What do you guys think of the new Hewitt "Figuring Physics" in the
November issue of TPT?
After a cursory glance, I'm not sure I agree with the suggested answer;
which I think hinges on the idea that the motion of the free fall frame
of the apple, relative to the surface of the earth, is the same for the
earth--apple only universe as it would for a earth--apple--sun only
universe. And I don't buy that, though I may be missing something
obvious.
I could agree with the answer, if they are using a "word game"
definition of vertical, which has some validity. That is, if you define
vertical to mean the direction the apple falls; but in the context of
the question I think that would beg the question, which would become,
does a vertical path look the same for the two situations posited.
________________________
Joel Rauber
Department of Physics - SDSU