[OT] Simple math considered physics

[Jim Kuzdrall]

On Thursday 22 November 2007 12:01, Ric Werme wrote:

> Sigh, one course I didn't take in college and kinda wish I had was
> Fluid Dynamics.  I really should read up on that.  I did show some
> movies in a FD class showing turbulent & laminar drag.

    I took Fluid Mechanics at Michigan Tech (in the UP) in the summer 
after my freshman college year.  It was very different from the 
abstract symbolic solutions that were favored at MIT.  I think I wore 
out a slide rule converting head-feet-of-kerosene to psi etc.  We had 
to do 15 problems a week, at least one being s stumper to try prevent 
there being any 100% papers.  (And nobody would even consider sharing 
work back then - you were there to learn as an individual, not as a 
group.)

    Several things of lasting value came from the course besides knowing 
how wide to dig ditches.  I am confident that I can convert any units 
the world wants to work with.  And, I learned the value of doing a 
dimensional analysis on the equations.  If the equation is calculating 
pressure, it better evaluate to pressure units.

    The book was "Elementary Fluid Mechanics, 4th Ed", John K. Vennard, 
John Wiley & Sons, copyright 1961.  An oldie but goodie, it might be 
available on abbooks.  In my opinion, the current books are stuffed 
with glitter and pabulum.

> >     That means the initial velocity must be 44m/s to arrive at the
> > plate at 40m/s (90mph).
>
> mlb.com has a "gameday" display that shows data about each pitch, I
> think that's about the right amount of drag.  It also shows data
> about the arc of the ball and whatnot.

    Glad to hear that I was close!

    As far as getting people interested in science or engineering, most 
of the good engineers in my generation started out from an early age 
wanting to build something.   I wanted ham radio gear that I couldn't 
afford.  We knew (after trying) that the formal education was necessary 
to succeed.  So we entered are studies determined to get knowledge from 
them; good marks were secondary.

    Perhaps our society has been wealthy for too many generations.  Few 
young people seem think about what they want to accomplish in life.  
Everything they could want is there - or so it might appear.

    Oh, well.  Maybe they are right, and the era of nuts-and-bolts 
engineering and physical science are mostly over.  Sort of like the era 
of the great classical symphony composers.

Jim Kuzdrall