Harvey said above: In this example, are Newton's laws 'true'? They are true like the 'sun is setting' is true. It works to describe what we see, but the real fact of the matter is that something else is really the case and the approximation is just a crude means by which to classify certain phenomena.

Harwey, what is wrong with Newtons'laws?

1 st law: v=const if F=0.
2 nd law: F=dp/dt
3 rd law: F12=-F21

Is anything wrong with them? They were right, they are right and will always be. Any alien will be using them wether to calculate speed of accelerating body, or amount of fuel needed for lift-off from his planet, or to calculate his planet's (or moon if he lives on a moon) motion, or to calculate the amount of time it takes to cross the universe or to visit neighbors.

• Doesn't work in QM - harvey1 - January 26, 2002 - 01:54 UTC
  • Correction. - alexander - January 27, 2002 - 00:26 UTC
• Some issues regarding the correction - harvey1 - January 27, 2002 - 02:03 UTC
  • Correction - harvey1 - January 27, 2002 - 02:04 UTC