PERC 2010 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Physics thinking in complex analytical calculations |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | The ability to carry out complex analytical calculations is an important skill for a physicist. As an activity in a first semester, upper division electricity and magnetism course, students work in groups during class to develop an integral expression for the magnetic field in all space due to a ring of charge rotating about its axis. This is a direct but complex application of the Biot-Savart Law, requiring students to break the problem into pieces and employ a number of physics concepts. The problem also presents an opportunity for students to draw on analogous earlier work, including finding the electrostatic potential and field due to a ring of charge. This poster will explore the "physics thinking" required to solve this problem, and how the activity and instructor engage students in that thinking. |
| Abstract Type: | Targeted Poster |
| Targeted Session: | Upper-division activities that foster "Thinking like a Physicist" |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Edward Price California State University San Marcos |
