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Fantasy Fiction Telegram, v. 1, issue 4, January 1937

Page 9

LESSONS IN SUPER-SCIENCE
WORK=FORCE X DISTANCE
BY MILTON A. ROTHMAN

Before proceeding, lets make a few points clear. I have been accused of digging up a dead argument. But the argument has never been dead, at least to me, and it will not be until it is finally settled. In case somebody has been under the impression that I am defending "The Irrelevant", I wish to state that the opposite is the case. I have merely been presenting the argument as given by the authoror the story, and now I am in the position of a puzzled soul trying to figure out whether the thing is rightor wrong, and why.

We have the equations w=f x d. If we divide through by t (time)we get Power=f x velocity, which is more convenient to use. Since v is a variable in a body under acceleration, and force is constant, then the power is variable, a function of v. So we are getting a variable power produced by a constant force, which in turn is produced by a constant expenditure of fuel.

Three things can be deduced, assuming that the velocity is constantly increasing: 1-That the power increases, 2-That the power is constant and the force decreases, 3-That the power increases, but a greater expenditure of fuel is required to maintain a constant force.

Number one which is the cause of the rumpus, seems to play havoc with conservation of energy.

If we demand that the power remain constant, we can't have a variable and a constant equal a constant, as the force must necessarily be inversely proportional to the velocity. But we get in to a worse fix here. The acceleration, or rate of change of velocity, is directly proportionalto the force. If the force decreases, the velocity will get greater at a lesser rate, and as ff is inversely proportional to v, the force will get smaller at a lesser rate, and the velocity will get greater at a still lesser rate, etc., etc. Resulting in the two quantities approaching limits, which can only be that the force will be zero and the velocity constant. Which means that the power will be approaching zero. All this fuel going to waste!

We can let the power increase if it wants to, but require a greater expenditure of fuel to keep up the constant force. But this seems silly also. However it can easily be determined experimentally whether it does require an increasing amount of fuel to maintain a constant acceleration.

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LESSONS IN SUPER-SCIENCE WORK=FORCE X DISTANCE BY MILTON A. ROTHMAN Before proceeding, lets make a few points clear. I have been accused of digging up a dead argument. But the argument has never been dead, at least to me, and it will not be until it is finally settled. In case somebody has been under the impression that I am defending "The Irrelevant", I wish to state that the opposite is the case. I have merely been presenting the argument as given by the authoror the story, and now I am in the position of a puzzled soul trying to figure out whether the thing is rightor wrong, and why. We have the equations w=f x d. If we divide through by t (time)we get Power=f x velocity, which is more convenient to use. Since v is a variable in a body under acceleration, and force is constant, then the power is variable, a function of v. So we are getting a variable power produced by a constant force, which in turn is produced by a constant expenditure of fuel. Three things can be deduced, assuming that the velocity is constantly increasing: 1-That the power increases, 2-That the power is constant and the force decreases, 3-That the power increases, but a greater expenditure of fuel is required to maintain a constant force. Number one which is the cause of the rumpus, seems to play havoc with conservation of energy. If we demand that the power remain constant, we can't have a variable and a constant equal a constant, as the force must necessarily be inversely proportional to the velocity. But we get in to a worse fix here. The acceleration, or rate of change of velocity, is directly proportionalto the force. If the force decreases, the velocity will get greater at a lesser rate, and as ff is inversely proportional to v, the force will get smaller at a lesser rate, and the velocity will get greater at a still lesser rate, etc., etc. Resulting in the two quantities approaching limits, which can only be that the force will be zero and the velocity constant. Which means that the power will be approaching zero. All this fuel going to waste! We can let the power increase if it wants to, but require a greater expenditure of fuel to keep up the constant force. But this seems silly also. However it can easily be determined experimentally whether it does require an increasing amount of fuel to maintain a constant acceleration.