are energy???
>
> Hence, the original question: in F=ma does your brain think of F as 
> force or as acceleration?
>
> In an equation is each side of the equation thought of as having 
> identical dimensions?
>
> Jim
>
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