Two recent articles make prominent use of the concept of “apparent weight.”1,2 The concept of “apparent weight” leads to two confusing inconsistencies. We need to know that with very little change in our representations, we can give our students an improved understanding of “weight” without ever having to invent the appealing but confusing concept of “apparent weight.”
Topics
Education
REFERENCES
1.
Marina
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Marina Milner‐Bolotin, “The ultimate elevator ride: Weight and apparent weight,” Newsletter of the Ontario Association of Physics Teachers, p. 1 (Nov. 2008).
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A. A.
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