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50.95 divided by the speed of light squared? So, for all
practical purposes - if that's right - it's zero. Why not just say so? That depends entirely on the units you're using. If you measure the velocity of C in typical human-scale units (e.g. metres per second) then C^2 is, indeed, a numerically-large value, and 50.95/C^2 is numerically small (and will be in units of watts seconds-squared over metres-squared). If, on the other hand, you measure velocities on another scale, things look very different. Specifically, let's use a scale which represents each velocity as a fraction of the maximum possible velocity... let's call this unit of velocity "skedaddles". Measured this way, C is precisely 1.0 skedaddle, C^2 is precisely 1.0 skedaddle squared, and 50.95/C^2 equals 50.95 (watts per square skedaddle). Same result... only the units of measurement are different. Neither result is zero. "Numerically small" is not equivalent to "zero for all practical purposes". (obLinguistic: "skedaddle" is a somewhat quirky American term of uncertain heritage, which means "leave in a hurry, scram, escape", and seems a reasonable term for a scale of zerch up to as-fast-as- possible. I believe that the equivalent British term was defined as "runawayrunaway" by King Arthur, as cited in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"). -- Dave Platt AE6EO Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads! |
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