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On Tue, 24 Oct 2000, Leigh Palmer wrote:
>This is a misconception, after all. It is not correct. However, a large
>number of our students think this way. At least it seems to me (does the
>physics education research have anything to say on this?).
>
>I am just wondering if we may be inadvertently reinforcing this
>misconception. Maybe I should use a different header?
I understand the problem; I just see no reason one should not simply
tell students that a cause need not precede an effect, but it *may*
do so. An effect cannot precede a cause.
I'm glad you agree with me that instructors need to explicitly mention
this when using the word "cause". Granted, you may have, Leigh, but
before this thread, I never thought to do so (assuming it was a given that
students would properly interpret the equationa and know that force
doesn't precede the acceleration). Was I alone? How many of us actually
told students that a cause need not precede an effect?