[Physltest] [Phys-L] Re: California standards test in physics

[Herbert H Gottlieb <herbgottlieb@JUNO.COM>]

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 21:59:55 -0800 Larry Woolf <Larry.Woolf@GAT.COM>
writes:
> <http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/documents/css05rtqphysics.pdf>
>
> What do you folks think of the following questions:
>
> 3. A student wires a series circuit that includes a
> block of rubber and a light bulb. She states that
> she does not expect the light bulb to light up
> when current is applied to the circuit. Which of
> the following best describes her statement?

*** There appears to be a built-in bias with regard to gender here.
Why is it necessary to identify the student as a female. Other wording
could be substituted to avoid this gender bias (which is disallowed in
California).

*** The the statement does not specifically say that the block of rubber
was included in the series wiring of the circuit. All such circuits are
usually rest on a non-conducting surface such as wood or rubber.

> A It is a conclusion based on observed data
> about electrical phenomena.
> B It is a hypothesis based on knowledge of the
> theory of electrical phenomena.
> C It is a procedure based on her hypothesis
> about electrical phenomena.
> D It is a theory based on her observations of
> electrical phenomena.

*** Note that in the four choices above, the first two choices
use general non-sexual terms such as "observed data" and
"knowledge of theory". However the last two choices again bring
the terms "her hypothesis" and "her observations". Does the inclusion of
such terms mean that the sex of the observer is important in choosing the
best answer?
------------- ------------------  ------------------  ------------
> 8. A ball is thrown straight up and then falls
> straight back down. When it attains maximum
> height, the ball's velocity is
> A equal to its displacement.
> B equal to its displacement divided by the time.
> C at its maximum.
> D at its minimum.

*** None of the above choices appear to be "correct". During the instant
that the ball is at its maximum height, it's velocity is undergoing an
almost ininite number of changes in direction.

Herb Gottlieb from New York City
(Where we resent unnecessary inclusions of human gender into our
physics short answer questions)
_______________________________________________
Phys-L mailing list
Phys-L@electron.physics.buffalo.edu
https://www.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l