Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-15
emphasis which should be laid more

emphasis which should be laid more
upon the Illustrations and applications,
and less upon pure science. exact rela-
lions. and physical constants. He goes
on:
1T is generally admitted that the best
trained minds in this country today are
the men who have been graduated from
our engineering schools and schools OF
applied science. they are no longer the
doing too little to make physics of prac-
teal value to the great majority who will
never go to college 1t is a disgrace. for
instance the way We slight electricity.
Considering the age in which we live. it
deserves twice the time at least. Year
after year pupils come to us eagerly
looking forward to the electrical applica-
tons. only to quit physics sorely disap-
pointed. Physics as taught today is a
fine example of subject taking prece-
dence over the claims Of pupils
The modern pupil. Mr. Pyle says
though he may be able readily to solve
mathematical problems in physics. finds
1t impossible to tell why an elevator
car and occupants while gaining velocity
going up. and less than the weight of the
car and occupants while gaining velocity
going down; or why falling body on
striking the earth exerts a pressure in
excess of that due to Its weight. This
he says. is because the student has no
real. vital. permanent understanding of
the relation of force, mass and accelera-
ton. He was taught in way to delight
the college professor. but he largely
missed the idea" Passing on to an
other illustration, the writer says:
Subjects Relative Importance.
II maintain that it is more valuable
from the standpoint of intelligent citi-
zenship for the average boy and girl in
our high schools to understand refraction
Of light in a qualitative way, and be able
to explain the rainbow. its circular shape
and the order of it's colors. the illuminat-
ing of dark Easements by pavements
composed of glass prisms, the use OF
lenses for near sight and old sight the
accommodation of the lens Of the eye
and the common optical instruments than
it is to be able to do such things as de-
fine index of refraction, describe
method of determining 1t, and tell where
errors are most likely to creep in.
1T is more important. for instance,
that we teach expansion and contraction
Of gases in a qualitative way, and the
applications of 1t in convection drafts.
methods of ventilating room. sea
breeze, trade wind. etc, together with
a thorough study of the why and where
fore of the principal features of some
direct or indirect method of heating a
home or school buildmg). than 1t is to de-
termine the coeff1cient Of cubical expan-
sion of gas and then solve problems In
volving the absolute zero. l do not adj
vocate technical or engineering physics,
but rather a study Of those common ap-
plcations that illustrate best the prin-
ciples We are attempting to teach. What
could be more interesting and valuable
than careful study of the whole process
Of manufacturing the rectangular slabs
Of ice that we all see everywhere about
US in the city? We deliberately
slight that, however, while capillary
tubes and floating needles are made
prominent
Nothing should be retained in the