[Phys-L] Re: Bateman (was survey meters)

[anngeorg at PACBELL.NET (Bernard Cleyet)]

I gave up trying to solve the simple sec. order non-lin, homogenous eq.
for a pendulum (lin. approx.) w/ kV^2 damping, and felt humiliated that
I had to to do it numerically using true basic.  Now I have the ultimate
cheat book, REA's problem solver, 1390 pp.  "... will save you hours of
time in finding solutions to problems."  It, however, doesn't deal w/
series decay, or my pendulum problem, but does thrown balls w/ kV^2
drag! which is enuff.

bc

Spagna Jr., George wrote:

> Ludwik asks:
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu] On
> Behalf Of Ludwik Kowalski
> Sent: Friday, October 21, 2005 2:25 PM
> To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
>
>
> > 2) What effect does commercial mathematical software tools have on
> > motivation to develop mathematical skills?
>
>
> Our math department relies heavily on Mathematica.  I get students who
> can't do simple calculus or even algebra without taking it into the
> software package.  I find that they're learning keystrokes, not
> mathematics.  They're certainly not developing anything resembling
> mathematical reasoning skills.
>
> Years ago I joked with a student that I would hit her with a Nerf bat
> whenever she did something egregiously stupid with math - including
> using software to integrate or differentiate simple analytic forms.  I
> never got the bat, but my wife gave me a set of Nerf ping pong paddles,
> which I sometimes take to class to make my point.
>
> **********************************************
>      "When you read or hear anything
>         about the birth of the universe,
>           someone is making it up."
>                          -Leon Lederman
> **********************************************
>
> Dr. George Spagna
> Chair, Physics Department
> Randolph-Macon College
> P.O. Box 5005
> Ashland, VA 23005-5505
>
> phone: (804) 752-7344
> fax: (804) 752-4724
> e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
> http://faculty.rmc.edu/gspagna