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I did not find a discussion of the above-referenced
topic in a cursor=
y=20
search of the archive. I hope that those of you who
have argued the=
=20
subject exhaustively will forgive me for
reintroducing it.
In teaching first-year, non-AP physics at the
high-school level, I ha=
ve=20
noticed that work seems to be the difficult topic
for students to=
=20
understand. The curriculum as I have implemented it
covers
W =3D F =95 d and W =3D delta-K, and were students
able to grasp the =
abstract=20
nature of work, we would presumably have made an
elegant transition b=
etween=20
study of force and examination of energy.
The difficulty that we all seem to face is in
covering essential mate=
rial=20
to the necessary level of depth in the allotted
time. Experience has=
=20
taught me that regardless of how quickly I wish to
cover certain topi=
cs,=20
the class will move at its own pace. Ultimately, I
am left with too =
little=20
time to give fundamental topics (such as
conservation of mechanical e=
nergy)=20
their due.
The question (finally), then, is: how important is
the topic of work=
to a=20
solid understanding of basic physics? Can I
sacrifice W, allowing mo=
re=20
time for energy conservation (and for whatever else
needs shoring up)=
?
Because this question is rather open-ended, I am
happy to list the=
=20
possibilities that I am exploring, should they
provide a helpful=20
"jumping-off point". Feel free to ignore them.
=09=95 Continuing as we have over the last few
years: W =3D F =95 d=
=3D delta-K =3D=20
-delta U
=09 [I am oversimplifying for purposes of
brevity.]
=09=95 Eschewing the topic of work altogether, and
discussing conser=
vation of=20
mechanical
=09 energy in greater depth.
=09=95 Discussing work in the context of mechanical
advantage and si=
mple machines
=09 (i.e. using a more concrete definition, rather
than the abstrac=
t=20
notion, of W)
I do have a preference, but am most willing to hear
the opinions of o=
thers=20
who have experienced similar quandaries. Thanks in
advance.
[For reference, our school (public, middle-class
suburban) has four p=
hysics=20
offerings (total physics enrollment--150):
conceptual physics, physi=
cs,=20
honors physics, and AP Physics C.
The honors-level course is used to prepare students
for college or AP=
=20
physics courses. The most popular of the four
offerings is "plain-ol=
'=20
physics", taught as an introduction with some eye
toward college-prep=
=20
although most of those enrolled do not plan careers
in physical scien=
ce or=20
engineering. The question "do work or don't do
work" is meant to add=
ress=20
the needs of students in physics; those in honors
and AP should and c=
an=20
handle the abstract approach to the topic of work.]