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Re: [Phys-L] Evaluation tests



I don't recall what BC said, but I look at the percentage change of the numerator versus the percentage change of the denominator.

rwt

On 12/17/2013 1:19 PM, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:
I am curious how the people on this list came to the answer - it might help in knowing how we would want our students to come to the answer - i.e., how to think as physicists.

I read BC's approach - I would be thrilled if my non-science majors could think in that fashion. I had a slightly different approach - I never actually thought about the numbers per se. I envisioned a line divided into 27 parts and one divided into 17 parts. I could "see" that 25 parts were closer to the right end of the line than 15 parts - it was all purely visual - no deliberate use of formal logic.

Do we as physicists intuit answers or do we formally apply critical thinking?

Bob at PC
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Richard Tarara
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Saint Mary's College

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