Questions tagged [physical-sciences]
For questions about teaching and motivating students who are engaged in studying the physical sciences, namely biology, chemistry, and physics.
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Are there any fun toy applications of representation and character theory for finite groups to physics?
Representation theory has very deep ties with physics, leading to incredibly profound and admittedly cool results such as the classification of particles in the Standard Model via mass and spin by ...
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What are specific set of tools Partial Differential Equations provide in studying a system? [closed]
I know what are PDEs, but I am looking to identify the major strengths of PDEs. If I have to convince a pool of engineers to use PDEs for solving a problem, let's say stress distribution in a body. ...
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How can I visualize differential equations and Integration in real life?
How can we understand differential equations and Integration in real life so that we can understand calculus easily. All we do here, at university level is memorize calculus and get the answer. We ...
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How to recognize possible dyscalculia in a student?
I am looking for input/advice regarding whether a student I just began tutoring may have dyscalculia - and, if so, how to go about broaching the subject / assisting them as best as possible.
I'd ...
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Examples of real-life vector fields for vector calculus
My two main ones are Electrostatic force field $\mathbf{E}\left(\mathbf{r}\right)=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0 \left|\left|\mathbf{r}\right|\right|^3}\mathbf{r}$ and Gravitational force field, $\mathbf{F}\...
user13544
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A Question about Theodore Frankel's "The Geometry of Physics"
Locked up in my self-distancing isolation in NYC, I'm reminded of how much I really like Frankel's book, which contains a wealth of beautiful geometry and topology from the standpoint of a ...
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How to use Calculus to give an explanation for a video by Lewin [closed]
In the video by the well-known physicist Water Lewin Link Here,
in which he demonstated a series of experiments of rolling objects. Many are quite surprising. At the end of the video, the attended ...
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How to teach integrals motivated by the work done in moving an object?
I am now teaching Calculus of several variables this semester. In apllications of integrals, the problem of finding the work done in moving an object under a force $F$ is one of the most common ...
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Co-curricular lessons between geometry and chemistry?
My school is hyped about the promise of co-curricular education and they are giving the math and science teachers paid days off to develop lesson plans that synergize our learning goals. I'm on ...
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Scientific results on the usefulness of physical units in secondary education?
When we encounter "real world problems" in math, one can chose different levels of detail with regard to units: from leaving them out completely up to using them everywhere.
I'd argue that both ...
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Integrated math curriculum in different countries
One of the selling points of re-hashed American 1990s high school math programs is that they are "integrated", that is, combine algebra, geometry, statistics, trigonometry just like the European ...
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Activities for calc based physics
I was sort of thrown into teaching calculus based physics to a bunch of non-physics majors, who have taken one semester of calculus, and are poor with that material. It is only a 50 minute per week ...
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Structure of math textbooks
Math textbooks for undergraduate and graduate students are almost always structured in the same way. Each chapter/section/etc. has it's definitions, theorems, propositions, etc. with proofs following ...
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Analogies or explanations for duality, at the college sophomore level
This semester I taught the third semester of my college's freshman physics sequence. Nearly all the students are engineering majors. Compared to previous semesters when I've taught this course, I went ...
user507
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Does education research support the idea that answer keys are bad?
I am a physics grad student and several of my professors have stated that they are against the idea of posting answer keys (i.e., worked solutions) for homework and/or tests (after the assignment has ...
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What science books would you recommend a curious middle school student to read at home?
OK, this is not exactly a Math Education question, but in lieu of a functioning Science Education site and because in middle schools Math and Science are often taught by the same teachers, I'll ask ...
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What are the fundamentals of writing practice questions for early teen students?
I have to write some practice questions, or toy problems for some students in the age range 11 to 14. This is for a workshop I will be running. The students are encouraged to work on these questions ...
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Literature on student understanding of assumptions
In a discussion with a physics lecturer he mentioned that one major area where students fail is understanding assumptions - for example, if we are interested in two objects hitting each other and then ...
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Elementary physics course for pure math student
Are there any mathematical departments which present the course "elementary physics" for pure math undergraduate students, separately?
Is there a way to present this course with the most pure ...
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What are the mathematical prerequisites to quantum mechanics?
Which topics - what skillset in mathematics need the students to possess to be able to proceed with learning quantum mechanics without hitches like need for explaining notation or understanding the ...
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Designing a Good Question on Kinematics: Test and Develop
So I was asked in an interview to design two questions for UK Physics A Level students studying the suvat equations, that is, equations of motion with a constant acceleration.
The first needs to '...
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How to explain that we live in a three-dimensional world?
How does one explain, clearly and simply, that we live in a three-dimensional world?
The explanation has to be understandable for a twelve year old child.
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Best way to memorize the conversion between m/s and km/h
If you want to convert for example $2\,\mathrm{\frac{m}{s}}$ to $\mathrm{\frac{km}{h}}$ you have just to multiply it by $3.6$ and get $2\,\mathrm{\frac{m}{s}} = 7.2\,\mathrm{\frac{km}{h}}$.
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Applications of Calculus 2 to Physics
I'm teaching a section of Calculus 2 (integration techniques, arc length, surface area, improper integrals, parametric & polar functions, sequences, and series ) next semester and would like to ...
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Physical applications of higher terms of Taylor series
Depressingly many of the physical "applications" of Taylor series that I can find in textbooks and online are actually just applications of linear approximation, since they only take the constant and ...
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Physics in Linear Algebra
Talking about physical phenomena related to a particular field of mathematics can be interesting for students and might further motivate their study of the subject. For instance, there are ...
user230
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What are some activities/projects I can assign to calculus students from bio/chem/physics majors to specifically motivate their interest?
(This question was proposed during the area51 phase.)
It's common for chemistry/biology/physics majors to be required to take certain calculus courses. At my school, chem/bio students must take up ...
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