NEW EDITOR FOR HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY

With this issue Alien F. Meyer, head of the chemistry departmentand evening school principal of the Mackenzie High School of De-troit, becomes editor of high school chemistry. Mr. Meyer’s efficientwork as president of CASMT, to which he as vice-president succeededwhen the illness of President Paul L. Trump forced him to resign,will long be remembered.Mr. Meyer received his Bachelor of Science degree from the Uni-

versity of Michigan in 1926 and the A.M. degree from the same insti-tution in 1931. Later he continued his work for the Ph.D. at theUniversity of. California, the College of the Pacific, University ofDetroit, Wayne University, and Lawrence Institute of Technology.His preparation was first in chemical engineering, which he followedas metallurgist for the Murray Body Corporation and later as achemist for Ford Motor Company. But the field of education wasthe winner, for he became a teacher in the Dearborn (Michigan)High School, then at Lodi (California) Union High School, and is nowin the Detroit Schools.

In all of this activity he has found time to serve as director andpresident of Metropolitan Detroit Science Club, as editor of Metro-politan Detroit Science Review, has filled all the offices in the chemistrysection of CASMT, has been a member of its important committees,and was a contributing author to A Half Century of Teaching Scienceand Mathematics.As editor of our chemistry department he replaces Dr. Kenneth E.

Anderson, who now takes over our department of Science Demonstra-tions.

HOW HIGH CAN A MAN JUMP ON THE MOON?

JULIUS SUMNER MILLERDillard University, New Orleans 22, Louisiana

Somewhere in the first course in physics the subject comes around to themeasure of gravity on the moon. It is either demonstrated analytically or. justsimply stated that g on the moon is roughly one-sixth that on the earth. Thetext or teacher then proceeds glibly to a conclusion something like this: If a mancan clear a six-foot vertical jump on the earth he can do about thirty-six feet onthe moon. And the matter is left there.My interest has been incited by the following analysis: Suppose the center of

gravity of the man to be 3 feet above the ground. When he clears a six-foot barhe raises his center of gravity only three feet. By analogy then, he can lift hiscenter of gravity eighteen feet on the moon. But it is already 3 feet above thesurface of the moon; hence he can clear a bar at 21 feet! What would your studentssay about this?

Note: I am indebted to Professor Cecil B. Read for inciting my own thinking inthis quarter and I take the liberty of stimulating others with his coin.

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