Re: reason for "s = distance travelled"

[brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>]

At 10:08 8/24/97 +0200, you wrote:
> I got recently a question from one of my students that I couldn't
> answer. The question was simply : "What is the reason for using
> the letter s to denote distance travelled ?". I promised to check it
> out, so if anyone has a historical/philological explanation I would be
> grateful to receive it.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Inge H. A. Pettersen		email:	ingep@online.no	
> St. Olav videregaaende skole
> Postb 590
> N4001 Stavanger		
> NORWAY			
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
I reviewed some texts to find that s,S holds a variety of meanings.
Here are some:

s distance along a path
ds dS element of area
s specific heat
s radius of curvature
s velocity of source
s electric moment
s distance along a path
s solubility
s specific entropy
s second (time)
S surface tension
S black (in chemical dystuff names)
S area
S Poynting vector
S Sulphur
S Siemens (electrical)

Reviewing some works by mathematical physicists, I see that
Feynman uses s in his geometrical optics lecture, and that
Maxwell uses s in "Dynamical Theory of the EM Field"
both in the distance context.

I would have wished to consult an English translation of
"Principia..." where I fancy Newton may possibly have used
the symbol; but I have no copy.

It would be particularly pleasing if he used s as a reasonable
initial letter for a term in his written language; something like
s - secta (path, method etc.) but this is wild speculation.

 I will resubmit this question to the archivists of Newton's 
and Galileo's works in hopes they can help.

Regards
brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK