Transcript A New Algebra-Based Introductory Physics Curriculum

A New Algebra-Based
Introductory Physics Curriculum
Beth Ann Thacker
Physics Department
Texas Tech University
The student population:
• High percentage intend future careers in the
health sciences (may major in biology,
English or zoology)
• Highly motivated
The student population:
• High percentage intend future careers in the
health sciences (may major in biology,
english or zoology)
• Highly motivated(to make A’s)
The student population:
• High percentage intend future careers in the
health sciences (may major in biology,
English or zoology)
• Highly motivated (to make A’s)
• ~ 50% female, 50% male
• Many have poor mathematical skills
Very little attention has been paid
to the needs (physics content) of
these students –
What physics topics will be useful
to them in their future careers?
Why do they need to learn
physics?
“Workshop Physics with Health Science
Applications”
NSF grant to “redesign” Workshop Physics for this population
by taking into account their learning needs (math skills,
learning styles, context…)
It is a major redesign,
• not just teaching the physics in a standard manner and
adding some homework or other problems that relate the
topic to the human body, but learning the physics in the
context of experiments that have to do with human motion
and other topics of interest to these students
• not just removing the calculus
As a first attempt…
I wrote Physics by Inquiry1
for these students
1Lillian
C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University
of Washington, “Physics by Inquiry,” John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1996.
• Students develop concepts based on
experimentation
• Materials are on the computer (no text)
Suppose you had an object that had a positive charge of 100C.
For the following questions we will use the following formula: F=(KQ1Q2)/r2
a. If there were an object with 5C of charge 5m away from the 100C object, what would be the
magnitude of the force that object would experience? What value do you get, if you divide the
magnitude of the force the object experiences by the charge of the object?
The magnitude of the force would be 1.8 x1011. If we divided the magnitude of the force by
the charge of the 5C object we get 3.6 x1010.
b. If there were an object with 15C of charge 5m away from the 100C object, what would be the
magnitude of the force that object would experience? What value do you get, if you divide the
magnitude of the force the object experiences by the charge of the object?
The new magnitude of the force would be 5.4 x1011. Then if we again divide the force by the
charge of the 15C object we get 3.6 x1010.
c. If there were an object with 1C of charge 5m away from the 100C object, what would be the
magnitude of the force that object would experience? What value do you get, if you divide the
magnitude of the force the object experiences by the charge of the object?
F= 3.6 x1010 and this force divided by the 1C charge is 3.6 x1010.
d. If there were an object with 20C of charge 10m away from the 100C object, what would be
the magnitude of the force that object would experience? What value do you get, if you divide
the magnitude of the force the object experiences by the charge of the object?
F= 1.8 x1011 and this force divided by the 20C charge is 9.0 x109.
e. If there were an object with 4C of charge 10m away from the 100C object, what would be
the magnitude of the force that object would experience? What value do you get, if you divide
the magnitude of the force the object experiences by the charge of the object?
F= 3.6 x1010 and this force divided by the 4C is 9.0 x109.
h. Add the results for an object with 10C of charge at 15m from the 100C object.
Predict the results for the magnitude of the force on the object divided by the magnitude
of the charge of the object for a 2C charge at the same distance.
F= 4.0 x1010 We predict that the force divided by the charge of the object for 2C
charge at the same distance would be 4.0 x1010. We made this prediction because
we noticed that no mater what the charge is, at a given distance the force divided
by the charge will always be the same.
i. What observations can you make about the magnitude of the force on the object
divided by the magnitude of the charge of the object?
As we stated above, we noticed that no matter the charge, for a given distance, the
force divided by charge would be constant.
Obtain an EKG sensor, EKG electrodes, and a LabPro computer
interface. Open the LoggerPro software. Under File select Open, then
select Probes and Sensors, then select EKG sensor and then select EKG
sensor again. You may also want to use the EKG strip chart selection.
Follow the direction on page 5 of the EKG instructions for connecting
the EKG sensors to a person. Record the EKG for each person in your
group. Save your EKG to a file, so you can print it out.
c. Go back the EM Field program and set up the electric dipole as in
part a. Then try to move the charges in such a way as to reproduce your
EKG reading, by recording and plotting in Excel, the difference of
potential between two points.
The students loved it.
They learned physics concepts well.
It takes too long.
This is disappointing to me.
We can’t cover all of electricity and
magnetism and waves in a semester
teaching by inquiry with all concepts
developed in class.
Get over it!
Next attempt will be to make materials to take
home – that are still by inquiry (that don’t
need equipment) and some readings. These
are in addition to homework.
There are many things to report about this
course –
--how it runs
--physics education research
--addition of health science applications
For more information
Workshop: A New Algebra-based Introductory
Physics Curriculum
Philadelphia, Winter 2002 AAPT
(NSF grant 9981031with Ann Marie Eligon,
Grand Valley State University)
Website http://www.doane.edu/hpp
(NSF grant 0088780, University of Nebraska,
Doane College, Mercy College)