Re: [Phys-l] "Flow"

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

I answered the question for myself by using google (etymonline.com).   
From the similarity in the roots and the words themselves, I think the 
idea of flow should be eschewed by instructors of beginners, except for 
(with) real (as opposed to  imaginary) fluids, e.g. water, gasses, ions, 
etc.

bc, cryptic.


p.s.  momentum is transferred from one object to another by work (+ & -) 
during a collision?

JMGreen wrote:

> This post is a bit confusing -- Is there an answer to the original 
> question here?
>
> Jim
>
> At 06:08 PM 5/19/2006, you wrote:
>  
>
> > Is there a reason for both (flow & fluid) having the same two initial
> > letters?
> >
> > bc, who wonders if JG accepts the verb transfer in this context.
> >
> > p.s.  http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=f&p=8
> > <http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=f&p=8>
> >
> > not exactly the same origin.
> >
> >
> > Larry Smith wrote:
> >
> >    
> >
> > > At 9:08 PM -0600 5/18/06, JMGreen wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >      
> > >
> > > > I must confess that the recent "flow" discussions caught me me by
> > > > surprise.  I would like  to explore my understanding of how others
> > > > use the term ...
> > > >
> > > > Consider the Joule Mechanical Equivalent of Heat experiment:
> > > >
> > > > Which of you would prefer to think of the process as follows:
> > > >
> > > > The Earth does work on the weights as they fall.
> > > > The weights do work on the strings.
> > > > The strings do work on the paddle wheel.
> > > > The paddle wheel does work on the water molecules.
> > > > The average KE of the water molecules increases.
> > > > The temperature of the water increases.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >        
> > > I prefer this last explanation.
> > >
> > > My concern about momentum|heat|energy flow is that intro students might
> > > think that it does mean there is a fluid corporeal substance moving.
> > >
> > > If JD carefully explains that the blue bicycle is different from the red
> > > bicycle, and if he gets good results...I find it hard to argue with good
> > > results from the students.
> > >
> > > But I also think it is difficult to guess what is in students' minds until
> > > someone does the research.  Educational research can produce very
> > > surprising results.
> > >
> > > I don't mind if JD or the community of physicists define "flow" to apply to
> > > things like momentum, but until the research is done it isn't clear that it
> > > benefits intro students, especially when in their prior experience "flow"
> > > means a fluid.
> > >
> > > Larry
> > >      
>
>
> J M Green
> Email:  MailTo:JMGreen@sisna.com
> WWW: HTTP://users.sisna.com/JMGreen
>
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