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Physics Textbook structured by History?
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[QUOTE="mpresic, post: 5368878, member: 502170"] I often agree with Vanhees71, but I think he puts his objection too strongly. I do not think the historical approach is poisonous to the minds of physics. Vanhees is fair-minded in his later paragraph regarding the placement of a introductory historical chapter in some books. I think physics books that use history to give life to their science is motivating. I like to see the blemishes as well as the beauty of the science as it developed. Mathematics books more commonly use the axiomatic approach referred to, but I hope that physics is less dry than mathematics. (Exception: I found Simmons, Differential Equations with Historical Notes, a good textbook, especially his historical notes) It may be only my view but there seems to be many forum contributors who praise Morin, over Resnick and Halliday (as one example), and wonder why RH include pictures of the cyclotron, or pictures of Lissajous figures on an oscilloscope etc. Couldn't that space be used to present one more example or pose another problem. Yes, but RH was written to motivate, as well as challenge the student. I find Morin challenging but not so much motivating. I find the history motivating as well. [/QUOTE]
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