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Re: [Phys-l] glassware needed



At 04:41 PM 1/1/2009, you wrote:
More important than a wattmeter is a precise method of turning the heater on
and off. RTP uses the Vernier pulser module. You really want students to
be able to compare change in temperature with the number of pulses of heat.
>From the point of understanding, knowing the exact amount of energy is much
less important. And as mentioned before, just using Styrofoam cups makes
the process almost adiabatic.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

Forgive me for wondering how knowing that there were x pulses of
unspecified length involved in heating a sample is superior to knowing that
w watts were supplied for t seconds. Is this a case of less is more?


Brian Whatcott Altus OK Eureka!