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Re: arbitrary choice of zero of potential

At 11:36 PM 10/16/01 -0400, Ludwik Kowalski wrote:
Most introductory textbooks teach that PEgrv = 0 can be
chosen arbitrarily at any distance between a particle and
the center of our planet.

Or any other place, not necessarily "between" anything.

For example, at the sea level, at
the floor level, at the top of a laboratory table, at the roof
of that building, etc. A blunder or an apparent paradox?

Neither blunder nor paradox.

It's just another example of gauge invariance. Gravitation is analogous to
electrostatics; just replace charge <--> mass.