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Re: Work/Energy theorem ?



John,

Yeah..... Sure you can tell the difference. If "what you feel" is
too crude a measure for you, use an accelerometer. My claim is that the
guy on the ground will see a reading of zero on his accelerometer, the guy
on the train will see his accelerometer read different from zero as the
train stops.

Here's a different work-energy problem for you. Remember the old
mail cars on railroad trains? They could hook a mailbag from a station
platform as the train rolled through the station. Assume the train moves
through the station at a constant velocity. Mike is standing on the
platform, Mary is riding in the mail car. Calculate the change in K.E.
for the mailbag (before hooking and after hooking) from Mike's point of
view and from Mary's point of view. Do they agree?

Cheers...

Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Physics Department
California State University, Fullerton
P.O. Box 6866
Fullerton, California 92834-6866

Phone: ++ (714) 773-3884
Fax: ++ (714) 449-5810
e-mail: mshapiro@fullerton.edu