The art in scientific thinking—whether in physics, biology, or economics—is
deciding which assumptions to make. Suppose, for instance, that we were dropping
a beach ball rather than a marble from the top of the building. Our physicist
would realize that the assumption of no friction is far less accurate in this case:
Friction exerts a greater force on a beach ball than on a marble. The assumption
that gravity works in a vacuum is reasonable for studying a falling marble but not
for studying a falling beach ball.
deciding which assumptions to make. Suppose, for instance, that we were dropping
a beach ball rather than a marble from the top of the building. Our physicist
would realize that the assumption of no friction is far less accurate in this case:
Friction exerts a greater force on a beach ball than on a marble. The assumption
that gravity works in a vacuum is reasonable for studying a falling marble but not
for studying a falling beach ball.
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