Re: Flaws wanted

From: OsherD (mdoctorow_at_comcast.net)
Date: 03/28/05 

Date: 27 Mar 2005 20:43:52 -0800

>>From Osher Doctorow

I think that the original author of the thread asked to explain why
mass isn't a vector.

Vectors in Euclidean geometry have directions in ordinary language.
For example, when you drive a car or walk in the street or on the
sidewalk, you go in a particular direction with a particular speed, and
that defines a velocity vector v (written in boldface or with an arrow
above it to indicate that it is a vector). Its magnitude is either
written /v/ or v in non-boldface print or without an arrow on top of
it. Since all vectors are parallel to vectors beginning at the origin
(with tails at (0,0,0) in 3-dimensional Euclidean space), any vector in
3-dimensional Euclidean space can be represened as (x, y, z) which is
the vector that starts at the origin (0, 0, 0) where the coordinate
axes meet and has its tip or arrowhead on the point (x, y, z) such that
the perpendicular line segments from the point to the x-axis, y-axis,
and z-axis respectively hit those axes at the points labelled x, y, an
z.

Nobody has found a direction for mass. Weight has a direction
(downward toward the Earth vertically roughly speaking) but weight is a
force or pull of gravity near the Earth for example, and weight = mg (m
times g) where m is mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity. g
is constant near the surface of the Earth more or less. Acceleration
is the change of velocity as time changes, and since velocity is a
vector and time isn't usually taken as a vector, acceleration is a
vector. Since mg already has g as a (relatively constant) vector, mg
doesn't "need" a second "vector m" to have a direction.

If you find a direction for mass, let me know. I have people who will
pay top dollar for it. :>)

Osher

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