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Diffraction

Calculus-Based General Physics

Have you ever wondered why you can hear around corners, but cannot see around them? You know that light and sound are waves, and should therefore share the same basic properties. Why then do they seem so different in the property of their "shadows"?

In this module you will learn that light does exhibit all the bending properties of sound and water waves. The effect, however, depends on the size of the obstacle compared to the wavelength. It is only the largeness of everyday obstacles compared to the very small wavelength of light that deemphasizes the bending, or diffraction, of …

Module 5: Analysis Of Physics Problems And Test Questions, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

You may be wondering how to apply the concept of developmental stages in your physics teaching, To help you with this, we have prepared modules 5-11 dealing with differing aspects of instruction. Module 5 concentrates on the analysis and writing of physics problems and test questions. As you read the examples we have selected, keep in mind the characterisrtics of concrete and formal thought described in Module 2. A matter that we find difficult to resolve concerns how to give all students, regardless of the reasoning patterns they use initially, practice in problem solving. Furthermore, evaluation through tests should give …

Module 1: How Students Think, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

You have probably been curious at various times in your teaching career about the thinking strategies that students enrolled in physics appear to use to solve problems. It is difficult for most of us to understand that many students do not use reasoning patterns that seem to be obvious. Many students substitute numbers into a formula they remember, even though the formula may not be applicable to the problem at hand. This situation quite naturally leads us to wonder about the reasoning that students utilize when we would employ mental operations such as separating variables, excluding an irrelevant factor, or …

Module 4: Formal Thought, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

In Piaget’s theory, concrete thought is characterized by serial ordering, simple classification, conservation logic and other operations applied to objects that a person is able to observe or manipulate directly. Formal thought includes these operations but goes beyond them to utilize other processes in situations where one does not deal with tangible objects. Formal processes often involve proportional reasoning, separation of variables, elimination of contradictions, and class inclusion or exclusion operations.

Module 10: Teaching Goals And Strategies, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Most physics classes include students who use concrete reasoning patterns on some occasions and formal reasoning patterns on others. Most likely their approach to a new kind of problem will Include a mixture of techniques derived from their previous learning, their awareness of their own reasoning, and their ability to engage in self-regulation. Obstacles to their success may stem from misconceptions they formed as a result of poorly assimilated prior learning experiences. So what? What does that tell me about the goals and strategies I might choose for my teaching? In this module we shall pursue the implications of the …

Module 8: Learning Activities For Self-Regulation, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

It is quite clear from the earlier modules in this workshop that a teacher's awareness of students' patterns of reasoning will influence his choice of subject matter, level of presentation, selection of text, and assignment of homework problems. We shall now describe some ways in which the learning activities can be planned so as to enhance the opportunities for self-regulation after a student is introduced to a new idea. On the basis of Piaget’s developmental theory, concrete learning activities play a central role in the improvement of a student's reasoning. The physics laboratory, therefore, is an especially important part of …

Osmosis, Allen R. Killpatrick

Physical Science Modules for Bioscience Students

OBJECTIVES

After you have completed this module, you will be able to:

a) describe qualitatively the pressure of blood in the human body as a function of location in the circulation system, i.e., aorta, artery, arterioles, ... , vena cava.

b) Discuss in a paragraph (short or long) how the osmotic pressure in the capillaries regulates the water level of the interstitial fluid under normal pressure.

c) Describe how a weak ventricle in the heart creates an edema in the capillaries. Use the terms of this module, i.e., abnormal pressure, water pressure inside and water pressure outside, in this description. …

Elementary Biological Statistics, Norman J. Chonacky

Physical Science Modules for Bioscience Students

It is assumed that you have been introduced to the ideas of parametric descriptions of statistical data (e.g., mean, standard deviation, etc.) in the context of physical measurements. These concepts must be broadened and generalized in their interpretations when used in the context of biological data. It is the purpose of this module to introduce appropriate biological examples and employ them to generate and illustrate these broader notions of statistical analysis. Of particular interest will be questions such as: "What is it that the mean value of a data set seeks to represent when there is no 'true value ' …

Marginal Learning-Set Formation By The Crow (Corvus Brachyrhynchos), Maxwell W. Hunter Iii, Alan C. Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Each of three hand raised crows received 300 learning set problems in a modified WGTA using three-dimensional stimuli. Consistent within-problem learning was obtained but learning set formation was minimal. An analysis of hypothesis behavior (Levine, 1959) revealed a strong tendency towards position and stimulus preferences. These results raise the possibility of large species differences in learning set formation within the family Corvid

Rates Of Water Entry Into The Subsoil Of Several Soil Series In Nebraska, David T. Lewis

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Rates of water entry were measured for 11 soil series representing many of the soils in parts of Nebraska where urban growth is most intensive. The wetting procedure in making the tests is critical and a 24 hour wetting time as usually recommended is not adequate for all soils if the percolation test is made during a dry season. Rates of water entry differed among soils even though a large amount of variation was evident within the same soil series. Statistical analysis showed a highly significant negative relationship between both clay content and bulk density and rates of water entry. …

Sole Proprietors' Quandry: Opening The Close Corporation, Dennis A. Graham

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. Mini-Corporateness; Maxi-Formality

III. Impediments to Close Corporation Control … A. The Board Requirement … B. Controlling the Board … 1. Contracting with Respect to Voting Rights … 2. Contracting with Respect to Management

IV. Illusory Advantages of Close Incorporation …A. Exposure to Liability via Informality of Operation … B. Exposure to Liability due to Inadequate Capitalization … C. Practical Liability

V. Conclusion

Middle And Late Cenozoic Tapirs From Nebraska, C. Bertrand Schultz, Larry D. Martin, R. George Corner

Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum (1924–2023)

The distribution and evolution of Late Cenozoic tapirs are discussed and the forms present in Nebraska are reported. Two new species are described from the Ogallala Pliocene of Nebraska, ?Tapirus johnsoni and ?T. simpsoni. Tapirs are known in Nebraska from the Early Oligocene through the Middle Pleistocene. The northern limit of the distribution of the tapirs contracts gradually southward in North America throughout the Tertiary, and even during the Pleistocene interglacials Nebraska must have been near the northern limit of their range.

Stratigraphic Occurrences Of Teleoceras With A New Kimballianspecies From Nebraska, Lloyd G. Tanner

Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum (1924–2023)

Study of Teleoceras remains in the University of Nebraska State Museum indicates that this specialized, short-limbed rhinoceros inhabited the Central Great Plains from Early through Late Pliocene. Previously thought to have become extinct at the end of the middle Pliocene, this genus is now known from the very latest Pliocene. A new species, Teleoceras schultzi, is described from the Kimball Formation, Ogallala Group, Frontier County, Nebraska.

4-H Model Rocketry : F63

Nebraska 4-H Clubs: Historical Materials and Publications

Record book for projects and lessons for making a model rocket for 4-H.

Personalized System Of Instruction (Psi): An Alternative, James G. Buterbaugh, Robert Fuller

Personalized System of Instruction (PSI), or Keller Plan, Materials

Buterbaugh and Fuller discuss the Personalized System of Instruction--what it is, how it can (or cannot) be evaluated, and some problems which may be encountered with its use. If the lecture-taught course has instructors meeting the students as adversaries, continually answering redundant questions, haggling over half-credit for half-correct answers, and generally finding most students being inhibited by the lock-step timing of a lecture course, then PSI is an alternative. Extensive acceptance and employment of this alternative mode of instruction should cause instructional developers to take another look at the essential features of the system. PSI has been widely employed by …

Introduction To The Calculus-Based Physics Modules, Robert Fuller

Personalized System of Instruction (PSI), or Keller Plan, Materials

MODULE AUTHORS

OWEN ANDERSON  Bucknell University
STEPHEN BAKER  Rice University
VAN BLEUMEL  Worcester Polytechnic Institute
FERNAND BRUNSCHWIG  Empire State College
DAVID JOSEPH  University of Nebraska - Lincoln
ROBERT KARPLUS  University of California - Berkeley
MICHAEL MOLONEY  Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
JACK MUNSEE  California State University - Long Beach
GARY NEWBY  Boise State University
IVOR NEWSHAM  Olivet Nazarene College
WILLIAM SNOW  University of Missouri - Rolla
WILLARD SPERRY  Central Washington State College
ROBERT SWANSON  University of California - San Diego
JAMES TANNER  Georgia Institute of Technology
DAVID WINCH  Kalamazoo College

These modules were prepared by the module authors at a …

Introduction To Workshop On Physics Teaching And The Development Of Reasoning, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Are physics teachers in high schools, colleges, and universities knowledgeable concerning the reasoning patterns their students use? The personal experiences of many instructors and research carried out during the last few years indicate that a substantial fraction of physics students have difficulty applying functional relationships among variables, considering all necessary combinations of experimental and theoretical conditions of a problem, and examining their own reasoning critically to locate possible errors. The theory of intellectual development formulated by the Swiss psychologist and epistemologist Jean Piaget deals with these matters and can therefore be of help to physics teachers. We have prepared these …

Module 2: Concrete And Formal Thought, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Observations of many children and young people attempting to perform problem-solving tasks have led Jean Piaget and other psychologists to formulate theories concerning the mental processes an individual uses to deal with problem situations. In this module, we shall introduce you briefly to stages of reasoning, a feature of Piaget 's theory we consider important for physics teachers.

Module 3: Proportional Reasoning, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

In Piaget' s theory, concrete operational thought is characterized by serial ordering , simple classification, and conservation logic applied directly to objects. A concrete thinker doing a Piagetian task must be able to observe objects and/or manipulate them. Formal operational thought involves proportional reasoning , separation of variables, elimination of contradictions, and class inclusion or exclusion operations. A formal thinker is able to work in situations where he does nor deal with tangible objects. The formal thinker can apply the operations used by a concrete thinker, but goes beyond these operations when solving problems.

Module 6: Analysis Of Learning Materials, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Module 6 continues with the application of the concept of developmental stages in your physics teaching. The module concentrates on the analysis of physics texts and film loops, which provide important instructional inputs for students. As you read the excerpts we have selected for your review, keep in mind the characteristics of concrete and formal thought explained in Module 2. Also, remember that all students, regardless of their developmental stage, will find the text easier and will understand a new topic in a more broadly-based way if they can progress gradually from a concrete view of the subject. Of course, …

Module 7: Self-Regulation, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

How can students be made made aware of their own reasoning? This question identifies one aspect of formal thought. It must be answered if students are to proceed to formal thought by self-regulation, the process whereby an individual advances from one stage of reasoning to the next. We have alluded to self-regulation in several of the earlier modules, but concentrated on the characteristic reasoning patterns associated with each stage. In this module we shall describe self-regulation in detail.

Module 11: Suggested Reading, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

This module contains reprints of several articles related to the ideas of stages of development and self-regulation and a bibliography of books and articles that you may wish to study after you complete the workshop.

This module contains the following materials:

1. Reading list of suggested books and articles.

2. Are Colleges Concerned with Intellectual Development?
Joe W. McKinnon, Oklahoma City University
John W. Renner, University of Oklahoma
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS 39: 1047 (September 1971)


3. Piagetian Theory and Instruction in Physics
John W. Renner and Anton E. Lawson
THE PHYSICS TEACHER, 11: 165 (March 1973)

4. Promoting Intellectual …

Workshop On Physics Teaching And The Development Of Reasoning: Complete Set Of Modules, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

The titles of the eleven workshop modules are as follows:

I. How Students Think
2. Concrete and Formal Thought
3. Proportional Reasoning of College Students
4. "Formal Thought"
5. Analysis of Physics Problems
6. Analysis of Instructional Materials
7. Self-Regulation
8. Learning Activities for Self-Regulation
9. Analysis of Physics Concepts
10. Teaching Goals and Strategies
11. Suggested Reading

The work is 135 pages; the pdf file is 19 Mbytes.

Thermometry And Heat Transport In The Human Body, Thomas C. Campbell, Norman J. Chonacky

Physical Science Modules for Bioscience Students

We've all grown up with sensations of hot and cold. You receive such specific sensations from touching objects, but also a generalized sensation from your environment. Thus, you may say: "This is hot; that is cold." But also, you say: "I am hot (cold, clammy, chilly, etc.)." These sensations are judgements about thermal conditions from the psychological point of view.

From the physical point of view, heat is transported energy; the body is an engine which transforms chemical energy to mechanical energy, and in doing so produces a residual amount of thermal energy from which the body must continually divest …

Instructor's Guide To The Thermal Physics Module Cluster Of The Physical Science Modules For Bioscience Students Project

Physical Science Modules for Bioscience Students

These instructional materials are produced as part of a study of bioscience applications in physics and manners of presenting them to interested students and instructors. You will aid this endeavor greatly if you try using these materials in one of the three use modes listed on the cover sheet of this guide, and by reporting your (and students') results in the appropriate questionnaire. It would also be useful to us for you to critically annotate the study materials as you (and students) read them (write on the document), and return these to the project office. Duplicate, fresh materials can be …

Raising Wood Ducks, Richard L. Nelson

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

Numbered among Nature's most colorful creatures, wood ducks willingly accept a helping hand from man in establishing new homes. These birds adapt well to suitable habitat, and you can play an important part in bringing the wood duck to locations where they do not now nest. For groups or individuals who are willing to expend the effort necessary to undertake a wood duck restoration project anti see it to completion, it is an exceptional gift from today's generation to those of decades and centuries to come. Many areas in Nebraska provide suitable wood duck habitat, but do not have a …

Threatened Fishes Survey, Steve Schainost

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The advance of civilization frequently results in activities which cause changes in the native wildlife species. The economy of the state of Nebraska has submitted its streams to the effects of intensive agricultural and irrigation developments, stream channelization, and dams. The responses of different fish species to these different activities vary but they always occur and are usually unnoticed unless of large magnitude.

Relatively little has been done with regard to noting the responses of Nebraska’s stream fishes to the activities of man. Previous workers have frequently worked within a basin rather than statewide. Jordan and Meek (1885), Jordan and …

Federal And State Regulations Pertaining To Systematic Collections. I. A Case Of Inadvertent Violation Of Federal Regulations, Jerry R. Choate, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

First paragraph:

On 25 April 1975, at the twenty-second annual meeting of SWAN (i.e. Southwestern Association of Naturalists), at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station, President Keith A. Arnold appointed one of us (Choate) to investigate current regulations pertaining to collection and transport of scientific specimens in the region of representation (including Mexico) or SWAN. This charge involves both Federal and State laws, several of which are undergoing change and many of which doubtlessly are not familiar to the membership of SWAN. In order that SWAN members might be made aware of these regulations and not unwittingly commit violations, it …

Water Current, Volume 7, No. 1, January 1975

Water Current Newsletter

From the Desk of the Director
Conference Held on Research in Action
NWRRI Research Seminar
Nebraska First in NPDES Program
Resignations and Retirements from OWRT
Future Water Crisis Noted
Horton Outlines Federal Water Policy
Research Review: Seasonsal Water Use of Irrigated Pasture Grasses Under Permanent-Set Irrigation as Related to Climatic Factors

Ampère's Law

Calculus-Based General Physics

Everyone has seen a bar magnet in the form of a compass or a door catch. Anyone who has ever casually played with magnets or magnetic toys knows that magnets interact with other magnets; i.e., a magnet experiences a force caused by thp presence of an external magnetic field produced by the other magnet. A wire carrying a current experiences a force caused by the presence of a nearby magnet (as you saw in the module Magnetic Forces). We then expect the converse to also hold true, i.e., that the bar magnet will also experience a force from the presence …