Today in non-major, algebra-based physics we went over the fairly classic problem of determining which will win a race down a hill, a sliding block or a hoop, cylinder, or solid sphere? I like working through this problem because it’s a great way to show students the [...]

In my last post, I talked about how students were drawing very complicated free body diagrams (FBDs) in class. Not even stick figures, they were drawing extremely complicated figures with gears on pulleys, wheels on cars, etc.

This is all fine and dandy [...]

This year marks the fourth I am teaching some form of introductory physics. Some factors have changed (institution, textbooks, student ability level) but I’m finding that some things remain the same. I’m getting a better handle on the common misconceptions my students have.

A big one revealed itself this week regarding free body diagrams (FBDs) [...]

Last weekend I had the privilege of chairing two physical science sessions at the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) Student Symposium at Elmhurst College. The undergraduate students in my sessions presented some very fascinating accounts of research projects, and I was impressed [...]

One of my favorite professors in college warned us after each spring break that the time between then and the end of the semester is the fastest of the entire school year. I believed him then, and I believe him now. It’s amazing how fast time can pass.

In our Analytical Mechanics class, the students did research projects in which they analyzed stories from literature for the physics that might be present. We heard presentations about The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hobbit, The Pit and the Pendulum, and even Jack and the Beanstalk. For extra credit, the students could opt to do [...]

The Fall 2010 semester is over. It’s been a great one. I taught PHYS221 (General Physics I), and PHYS341 (Analytical Mechanics).  In this post, I’ll focus on some interesting notes about the former. For PHYS221, I did the CLASS and FCI assessments. Here are the results.

First off, a graph that [...]

The Fall 2010 semester has been very busy here at Wheaton College! There was of course the usual flurry of activity for the opening of the semester. Following that, Wheaton inaugurated its eighth president, Phillip G. Ryken, on September 17. You can catch media from the ceremony

Yesterday I sat down to work some analytical mechanics problems as a part of my preparation for teaching the course for the first time last fall. I settled into a local Starbucks with supplies not really that different from when I took the course as an undergrad: textbook, legal [...]