Re: [Phys-L] conceptual physics

[Chuck Britton <cvbritton@embarqmail.com>]

I never really appreciated/understood/internalized the progression of 
the moon's phases until I realized the importance of the lunar 
calender with each 'day' beginning at sundown because that is when 
the first crescent of the waxing moon is seen in the west as the sun 
is setting.

This cultural hallmark is what worked for me to keep/put things straight.

.
At 10:51 PM -0500 5/10/12, John Clement wrote:
> Actually the big question is what causes the phases of the moon.  If you
> look at the video "A Private Universe" you find that most people don't have
> the foggiest idea, or rather they have very poor models.  It is availabe for
> viewing on the web if you search for it.  I would say that conceptual
> physics is designed to build good mental models of physical processes and
> build the ability to reason throught to good conclusions given what you
> already know.
>
> Alas most conventional physics courses do not even do this, and the usual
> approach to conceptual physics doesn't often work any better.  The cubic
> moon is a good question after the students have the correct mental model.
>
> John M. Clement
> Houston, TX
>
> >  I like the counterfactual analysis questions - "what would
> >  the moon's phases look like if it were a cube instead of a
>  > ball?",