“Hey, is that the same thing as a derivative from calculus?” “Isn't that a quadratic equation?” These are some of the math-related questions my physics students ask every year. Some students realize that determining velocity from a position-time graph is the same thing as taking the first derivative in calculus or they recognize a quadratic equation has a term. Why can all students not make the connection between the two? I wonder if we, as teachers of two different subjects, are making this learning more difficult because we have different terminology for identical concepts. We have an opportunity to create a learning environment that offers multiple opportunities to improve student comprehension. Teachers can connect the concepts from various classes into a cohesive set of information that can be used for higher-level thinking and processing skills.
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February 2012
FOR THE NEW TEACHER|
February 01 2012
Speaking the same language in physics and math
Marci Harvey
Marci Harvey
West Forsyth High School
, Clemmons, NC
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Phys. Teach. 50, 122 (2012)
Citation
Marci Harvey; Speaking the same language in physics and math. Phys. Teach. 1 February 2012; 50 (2): 122. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.3677295
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