Re: What Flows? & heat rises?

[SHEPHERDG@gtcc.cc.nc.us]

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> Does anyone have any evidence,
> anecdotal or otherwise, that using the words 'energy flows' tend to
cause
> students to think in terms of the caloric model?  Is this true even when
> the words are used along with an emphasis that energy is not a
substance?
> Is there evidednce combining these two ingredients causes confusion?
>  > --  > --James McLean
> jmclean@chem.ucsd.edu

> Ok, anecdotal: Ask any student (even half the grad students you know)
> to explain why the flame of a match points upwards and he will tell 
> you "heat rises" pretty much of the time. That this does not mean helium 
> balloons are hot and does not explain flames in zero g environments  is
> immaterial -- it indicates a readiness to conceive of something  along the
> lines of a caloric model for cultural reasons.

> Paul J. Camp                   "The Beauty of the Universe
> Assistant Professor of Physics  consists not only of unity
> Coastal Carolina University     in variety but also of  Conway, SC  
> 29528              variety in unity. pjcamp@csd1.coastal.edu            
> --Umberto Eco pjcamp@postoffice.worldnet.att.net    The Name of the
> Rose
> (803)349-2227                          fax: (803)349-2926
 
Hi Paul!
      I agree with you that a student would probably say that, but if you led
them on and said, " 'You mean hot AIR rises?" , they'd probably say that
that's what they meant since they know a balloon with hot air or helium
both rise. I wonder, though,  if students would really think of heat as a
material (caloric-the noun) since they wouldn't suspect that a material
was passing up through the bottom of a pot that was "heating-up" (if I
dare even use the term in that way) water contained in it?
Gordon Shepherd