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Date:      Sat, 18 Mar 2000 10:46:49 +0530 (IST)
From:      Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@physics.iisc.ernet.in>
To:        Kris Kennaway <kris@hub.freebsd.org>
Cc:        Brett Taylor <brett@peloton.runet.edu>, Mark Ovens <mark@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>, Paul Richards <paul@originative.co.uk>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Useful Metric Conversions
Message-ID:  <Pine.LNX.4.20.0003181040030.574-100000@theory8.physics.iisc.ernet.in>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0003171228110.47816-100000@hub.freebsd.org>

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> > I'll stick w/ mass - at least I'll buy the same amount on each planet or
> > in an accelerating frame.  :-)
> 
> I think you meant 'inertial frame'. In an accelerating frame your inertial
> mass (and gravitational mass, by the equivalence principle) will be
> different.

No, your mass is the same, your weight changes. You are
weightless in a freely falling elevator, but certainly not
massless. The definition of "inertial frame" or "accelerated
frame" varies: traditionally, earth's surface is (nearly) an
inertial frame with an external force (Earth's gravity) and the
freely falling elevator would be an accelerated frame and the
acceleration would give rise to a pseudoforce which cancels your
weight due to Earth's gravity; but in general relativity the
elevator is an inertial frame, not earth's surface, and your
weight on earth's surface (which you attribute to "gravity") is
really a pseudoforce arising from your being in an accelerated
frame. 

> The moral of the story: buy your sugar in a freely-falling elevator car.

If you only want to lose weight, of course, the freely falling
elevator (or an orbiting satellite, etc) is the place to be.



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