Bill, To clarify the meanings of absolute and gravitational: If mass is dominant, a mechanical set of three units for mass, force, and time is called "absolute"; examples- gram, dyne, second; kg, newton, second; pound, poundal, second. If force is dominant, the set is called "gravitational"; example- pound, slug, second.
---- Original message ---- >Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:00:36 -0400 >From: Bill Hooper <[email protected]> >Subject: [USMA:47882] Re: The metric system or what? >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >... > Pat, > ... > When I studied physics in college (Rensselaer > Polytechnic Institute), we had four "systems" of > units that we learned. They were: > the English "absolute" system > (based in part on the slug as the mass unit and > the pound as the calculated force unit) > the English "gravitational" system > (based in part on the pound as the unit of mass > and the poundal as the calculated force unit) >... > Bill Hooper > 73 kg body mass* > Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA > * plus or minus a kilogram or so.
