I thought that gravity on the moon is 1/6 of that on earth,
Han
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph B. Reid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2001 1:30 AM
Subject: [USMA:11059] Re: Mass and Force
> In USMA 11043 Gene Mechtly wrote:
>
> >On Thu, 15 Feb 2001 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> >> ...
> >> ... on the moon 1 lbm = 0.16 lbf (appr)...
> >
> > Sorry, Han. That is pure garbage. Mass is not equal to force
> >by *any* unitless multiplication factor, exactly or even approximately.
> > The relationship is f=m.a; Newton's Second Law in most simple
> >form. You forgot the acceleration!
> >
> >>...while the natural constant 9.8 m/s2 is universally the same.
> > Wrong again, Han; g is a *variable* not a constant!
> > The constant 9.80665 m/s2 is a constant invented by humans
> >(not a natural constant) to lock "gravitational" units to "absolute"
> >units, unambiguously, by Newton's Second Law.
> >
> >> In the Technical system we had 1 kgm = 1 kgf at sea level, but on the
moon,
> >> again, 1 kgm = 0.16 kgf (appr).
> > Still more garbage, Han.
> > I'm sorry to be so blunt since this conflicts with my high regard
> >for your great contributions to the advancement of SI.
> >
> >Gene.
>
>
> I quite agree with what Gene wrote. I think Han really meant that at sea
> level at 45° latitude kilogram-mass and kilogram-force are equal
> numerically by definition. But on the moon a gravitational force of x kgf
> = 0,16x kgm.
>
>
>
> Joseph B. Reid
> 17 Glebe Road West
> Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071
>
>
