Western Kentucky University
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Colloquium

Dr. Steve Lindaas

Department of Physics and Astronomy
Minnesota State University, Moorhead

"Emphasizing Programming for Intro Physics to Reinforce Mental Models"

November 13, 2017 @ 4:00 pm in TCCW 201

Abstract

What are you thinking? We all use mental models to navigate. Often our mental models are incorrect or only approximate (correct in certain situations). We have good pattern recognizing abilities. But we sometimes draw patterns from incomplete data sets. Learning how to evaluate and refine mental models is a (physics) skill. Programming allows you to visualize and refine your mental models and aids in developing your physics thinking. We will cover a range of physics models and show how Python can be used to visualize what you are thinking.