Re: [Phys-l] Teaching energy

["Jeffrey Schnick" <JSchnick@Anselm.Edu>]

ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2006, ROB SPENCER WROTE:
> 1)  I start off by pointing a stretched rubber band...
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Rob.  Thanks for sharing your excellent way of introducing the concept
of energy in your class.  I'm guessing that when you ask the students
what it is that you give to the rubber band, some of the responses (e.g.
"force" and "power") allow you the opportunity to address common
misconceptions.  I'd be interested in hearing the same kind of thing
(what you do, what the students do in response to that, and where you go
from there) regarding the initial introduction of energy in an
introductory physics class, from others.

Jeff Schnick
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH