Help with Physics Problem: Dunce Cap

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When faced with uncooperative students in homework help forums, it's crucial to maintain boundaries and not do the work for them. Helpers should encourage students to show their own efforts before providing assistance, as this fosters learning. Rude behavior from students is unacceptable and can be reported to moderators. Helpers are not obligated to respond to every question, especially from those who are pushy or disrespectful. Prioritizing respectful interactions ensures a positive environment for both helpers and learners.
whozum
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What is one supposed to do when faced with a situation like the one https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=98918"?

I do my best to help when I can, granted that I do make mistakes sometimes. This guy just wasn't following me at all though..
 
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You "continue to march." You tried. You did not succumb to the temptation to do the work. You demonstrated that mass drops from the calculation (an object of the exercise) --- you move on to the next "customer."

"Batting averages" on homework help are meaningless --- there is never any way of knowing whether the "pitcher" is even playing in the same ballpark as you.
 
Quote frankly, I never would have bothered to answer such a question other than to have given a pointer to the guidelines that say they need to show their own work first. Don't be tempted to let a student milk you into giving them the whole answer if they aren't showing any effort on their part at all.
 
That person was just plain rude. He's new here. Can't he get a time out?
 
I just don't give them help when they're pushy or rude. There are plenty of other people who appreciate the help and put their effort in and patiently wait their turn for replies who you can move onto helping. The FAQ sticky at the top of each and every HW forum answers their question of why nobody is responding. Feel free to remind them that the people helping already passed the class, so don't need to do the homework again; the person asking for help is the one who is supposed to do the homework.
 
FredGarvin said:
That person was just plain rude. He's new here. Can't he get a time out?

If the person starts behaving this way, please report it via the "Report Bad Post". No one on here is obligated to answer any homework questions. So being rude and demanding are out of line.

Zz.
 
I want to thank those members who interacted with me a couple of years ago in two Optics Forum threads. They were @Drakkith, @hutchphd, @Gleb1964, and @KAHR-Alpha. I had something I wanted the scientific community to know and slipped a new idea in against the rules. Thank you also to @berkeman for suggesting paths to meet with academia. Anyway, I finally got a paper on the same matter as discussed in those forum threads, the fat lens model, got it peer-reviewed, and IJRAP...
About 20 years ago, in my mid-30s (and with a BA in economics and a master's in business), I started taking night classes in physics hoping to eventually earn the science degree I'd always wanted but never pursued. I found physics forums and used it to ask questions I was unable to get answered from my textbooks or class lectures. Unfortunately, work and life got in the way and I never got further the freshman courses. Well, here it is 20 years later. I'm in my mid-50s now, and in a...

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