Re: vibration vs. oscillation

[Caryn <cy1229@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

ACTUALLY.... an electron doesn't really "spin" in the way we know it.  But
calling it a spin is the easiest way to understand it.  We assign a "spin"
number but the word "spin" is a misnomer.   --Caryn in Greenwood

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu]On
> Behalf Of Bob LaMontagne
> Sent: Friday, June 25, 2004 9:00 PM
> To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
> Subject: Re: vibration vs. oscillation
>
>
> An  electron has angular momentum - what's spinning -
> external - internal ?
>
> :-)
>
> Bob at PC
>
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
> On 6/25/2004 at 11:44 AM Todd Pedlar wrote:
>
> > At 10:59 AM 6/25/2004, Carl E. Mungan wrote:
> > > > 2. A particle cannot rotate or vibrate; it can only
> translate.
> > > Yes, this follows from your previous sentence. I would
> add that
> > > rotational and vibrational energies are therefore forms
> of internal
> > > energy--they are relative to the COM--in contrast to the
> bulk
> > > translational energy.
> >
> > A quibble on this statement, Carl.  Rotational energy is
> definitely not
> > internal.
> > Just as translational kinetic energy is not internal,
> because it is a BULK
> > motion,
> > so is rotational kinetic energy.  All parts of the object
> have the same
> > angular
> > velocity \omega.  Internal energies must involve motion of
> constituents
> > relative
> > to other constituents, and can never involve common motion
> of the bulk
> > body,
> > as both translational and rotational motions do.
> >
> > Todd
> >
> >
> > ----------
> > Todd K. Pedlar                   Assistant Professor of
> Physics
> > pedlto01@luther.edu          Luther College, Decorah, IA
> >
> > http://academic.luther.edu/~pedlto01/
> >
> > ----------
> > Ludwig Boltzmann, who spent much of his life studying
> statistical
> > mechanics, died in 1906, by his own hand. Paul Ehrenfest,
> carrying on the
> > work, died similarly in 1933. Now it is our turn to study
> statistical
> > mechanics. Perhaps it will be wise to approach the subject
> cautiously.
> >                                         -- David L.
> Goodstein, States of
> > Matter
> >
> > ----------