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Re: Physics Laboratory Design



At 21:00 10/14/98 -0600, Chip Sample wrote in response to this question
of Jerry Hester's:

How do you deal with student attitudes regarding physics laboratories?

... We went over
examples of lab reports from students of earlier vintage and critiqued thir
work to learn what was good and bad numerical reasoning. It's something
most students don't know.
...
J. D. (Chip) Sample

This seemed such a sensible method that I got to thinking that the case
study method is quite wasted on Harvard business and law students, when it
could be applied to worthier Physics and Engineering students...but perhaps
my bias is showing?
Another factoid to share: a current thread on non-magnetic stainless alloys
in a metalworking newsgroup threw up several memories from various
contributors, still strong after thirty years or so, of a lab demonstration
( and these persistant memories all have a memorable teacher stuck right in
the middle of them...).
A current is passed through a long wire, a stainless or piano wire that
either sags or is tensioned with a spring. The wire grows red hot.
Then the current is cut off.
The writers report that the wire cools to a dark color, then briefly glows
red again; meanwhile the wire shortens, extends reflexively then cools.
Others describe the varying sag.
This was (is?) offered as a change of state latent heat, a curie point
issue etc....


brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK