Bringing atoms into first-year physics

Chabay, Ruth W.; Sherwood, Bruce A.

doi:doi:10.1119/1.19180

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American Journal of Physics -- December 1999 -- Volume 67, Issue 12, pp. 1045

Bringing atoms into first-year physics

Ruth W. Chabay and Bruce A. Sherwood

Center for Innovation in Learning and Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213

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We argue that thermal physics should not be treated as a separate topic in introductory physics. The first-year calculus-based college physics should offer a modern, unified view of physics representative of the contemporary scientific enterprise. It should focus on the consequences of the central fact that matter is composed of atoms, and on the process of modeling physical systems. Such a focus is more interesting and relevant to students than a repetition of a purely classical treatment. We give an example of a course that emphasizes physical modeling of phenomena in terms of the atomic nature of matter. Thermal physics is woven into the entire course and is fully integrated with classical and semiclassical mechanics. © 1999 American Association of Physics Teachers.