Re: [Phys-l] "Unlearning"

["Dr. Keith S. Taber" <kst24@cam.ac.uk>]

At 07:28 -0700 10/9/10, curtis osterhoudt wrote:
> I suspect that BC was getting at the fact that even without "complicating
> factors" such as air resistance and support flexibility, a simple pendulum is
isochronous only in the small-angle limit.

But even given this, I would feel this is still a 
useful thing to teach, subject ot pointing out it 
is not an exact relationship.

My examples about atoms filling their shells ,and 
I think (and I'm interested to know if anyone 
thinks I am wrong on this one), that refraction 
is like a marching bandŠ are rather different , 
as they are 'models' that are not useful 
approximations but conceptually quite unlike the 
target scientific thinking.

Keith

--
Dr. Keith S. Taber

http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/staff/taber.html
http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/kst24/

Author: Progressing Science Education - 
Constructing the Scientific Research Programme 
into the Contingent Nature of Learning Science 
(Springer: 2009)

University Senior Lecturer in Science Education

Science Education Centre
University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
184 Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 8PQ
United Kingdom

to join an electronic discussion list on
learning in science
please visit
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/learning-science-concepts