Survey: Scale IN Variance in Physics Education

[DiracPool]

Hello, I consider myself an up-and-comer theoretical physicist (although getting a bit of a late start), and there's something that continues to trouble me about the way physics is taught both professionally and popularly, and I want to survey how others feel about the issue.

The issue is the portrayal of scale. For example, we always see the moon right next to the Earth in almost every depiction. Perhaps even more famously are the depictions of the scales of electron orbitals and the relative sizes of particles. I know the short argument is that it is impractical to portray the actual scale variances in these depictions. Even so, rarely do educators ever even try to sidebar a visualization of these scale differences which I think have seminal importance in understanding these systems.

For example, I just recently came across this scale appropriate depiction of the earth-moon radius and the subsequent scale appropriate transmission of light.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Speed_of_light_from_Earth_to_Moon.gif

Before seeing this, I basically had to guess this. Is it so hard for educators to incorporate these types of desciptions into their presentations? Am I alone here?

 

[mfb]

In many cases, the scales involved are so different that it is hard to draw everything to scale.

Just take our solar system as an example: In an image where you see all planetary orbits on a screen, even sun would be smaller than a pixel. And on a scale where the sun fills the screen, Earth (1/100) and moon (1/500) are like that: O . (with more distance in between) - but at a distance of ~150 screens from the sun.

 

[FeynmanIsCool]

In perspective, the electrons exist very far from the nucleus. If you were to draw in a textbook a nucleus the size of a golf ball, and show correct distance relationship between it and its electrons, your textbook would need to be 2.5 kilometers long!...that would make an expensive textbook!

 

[DiracPool]

Thanks, it would be great to have more descriptions like those in the textbooks I've been reading.

 

[pmacias]

As a fellow theoretical physicist, I completely understand your concerns about the portrayal of scale in physics education. It is true that many depictions of physical systems, such as the Earth and moon, do not accurately represent their actual scale. This can be misleading and can hinder our understanding of these systems.

I believe it is important for educators to incorporate scale appropriate depictions, like the one you mentioned, in their presentations. This can provide a better understanding of the actual size and distance of these systems, and how they relate to each other. It can also help us grasp the immense scales involved in the universe, which is crucial in studying and understanding the laws of physics.

I do not think you are alone in your concerns about scale variance in physics education. In my experience, many scientists and students share the same sentiment. I believe it is important for us, as scientists, to continue to advocate for accurate and scale-appropriate depictions in physics education.

In addition, it is also important for us to educate the general public about the importance of scale in understanding physical systems. This can help dispel common misconceptions and promote a more accurate understanding of the world around us.

Overall, I agree with your call for a survey on this issue, as it is an important topic that needs to be addressed in physics education. I hope that more educators will take note and incorporate scale-appropriate depictions in their presentations to enhance our understanding of the universe.