Bruce Sherwood

Restructuring the introductory electricity and magnetism course

In the electricity and magnetism (E&M) segment of the traditional introductory calculus-based physics course, many new and increasingly abstract concepts, embodied in complex formal relations, are introduced at a rapid pace. As a result, many students find E&M significantly more difficult than classical mechanics. We describe a different intellectual structure for the E&M course that stresses conceptual coherence, connects the abstract field concept to concrete microscopic models of matter, and follows a clear story line, culminating in the classical model of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation and matter. This sequence has proven to be effective in teaching the basic concepts of E&M.

Computational physics in the introductory calculus-based course

The integration of computation into the introductory calculus-based physics course can potentially provide significant support for the development of conceptual understanding. Computation can support three-dimensional visualizations of abstract quantities, offer opportunities to construct symbolic rather than numeric solutions to problems, and provide experience with the use of vectors as coordinate-free entities. Computation can also allow students to explore models in a way not possible using the analytical tools available to first-year students. We describe how we have incorporated computer programming into an introductory calculus-based course taken by science and engineering students.

Pseudowork and real work

In teaching mechanics, we should more clearly distinguish between an integral of Newton’s second law and the energy equation. This leads to greater clarity in the notions of system, work, and energy. A reorientation of the treatment of work and energy would not only provide benefits in the mechanics course but would also produce better connections between the mechanics and thermodynamics courses.

Work and heat transfer in the presence of sliding friction

The work done by frictional forces has usually been calculated incorrectly. The key to a correct treatment lies in making a careful distinction between a purely mechanical integral of Newton’s second law on the one hand and the first law of thermodynamics on the other. These two equations are the same for point particles but differ for deformable systems, which include systems subject to sliding friction. A model‐independent calculation is supplemented by applications to current models for friction. Heat transfer is treated in detail for the case of lubricated friction. Rotational friction is analyzed. An invariant form of the energy equation is presented.

Tale of two curricula: The performance of 2000 students in introductory electromagnetism

The performance of over 2000 students in introductory calculus-based electromagnetism (EM M&I averages were significantly higher in each topic. The results suggest that the M&I curriculum is more effective than the traditional curriculum at teaching E&M concepts to students, possibly because the learning progression in M&I reorganizes and augments the traditional sequence of topics, for example, by increasing early emphasis on the vector field concept and by emphasizing the effects of fields on matter at the microscopic level.

Labs for the Matter & Interactions curriculum

The Matter & Interactions curriculum for a calculus-based introductory physics course emphasizes the power of a small number of fundamental principles, incorporates the atomic nature of matter throughout, and introduces students to computational modeling. The main goal of the laboratory portion of this curriculum is for students to see fundamental principles in action. From this goal flow subgoals that have led to the development of laboratory activities that include several novel genres.

A final‐exam comparison involving computer‐based instruction

In an introductory classical mechanics course, the same final exams were given to 540 students taught in the usual way and to 486 students who received computer‐based instruction. All students scored better on problems which had been made up by their own lecturer. Students in the computer‐based course scored better overall. These statistically significant results are of interest not only for comparing the two forms of instruction but also for their implications on the use of exam scores for such comparisons.

Free-Body Diagrams (a PLATO Lesson)

A lesson has been written for the PLATO computer-based education system which tutors students in a systematic approach to dynamics problems involving free-body diagrams. The lesson is described in detail and illustrated with photographs of the students graphical display screen.

Integrating theory and experiment in lecture using desktop experiments

“Desktop” experiments involve simple equipment that can be used by students in regular classrooms or at home. The 24-hour-a-day availability of the equipment makes it possible to integrate experiments much more tightly with other components of the course than is often the case in courses involving lectures plus a loosely-associated lab. In a calculus-based course on electricity and magnetism, students use a kit of simple equipment that makes possible critical experiments on electrostatics, circuits, and magnetism, during lecture, recitation, or at home. The students use a textbook that has the style of a workbook and that thoroughly integrates theory and experiment. The desktop experiments acquaint the student with otherwise unfamiliar phenomena and help in motivating and understanding the theory.

Notes on Classical Mechanics

These notes will cover the basics of Lagrangian mechanics and Hamiltonian mechanics using linear oscillatory motion as a lens (including coupled oscillations). I will assume that the reader already has knowledge of Newtonian mechanics at the level of a typical introductory physics course. That said, these notes are targeted towards readers who want to apply mechanics in engineering disciplines. I will not go much into derivations or at all into proofs, but rather present mechanics as a tool for solving engineering problems.