Preamble for August 31/September 1 2009

Summarize what you know about the structure of the atom.

Preamble for August 24th, 2009

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Wikid77

If the wind will not serve, take to the oars. – Latin Proverb

What does this quote mean? What significance does it have for students taking classes that they find difficult?

Dimensional Analysis and the World Record

On August 16th 2009, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt shattered the world record in the 100 meters with a time of 9.58 seconds. He broke the record at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

Describe how you might go about converting this speed (100 meters in 9.58 s) to its equivalent in miles per hour.
Without doing the [...]

World-wide metric adoption

The countries in green have adopted the metric system as their national standard. The countries in grey (the United States, Liberia and Myanmar) have not adopted the metric system. Why hasn’t the United States adopted the metric system?