Something (other then Feb 14) that's been pissing me off

[jtex316]

This is for Brian Fein, really.

Why are scientific theories and formulas that apply to stuff that is gonna happen on Planet Earth always come with the "in a vaccum" disclaimer?  For example your throwing the football ordeal, you made a long explanation about whatever it was, and then you finished it off with "in a vaccum".

I don't understand anything, but especially that.  What good does it do to calculate stuff on the vaccum premises, when in the real world, there is air and an atmosphere and gravity and all that shit?

[Fau Teixeira]

because if you have too many variables in an equation, you can never solvei it .. so one way of trying to calculate items is to take away forces that are identical when comparing both sides of an argument..

why would you want to calculate for drag and air friction when you don't have to just to make a general comparison.

[Brian Fein]

The reason for this is because the theories of basic kinematics govern particle motion, which theoretically  have no mass and no volume, thus are not acted upon by air.  So, it can be said that its not necessarily a particle, but we must neglect the effects of air on the object for simplicity sake.  Thus, they use the term "in a vaccuum" or "frictionless surface" to make solving these things mathematically a lot easier, but of course don't apply to real life.

You can still solve these problems mathematically when taking air resistance and friction and inertia into account, but it gets very complicated and very mathematically messy, with lots of opportunities for mistakes.

Why has this been pissing you off?  Have you been secretly taking a physics class?

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Typical these questions get answered by the "geeks" of TDMMC, Brian and Fausto.  Hey guys,  I think Wal Mart is having a sale on Pocket Protectors.

[jtex316]

You know Tommy, usually I'd bust on the TDMMC Geek Squad just as fast...but your attempt at a joke was lame.  "Pocket Protectors"?? That's so 1984. 

[Brian Fein]

Typical these questions get answered by the "geeks" of TDMMC, Brian and Fausto.  Hey guys,  I think Wal Mart is having a sale on Pocket Protectors.

don't mistake intelligence for geekiness.  I'm sure the lines are difficult for you to distinguish...

Oh, sorry, am I using too big of words for you?

[Sunstroke]

"Pocket Protectors"?? That's so 1984.

They were lame in 1984 too...

[YoFuggedaboutit]

You know Tommy, usually I'd bust on the TDMMC Geek Squad just as fast...but your attempt at a joke was lame.  "Pocket Protectors"?? That's so 1984. 

And how old are you Joe?