Re: Comments: txtbk misconceptions

["Donald E. Simanek" <dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu>]

On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, LUDWIK KOWALSKI wrote:

> What about saying that capacitors strore electric field lines? Each line
> begins at a + and ends at a -.

And just *how many* field lines. Using the plural form suggests something
discrete and countable. That's nother misconception which used to be
commoner than it is now. And if we "cut" field lines, do the cut ends just
dangle and do they snap due to their elasticity?  Ah, the potholes in
language. Many of our problems teaching physics trace to the semantic
muddle of terminology which dates to earlier times when concepts were just
being formed and were still muddled. Other examples: action and reaction,
electromotive force, inertial force. 

	-- Donald

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Dr. Donald E. Simanek                            Office: 717-893-2079
Professor of Physics                                FAX: 717-893-2048
Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA. 17745
dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu                 http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek
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