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Re: [Phys-l] internal/external conservative/nonconservative forces!?!?



-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Philip Keller
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 8:02 AM
To: 'Forum for Physics Educators'
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] internal/external conservative/nonconservative
forces!?!?

But one more thing -- I just realized that I do use the words "external
force", but not as a word that characterizes a specific type of force,
but rather to indicate that it is being applied by an agent that is not
part of the system currently under consideration. So ANY force can be
external or internal depending on the choice of system. Obviously, this
has NOTHING at all to do with whether the force is conservative or not.



Which I think is one of the major criticisms of the web-based materials that sparked this thread.