On Sep 29, 8:12*pm, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:

Roger, you appear to be re-inventing the wheel.

I sure hope I am. There isn't supposed to be anything new here.
We're talking about physics after all. It's just supposed to be an
entertaining discussion that makes the subject a bit more accessible
than a physics textbook and emphasizes points that I have encountered
a lot of confusion about, even among people who have advanced
degrees. Read through to the last section. The situation with
sailing vessels arose because USCG naval architects understood all the
math (and how to keep their units consistent but never held in their
mind a gut level understanding of what the number actually represented
and who boats act in the real world.

--
Roger Long