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Re: Nitpicking: gravity is not a force???



Mervin Koehlinger wrote:
I agree wholeheartedly with you. I studiously avoid the use of the phrase
"force of gravity" in my physics classes for the exact reason that you
state: it leads students to think that it is always the same magnitude,
even though they can calculate that it isn't. It is very confusing to
them. I use the term "gravitational attraction of the earth" in its
place. "Gravitational field" would be appropriate also, once we cover the
field concept.

My students tend to think of g as the force. And I have to keep
correcting them that it's acceleration, not force. I use the words
"gravitationl pull" or "weight" for force though. I never thought of
gravity as a field. That really clears things up. (Understanding comes
really late in life....)

But sometimes I feel like a total failure because I don't know where did
I teach wrong that they get such misconceptions? How do you get
feedback on your teaching?

ap