Re: lost msg: Re: bad-faith argumentation (was *earth* vs. *wing*)

[David_Anderson <dfa@FNAL.GOV>]

Ok to be exact, measure the acceleration of the plate, "a" and the
reduction in weight will be on the order of:

reduction= weight(g-a)/g

where g is the acceleration of gravity.
This assumes that the bottom of the cage is large with respect to the size
of the plate and the distance that the plate is to fall.  I'm also not
getting into the problem of small transient effects.

David Anderson
dfa@fnal.gov


On Tue, 24 Aug 1999, Ludwik Kowalski wrote:

> Referring to a flat plate ("parachute") accelerating in a cage
> standing on a scale, David_Anderson wrote:
>
> > The scale would read a reduced weight as the plate dropped, just as a
> > diving board goes up when you step off of it.  Unlike the birds in the
> > cage, the plate is in (almost) freefall and does not have a supporting
> > force.
>
> Hmmm, but it keeps compressing air and pushing it toward the scale.