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[Original Message]_______________________________________________
From: Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>
To: <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Date: 2/8/2006 5:40:23 PM
Subject: Re: What students will do. (was: Physics Solutions Manual)
Hi all-
I think that Antthony is on the right tracck. I think that,
historically, high school and freshman college physics, were much more
qualitative and less mathematically demanding "in the old days". There
was more gee-whiz stuff, which was fine for getting people interested in
the subject. Reasonably rigorous mechanics, except at places like MIT and
CalTech, was postponed until about the junior year. I think the reason
that MIT was pushing the envelope back in the '30's was because there was
a substantial undergraduate influx from New England's prestigious prep
schools coupled with an influx of physics faculty (stolen from Princeton)
who had recently studied under the German physics masters.
Regards,
Jack