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Re: What makes you think N#3 is correct?



If you consider two electrons swerving past each other, the Lorentz forces
are not equal and opposite, and the linear momentum of the bare particles
is not conserved. We ascribe momentum and energy to the accompanying
fields so that the overall momentum and energy are conserved. This is a
testable model and works. (Eg. the fields can transfer real "particle"
momentum/energy to distant objects.)

The bottom line is that the system of two interacting electrons is not a
simple two-particle system . . . there are other entities involved - the
fields - whose momentum/energy must be recognized.

N3 envisions only interactions between two, otherwise isolated bodies. N3
is at most ambiguous in multi-entity interactions. The more fundamental
model of momentum conservation applies to all these situations - N3 is a
corollary for the special case of a two-body interaction.

N3 was an ingenious insight of Newton into a basis for the impossibility
of certain phenomena. I always include in teaching N3 an open discussion
about impossible feats which we could accomplish if N3 (more generally,
conservation of momentum) were not true.

Bob Sciamanda (W3NLV)
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Britton" <britton@NCSSM.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 5:15 PM
Subject: What makes you think N#3 is correct?


Is N#3 still 'suspect' when the various fields are taken into account?
Especially the Vector Potential?