Thursday, November 14, 2013

What if . . . relative velocity on a busy morning

It was one of those hard fought, "we can barely make it out the door on time" mornings.  As we headed up the road (at constant velocity) my five-year-old said, "Mommy, what if the road were moving and we were holding still?"
 




"What if," indeed.  It makes me happy to know that he understands that just because we are moving relative to the road and the trees does not mean that we are moving.  Maybe they are.  What tells us which is moving? According to the laws of physics, nothing.  In fact, some days it might be better to assume we are the ones holding still while everything goes past.

I hope that he always realizes that his reference point is a matter of choice, and not just in physics.


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I can't wait to hear what you have to say! Thanks for sharing.