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Re: Physics for Electricians



At 12:24 PM 1/12/02, you wrote:
hi
I am teaching a semester long general physics class to electricians. =
Obviously I don't need to teach them about circuits. :)

What I thought I would do was try to focus on more relevant aspects. =
My thoughts for a course outline would be as follows

1. Vibrations, waves, sound and music.
2. Light, optics, optical instruments, diffraction and that stuff.
3. Energy
Then I thought I could go one of 2 ways. =20

I could either go onto to teach thermal physics or onto theories of t=
he atom and modern physics.

I am inclined to teach thermal though because there may be a few ac/h=
eating guys in this class. Also it is more likely that the students =
will work with ac, cars and such before they work with quarks.

I think that is plenty for a 16 week semester. =20
I just wanted some other thoughts (practical)

Thanks
Tina Fanetti


Practical technicians can be assumed to believe that the electric
current moves at the speed of light. They will believe that current is
composed of free electrons. They sometimes believe that sounds
and radio waves propagate in a similar way.
They may not appreciate how c for sound is much faster in solids.

A conception of specific heat capacity, and latent heat of fusion and
vaporization is useful. They may believe in immutible physics "Laws".

It is helpful to discuss the temperature difference between
a piece of foam plastic, and a piece of iron direct from the fridge:
how one feels warm, the other feels cold.

It would do no harm to mention the em waves emitted by water when a
magnetic field is changed. Touching on the temperature coefficient
of resistivity for metals and say carbon could be interesting.
They will be entirely innocent of the standard measures of thermal
resistivity and electrical resistivity. Careful, sympathetic treatment of these
two measures would be a service to mankind! What does an
"Ohm meter" unit MEAN? What does a "Watts per meter Kelvin" unit MEAN?

Touching on the linear and cubic expansivity of materials could be helpful.

Ready mental conversion of temperature from F to C is helpful.

Continual estimation of sizes given in meters is helpful.

A demonstration of an Edison diode using a regular incandescent
light bulb with an external anode foil could be interesting.

A demonstration of heating a metal rod with one end fixed, the other
rolling on a sewing needle and a pointer flag might catch their interest.

A careful discussion of electrical power versus electrical energy would help.

Showing the delightful simplicity of estimating power from rpm and torque
in rotating shafts would help to dispel the universal myth of the
independence
of torque and HP (bred by muscle car ads and cultivated in the popular
culture since then).

Living in hope,

Brian Whatcott
Altus OK Eureka!