Using Cases in Introductory Physics Debora M. Katz If you teach
physics to non-physics majors for a long enough time, you are
bound to be asked, "Why do I need to know this?" This question
may seem hostile, and so we appeal to the student’s most selfish
interest and answer, "Because it is on the test," or "Because
you need to it know it for the next required class." Perhaps the
student’s question is born out of a genuine curiosity. It seems
likely that students may want to know how the physics that they
learn in our classroom fits into their experience of the world.
In fact, being able to answer that question may be the single
most important thing you do for your students. Many students
cannot learn physics without knowing why they are required to do
so. For the moment, imagine that you are a student who hopes to
become a medical doctor, an electrical engineer, or a United
States senator. You are in a physics class either in high school
or college, and you have just spent three hours in a laboratory
measuring