Re: What Flows?

["Dewey Dykstra, Jr." <dykstrad@varney.idbsu.edu>]

> On Fri, 13 Sep 1996, Dewey Dykstra, Jr. wrote:
>
> > I still have not heard how the dot product of a force and a displacement
> > can have the _same_ dimensions as the cross product of the two.  We
> > differentiate between the multiplicative product and the quotient, why not
> > the dot and cross products?
>
> Dewey,
>
> Despite my earlier argument that torque and energy SHOULD not have the
> same dimensions, it is simply a fact that they do given the convention
> that angular displacements are dimensionless.  The dimensions of both are
> M L^2/T^2.  Perhaps you are thinking of some other meaning for the word
> "dimensions"?
>
> John
John:
Maybe recognizing that angular displacements play a role is part of the way
'out.'  What I have been referring to is in my response to Gene Mosca.  It
boils down to if dimensions are involved in _different_ mathematical
operations, isn't the result a _different_ combination of dimensions?

Seems like one of these two possibilities makes more sense than suggesting
that the dimensionality of torque and energy are the same.

Dewey

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Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr.                   Phone: (208)385-3105
Professor of Physics                    Dept:  (208)385-3775
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Boise State University                  dykstrad@varney.idbsu.edu
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