RE: Nitpicking: gravity is not a force???

["John Gastineau" <john@gastineau.org>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu
> [mailto:owner-phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu]On Behalf Of Hugh Haskell


> Clearly "g" is not the force of gravity. That is "mg." But neither is "g"
> an acceleration,

This is an important point to make, so let me quote Hugh to emphasize it.

One twist that helps students is to NEVER use g = 9.8 m/s^2, but instead use g
= 9.8 N/kg. Those units are the same, but the N/kg version emphasizes that g
is really a constant of proportionality. I've been able to consistently do
this for the last few classes I taught, and students were, I think, very aware
of the correct role of g.

JEG