dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaIntroductory physics: The new scholasticism
| Authors | Sanjoy Mahajan, David W. Hogg |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0412107 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0412107 |
Abstract
Most introductory physics textbooks neglect air resistance in situations where an astute student can observe that it dominates the dynamics. We give examples from many books. Using dimensional analysis we discuss how to estimate the relative importance of air resistance and gravity. The discussion can be used to mitigate the baleful influence of these textbooks. Incorrectly neglecting air resistance is one of their many unphysical teachings. Shouldn't a physics textbook teach correct physics?
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"abstract": "Most introductory physics textbooks neglect air resistance in situations\nwhere an astute student can observe that it dominates the dynamics. We give\nexamples from many books. Using dimensional analysis we discuss how to estimate\nthe relative importance of air resistance and gravity. The discussion can be\nused to mitigate the baleful influence of these textbooks. Incorrectly\nneglecting air resistance is one of their many unphysical teachings. Shouldn\u0027t\na physics textbook teach correct physics?",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0412107",
"authors": [
"Sanjoy Mahajan",
"David W. Hogg"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ed-ph"
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"title": "Introductory physics: The new scholasticism",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0412107"
},
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