Re: [Phys-l] three central misconceptions about relativity

[clement@hal-pc.org]

How do you  know it is a terrible idea?

The only way to find out which sequence produces better understanding is
to actually do the experiment of teaching it both ways and looking at the
outcomes.  There is evidence that teaching something totally abstractly
can be a terrible idea.  The abstract method of teachin Newton's laws
results im memorizatin without understanding.  But building it up with
exploration first works much better.

The more historical approach may actually help build the concepts, and
then the more abstract treatment can solidify the concepts.  I doubt that
you can teach physics with QM first, so why assume that giving student
handles that help them bridge to better understanding is a terrible idea. 
Indeed there is research that shows that you can build better conceptual
understanding by using anchor and bridging analogies and there is a
complete curricumum "Preconcnceptions in Mechanics" that uses this
technique.

So saying that teaching relativity by throwing out the classical
interpretations is the only correct way is purely an opinion, until the
experiment has been done to verify that it works.  I think that using the
classical interpretations are useful as bridges to full understanding.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> Gday All,
>
> John Denker earlier stated <Again:  Just because Einstein used contracted
> rulers and dilated
> clocks in 1905 doesn't mean it is a good idea.  In fact it is a terrible
> idea.  It is *incompatible* with a modern (post-1908) understanding of the
> subject.>
>
> In our state mandated Physics Syllabus, the document we base our teaching
> on and on which our state wide assessment material is based it says (in
> part)
>
>  1. identify that if c is constant then space and time become relative
>
>  2. discuss the concept that length standards are defined in terms of time
> in contrast to the original metre standard
>
>  3. explain qualitatively and quantitatively the consequence of special
> relativity in relation to:
>
>   – the relativity of simultaneity  – the equivalence between mass and
> energy  – length contraction  – time dilation – mass dilation
>
>
>
> Remembering that student are going to be asked question directly on this
> material, what is the *best* approach for giving my students a good intro
> level understanding of relativity while at the same time enabling them to
> answer questions in the state test?
>
>
>
> They are asked questions such as
>
>
>
> a) How has our understanding of time been influenced by the discovery of
> the constancy of the speed of light?
>
> b) piece of radioactive material of mass 2.5 kilogram undergoes
> radioactive decay. How much energy is released if 10 grams of this mass
> are converted to energy during the decay process?
>
> c) A mass is moving in an inertial frame of reference at a velocity v
> relative to a stationary observer. The observer measures an apparent mass
> increase of 0.37%.Calculate the value of v in m/s.
>
>
> Regards
>
> Peter Craft
> Head Teacher Science
> Corowa High School
>
> Phone 02 6033 1889
> Fax 02 6033 1889
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