Re: Workshop Physics and future physicists and engineers

[trappe@PHYSICS.UTEXAS.EDU (Trappe)]

Just a word of caution in response to Paul and Dennis' remarks:  Study
after study has shown that we (in Physics) treat our courses as if they
were NOT the terminal course.  Yet the reality is, that more often than we
would like, they are the last real physics course a student will ever take.
(Dykstra:  do you have a reference?)

Now, if you have the luxury of having an introductory physics course
devoted exclusively to physics majors, you know that those who survive
will, indeed, take more physics.  At U of Texas, we offer 3 different
calculus based intro courses (majors, engineers, pre-meds), but our majors
course has more chemistry majors than physics majors! A less than humorous
look at our Engineering Physics course is that "Physics is the Engineering
road to Business."  My best example is that senior Electrical Engineering
lab has 64 slots, while the freshman enrollment in EE is 500!  So...beware
in believing that your students will actually take another of our courses
after the one "you" teach.

This is not to disagree about the other remarks regarding the need for
conceptual understanding. I believe that the HW problems are the place for
the biophysics for premeds, etc in a composite course for all calculus
based intro physics.  Karl


.... we
> > should concentrate more on giving them a good conceptual foundation
> > in physics. Make sure they understand the basics so they don't
> > misapply them later and let the engineers teach the engineers how to
> > calculate. They should find that job greased pretty well if their
> > students don't come into dynamics thinking that acceleration is
> > velocity.
> >
> > I have a difficult enough time allowing sufficient leisure to do the
> > physics without having to cover engineering for the engineers,
> > biophysics for the premeds, hydrodynamics for the marine scientists
> > and statistical mechanics for the chemists.

> > Paul J. Camp
>
>        I agree with Paul.  The introductory physics course is not the only
> exposure future physicists and engineers will have to physics.  Its role is
> to provide a solid foundation for future work.  All these students will be
> taking more advanced courses which cover anything missed and at a
> mathematical level that is more appropriate for a better understanding.
>
>                                        Dennis




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Dr. Karl I. Trappe                        Desk:(512)471-4152
Physics Dept-Mail Stop C1600              Office: (512) 471-5411
The University of Texas at Austin         FAX: (512) 471-9637 (other building)
Austin, Texas 78712-1081                  E-Mail:trappe@physics.utexas.edu
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