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I think this is the strongest argument I've seen for getting rid of the
misnamed courses in "conceptual physics". One must question their value
to the student and to the society. Originally I believe these courses
were promoted on the premise that they would produce "scientific
literacy" in a population otherwise deprived of that blessing. Here we
have a conceptual physics course with a menu of *important* concepts
which are intentionally left out. Not only are these topics not treated
mathematically, they are not mentioned at a natural juncture in the
course dealing with projectile motion.
Nick's omission here is not a unique error. It is entirely representative
of the point of view taken by proponents of such courses. I can talk about
*all* of the topics in the list on a level appropriate to a mathematically
unsophisticated student. Why is it inappropriate to talk about them when
they naturally come up?
Leigh