Two scientific accounts are empirically equivalent relative to a stated domain when they give the same observable consequences there. Agreement on the observations so far is weaker than agreement on every possible observation.
For Newtonian mechanics with forces depending only on relative positions, a common Galilean transformation leaves relative positions and accelerations unchanged. Internal mechanical observations therefore cannot discriminate rival choices of a wholly uncoupled privileged uniform rest state. The qualification concerns uniform motion; it does not imply that rotation or acceleration is unobservable, or that special relativity makes identical predictions.
Articles by others on the same topic
There are currently no matching articles.