Re: A short survey.

[Ludwik Kowalski <kowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>]

I wanted to know how many of them would think about
one half of an equilateral triangle in this context.

Those who decide to send me the results, like 39,4,11,
should conduct the survey in a college non calculus physics
course. That is what I am interested in. That does not mean
I was not interested in David's generalizations.
Ludwik Kowalski

P.S.
I will be teaching tides in about six weeks. How many of
them would see a connection between a fancy saddle I might
prepare and the earth-moon system?

Rick Tarara wrote:

> Ludwik,
>
> You shouldn't be surprised at these results.  You asked the second question
> backwards.  Had you asked, 'Write down the Sine of 30 degrees', you might
> have gotten more correct answers.  :-)
>
> If anyone thinks this is not a factor in student performance, try giving
> reverse definitions {give tithe definition and the students give you the
> word or term which the definition describes--well some do!}
>
> Rick
>
> **********************************************
> Richard W. Tarara
> Professor of Physics
> Saint Mary's College
> Notre Dame, IN 46556
> rtarara@saintmarys.edu
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> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ludwik Kowalski" <kowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>
> To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 2:47 PM
> Subject: A short survey.
>
> > Then I turned toward the class and said "Use a piece of scrap
> > paper and a pencil, but not a calculator, and answer the
> > following question. What is the angle whose sine is 1/2?
> > You have two minutes."
> >
> > After two minutes I said "The correct answer is 30 degrees.
> > I want to know how many of you got the correct answer."
> > I turned my head toward the blackboard again and said: "raise
> > your hand if your answer was correct." Only 11 hands were
> > raised.