Re: Feeling Acceleration

[Bob Sciamanda <Sciamanda@worldnet.att.net>]

A. R. Marlow wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Apr 1997, Rauber, Joel              Phys wrote:

> > ...
> > 2) I've never seen a force sensor yet that doesn't work by first measuring
> > acceleration.
> > ...
>
> Is there a consensus on this list on the validity of this statement?  It
> has been made repeatedly before, and as far as I recall, without
> challenge.  I would really like to know, because if there is a consensus
> in its favor, further discussion of the matter is rather pointless.
>
> A. R. Marlow                          E-MAIL:  marlow@beta.loyno.edu

One of my bathroom scales registers the compression of a spring, which
responds to a force, not an acceleration.  Another of my scales
registers the elongation of a strain gauge, which responds to a force, 
not an acceleration.

Even a hanging pendulum (or tethered helium balloon) repond to
accelerations through intermediary 
forces (I hasten to add: "as viewed and understood from a Newtonian
inertial frame".)  Whew! Hope 
that avoided some flames :)
-Bob Sciamanda