Re: Am I pushing your leg? (Was: CAUSATION IN PHYSICS)

["Bernard G. Cleyet & Nancy Ann Seese" <georgeann@REDSHIFT.COM>]

Right, when one "pulls" opens a door (or drawer) one is pushing on the back of
the knob or drawer pull.

Here's a question that would help me: mutual e-m attraction, repulsion is a push
or a pull?,  or is it something else?, e.g. a distortion of the "space" between
the carriers of the charge (moving? in the case of magnetic) that ..........

As usual, Panzers,

bc



John Mallinckrodt wrote:

> On Sat, 14 Oct 2000, John Denker wrote:
>
> > At 02:55 PM 10/14/00 -0500, John M. Clement wrote:
> >
> > > To accelerate a block you must push it.
> >
> > Not strictly true.
> >   -- you might pull it instead of pushing it
>
> I've always enjoyed doing the following demonstration which, I
> think points to the generally artificial distinction between
> "pushing" and "pulling":
>
> Stand behind someone and "push" on her left shoulder with your
> right hand and with your fingers extended toward her spine. Ask
> her whether you are "pushing" or "pulling." Now, while maintaining
> contact and exerting the same force on her shoulder, walk around
> until you are facing her and ask again.
>
> So what distinguishes a push from a pull?  Is it where the "agent"
> is located?  That seems a little tortured in this case.  And even
> if so, what *is* the agent here?  Or is it that "pushes cause
> compression" and "pulls cause tension"?  I think any definition,
> no matter how unambiguous, will fail the "common sense test" in
> certain circumstances.  Fortunately, it is seldom if ever a useful
> distinction anyway.
>
> A force is a force, of course, of course.
>
> John Mallinckrodt      mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
> Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm