Recent content by whitsona

Thanks! This is perfect. I get your concern about adding more confusion. I am not going to have them do any operations with it. I just want them to see the symbols and the concept along with the activity so that the symbols and some of their meaning are familiar to them when they get to...

Bill, Yes! You have it exactly. I am working through some intro Linear Algebra stuff right now on 3blue1brown's page now that will also be incorporated in this extra extension that has the parabola in it. I'm afraid that I was one of the people who went through linear algebra with more...

Does it help to see what I want to do if I say-- don't think about the need for the numbers to be imaginary. The imaginary axis is just the y-axis. So, to determine the position of the parabola, I think I superimpose ##y(t) | y \uparrow > ## and ##x(t) | \rightarrow>## So, would I write that...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isobaric_process

Found an answer for you. Sorry to refer you to Wikipedia. But, their page on isobaric processes derives this for you. Note that you are using the OTHER specific heat. :-) There is cv and there is cp. I'm sorry to be so rusty! Too many years in engineering management. Sad, really.

Can you say more about "this is from the book"? Does the book say that you will use only this formula to figure out the answer? Or, does the book say that no work is done by the gas? I mean, does the book say, "the volume did not change". Or, is it asking you to calculate the change in...

Ha! Markovski was brain fog. Did Markov chains when I was a working engineer. This gig and this subject are not old hat for me yet. (Did not even know that Minkowski was one of Einstein's professors who refused to give him a reference until I started this teaching thing.) I think I wasn't...

I am about to do a unit on the wonders of vector decomposition for year 2 in a 3 years science curriculum where the kids follow along with the historical developments of science. It's the science class I wish I'd had before becoming an engineer at MIT. In year 3, we are with Einstein and...

Update: We are getting sparking at both ends of the lasing channel and some lasing. Heard back from Rimstarorg, he suggested increasing the spark gap before the lasing channel-- as that helped him. In the meantime, we have enjoyed learning about Rogowski electrodes-- ones that make a uniform...

** country Typing on tablet while teaching a class. :-(

*museums

The repetition rate may be my saving grace. The laser is being powered by a hand-cranked wimshurst machine with a discharge of once every 6 to 12 seconds. Thank you for the safety standards. This is exactly the detailed support we need! I'll try to find the 3M specs and do some calculations...

Bottom of the ocean, we can do. I think we can get help from an oil rig in LA. Has to be achievable IRL. We are actually holding the convention, not just writing about.

Nice! That I think I can pull off. We are planning to get our local Tourism Board involved to promote it. So, they might be able to help find a location. Having been to East Campus Dorm at MIT, I would definitely rather go to a Time Traveler's Convention with nice beaches. But, I have to...

Hmm. We are in the Florida Panhandle. Written in stone, I think I can do. But, getting it to Rushmore would be hard. We are planning this event IRL but figured that sci fi writers and fans would be our best advisers.