Words matter. They are the “atoms” of written and oral communication. Students rely on words in textbooks and other instructional resources and in classroom lectures and discussions. As instructors, there are times when we need to think carefully about the words we use. Sometimes there are problems that may not be initially apparent and we may introduce confusion when we were aiming for clarity.
References
1
2.
Eric
Schulman
and Caroline V.
Cox
, “Misconceptions about astronomical magnitudes
,” Am. J. Phys.
65
, 1003
–107
(1997
). 3.
Ref. 1, pp. 20–21.
© 2015 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2015
American Association of Physics Teachers
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