- #1
pmb_phy
- 2,952
- 1
I would like to make a suggestion for a new physics forum. There are topics which always come up in all discussion forums and newsgroups. That's the purpose of a Frequently Asked Question page. Since people will always want to discuss these things, especially newbies, and since the same topics being disucssed often gets on people's nerves, then a solution (not "the" solution since there could be other solutions to this same problem) to this problem is a new forum whose purpose it is to discuss these topics on an on going basis. In that way, since the purpose of the forum is to keep these discussions going, then there will be no desire to lock a thread, which can irritate the people who want to keep discussinbg the subject. Perhaps we can call it the Frequently Asked Question's Forum. This should not be thought of as as a place where FAQ topics which arise should be moved to though.
It would also be advisable to have an FAQ pafe of our own which defines the sides to topics/FAQ's in which there are two sides of a debate in an unbiased way.
I was thinking about this due to the number of recent threads on the subject of the speed dependence of mass. For example: The following threads are either on that topic or have discussed it
In the General Physics forum
amateur gravity questions
In the Special & General Relativity forum
Does relativistic mass have a gravitational component?
Gravity - ve velocity ?
Dought regarding equivalence principle
Speed Increases mass
Energy
And that's just since I was able to start using the internet again.
There is one rule of thumb that one might suggest as proper etiquette in the case of these mass discusssions is to first speify what you mean by "mass" in the very first usage of the word in a thread in the relativity section and do so in an inoquous manner i.e. instead of telling someone that "mass does not increase with speed." say "(rest) mass does not increase with speed." The rest of your ussage of the term "mass" will then be implied. Aftger all, that's what authors do in modern relativity texts and that's a nice goal, i.e. while posing in the relativity forum try to be as precise as a textbook author.
Thoughts/suggestions?
Pete
It would also be advisable to have an FAQ pafe of our own which defines the sides to topics/FAQ's in which there are two sides of a debate in an unbiased way.
I was thinking about this due to the number of recent threads on the subject of the speed dependence of mass. For example: The following threads are either on that topic or have discussed it
In the General Physics forum
amateur gravity questions
In the Special & General Relativity forum
Does relativistic mass have a gravitational component?
Gravity - ve velocity ?
Dought regarding equivalence principle
Speed Increases mass
Energy
And that's just since I was able to start using the internet again.
There is one rule of thumb that one might suggest as proper etiquette in the case of these mass discusssions is to first speify what you mean by "mass" in the very first usage of the word in a thread in the relativity section and do so in an inoquous manner i.e. instead of telling someone that "mass does not increase with speed." say "(rest) mass does not increase with speed." The rest of your ussage of the term "mass" will then be implied. Aftger all, that's what authors do in modern relativity texts and that's a nice goal, i.e. while posing in the relativity forum try to be as precise as a textbook author.
Thoughts/suggestions?
Pete
Last edited: