Re: [Phys-l] Force on an accelerating piston

[Ludwik Kowalski <kowalskil@mail.montclair.edu>]

On Dec 31, 2006, at 10:40 AM, Dan Crowe wrote:

> Let me rephrase the question to make my intention clearer:
>
> If a rigid piston has mass, is the force that the gas exerts on the
> piston while the piston is accelerating away from the gas less than the
> force that the gas would exert on the piston if the piston was at rest?

I think it is the same. When the frictionless piston accelerates toward 
the vacuum the force exerted by the gas is the net force. When the 
piston is at rest the  force exerted by the gas is equal and opposite 
to the force that is applied from the other side. One can control 
acceleration by controlling the outside force.
_______________________________________________________
Ludwik Kowalski, a retired physicist
5 Horizon Road, apt. 2702, Fort Lee, NJ, 07024, USA
Also an amateur journalist at http://blake.montclair.edu/~kowalskil/cf/