What matters most?

[Mark Davidson]

Richard Brekne wrote:
>I suppose I could buy Mark and Bills reasoning better if the coupling
between
>the levers was not free as it is.... still even then.. In anycase.. More to
>think about

I wrote:
>Put a 10kg and 20kg weight in wagon, pull it around.  Take them out and put
>in an 11kg and 19kg weight.  Feels the same.  That's oversimplified for a
>piano, where parts accelerate at different speeds, but it's the same idea.
>Not sure why you call it static.  You can't feel the weight if you don't
>move it.

The wagon counter argument is this.  Connect three wagons with rubber bands.
Put 10kg in each wagon and pull.

Now redistribute weight so that 5kg is in front two wagons, 20kg in last
wagon. It WILL feel different when you pull - less resistance initially -
although it will take the same amount of energy to accelerate all three
wagons to any given speed.

-Mark