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Re: SI and nothing else



My almost standard reply to book salesmen is "unless you can point to some
significant difference in your author's text don't waste my time." I don't
think my reply alone will have much impact, but if everyone made the same
request we might get some innovative books.


On Tue, 23 Sep 1997 10:14:19 EST Paul Camp said:
I was a graduate student when Jones and Childers were writing their
algebra-based intro text and they were proposing just this idea. Not
just because of the SI system but also because students are more
familiar with currents than with static charges and currents are
easier to work with and less flaky in the lab.

The publisher nixed this idea because it was insufficiently the same
as every other book in the world. As long as that idea persists, it
is always too late.

But I would not support the idea of returning to the old CGSE/CGSM system;
that Gaussian hybrid was also anti-pedagogical in many ways. The SI Ampere
is the most basic electric unit. Doesn't this suggest that learning about
electricity in motion should preceed learning about electricity at reast?
Light bulbs, electroplating and electromagnets instead of pith balls and
electrostatic generators? In my opinion a decision of switching to SI
should have been matched with a decision to modify the teaching sequence
in electricity. And who said it is now too late for this?
Regards, Ludwik Kowalski


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@coastal.edu --Umberto Eco
pjcamp@postoffice.worldnet.att.net The Name of the Rose
(803)349-2227
fax: (803)349-2926