Re: "acceleration due to gravity"

["Paul O. Johnson" <pojhome@SWBELL.NET>]

I agree with everything Jim said but I have a question. Since the
measurement unit of the local gravitational field is m/s*2, can I call g the
acceleration due to gravity of a freely falling object?

Paul O. Johnson
Collin County College

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Green" <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: "acceleration due to gravity"


> My position is quite simple: "g" should not be called "acceleration due to
> gravity" because it is not acceleration!  "g" represents the local
> gravitational field -- and its introduction should be accompanied by a
> careSince the measurement units ul explanation of the concept of the
artificial mathematical invention
> of a field.
>
> One does not need Leigh's complications to see the necessity of making the
> use of "g" clear to the students.  If the student sits stationary in the
> lab, "g" is not zero but there is no acceleration -- at least no local
> acceleration.

> Jim Green
> mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
> http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen