Re: vibration vs. oscillation

[Bob LaMontagne <rlamont@POSTOFFICE.PROVIDENCE.EDU>]

ACTUALLY (sic) ... that was tongue in cheek

:-)

Bob at PC

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 6/25/2004 at 9:11 PM Caryn wrote:

> 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
> > >
> > > ----------