3 ms·
Something related which I've not been able to find the root of - in some older British mathematics textbooks, F=ma is written instead p=mf (and this is definite
by tomatocracy 3y ago
Something related which I've not been able to find the root of - in some older British mathematics textbooks, F=ma is written instead p=mf (and this is definitely p meaning force and f acceleration and not an equivalent formula in terms of impulse or similar). I would love to know why these letters were used.
- schoen 3y agoThe p is probably Latin potentia or French puissance, but I'm not sure about the f!
- Telemakhos 3y agoThe p stands for impetus; i was already used for inertia, and m is in the same equation for mass, so p was the next best letter to use.
- jewillco 3y agohttps://mathoverflow.net/a/23258 https://mathoverflow.net/a/23258 claims it is from Latin “festinatio.”
- popol12 3y agoAre you sure you didn't read p=mg instead ? poids = masse * gravité weight = mass * gravity