Edward C. Fuller Dept. of Chemistry and R. Ronald Palmer Dept. of Physics
Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin
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Teaching Physics and Chemistry
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in a Combined Course
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A report of the Beloit Conference
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dozen physicists and about an equal number of chemists who are interested in combining the teaching of their two sciences in an introductory college course met in an NSF-supported conference December 27-30, 1961, to discuss (1) the advantages and disadvantages of such a course, (2) the subject matter which lends itself to such coordination, and (3) how the development of such courses might be fostered. Most of the discussions were concerned with combined courses for students planning to major in one of the sciences, although some thought was given to the values of such a course for students majoring in fields other than science. The major questions raised and the answers which emerged may be summarized briefly as follow^.^ Major Questions
What areas of knowledge usually included i n modern introductory physics and chemistry can be effectively cmnbined i n an integrated course? There was general agreement on the suitability of the following topics, although it was emphasized that not all of them should be included in a two-semester course (the amount of time generally assumed as a basis for discussion): conservation of momentum, massenergy, electric charge; fields of force; the nature of waves; the particulate nature and structure of matter; the particulate nature of energy; chemical change; constant composition of compounds; chemical elements and atomic masses; masses of molecules; classification of elements, compounds, and chemical reactions; microstructure of solids, liquids, and gases; structure of simple molecules; rates of chemical reactions; chemical equilibrium; chemical bonding; nucleonics. The order in which the topics are listed is not intended to indicate the sequence in which they might be taught. I t was agreed that in teaching any such course, the teacher should emphasize the transient nature of concepts, models, and theories; some use of the historical approach might well underline this transience. Some participants strongly urged the use of calculus in teaching the physics; others felt that it should be postponed to physics courses following the combined introductory course. All agreed that no m e pattern should become the pattern for combined courses. I t was suggested that "themes" such as The Periodic Table, Conservation Laws, The Structure of Matter,
' A copy of the complete report may be obtained by writing to Professor Edward C. Fuller, Department of Chemistry, Reloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin. 346
/ Journal of Chemical Education
etc., might well be kept in mind to give continuity to a particular sequence of topics. Great syntheses of ideas, such as Newtonian mechanics, the concept of atoms, etc., might serve a similar purpose. Are there pedagogical or philosophical values i n having physics and chemistry tavght in a combined course? Exposing students to both chemistry and physics in their first year of college enables them to make a wiser choice of ma;or. Several topics are commonly taught in both chemistry and physics courses. Teaching them only once in a combined course saves time for studying other topics. Students learn something about the differences in "style" between the physicists' and the chemists' approaches to nature. Applying a given concept (e.g., kinetic-molecular theory) to both chemical and physical problems strengthens a student's understanding of the concept. Working together in a combined course broadens the outlook of the faculty involved; it forces the teacher to choose among the "sacred cows" of chemistry and physics. It stimulates a new look a t courses which follow the combined course and encourages curricular revision. To be sure, a combined course has certain disadvantages. Considerable time is required in developing such a course; it must be done cooperatively by the physicists and chemists concerned. Students may feel that a combmed course lacks unity unless a special effort is made to integrate the physics and chemistry. A disadvantage which is likely to disappear in time is the current lack of a wide selection of suitable textbooks. How can the laboratory work be designed in order to make an important contribution to the courseP The student should be confronted with results he does not anticipate when he begins the experiment. Giving the student progressively less detailed directions for experiments as the course develops will force him to become more self-reliant. As soon as possible, the student should he given a problem to be solved without detailed directions for solving it. How data on the physical and chemical behavior of matter are obtained should be stressed, including the limitations on the validity of data. A dramatic (Nobel Prize winning) experiment--such as determining the charge on the electron-may he used as a locus to which many experiments are related (e.g., electrostatics, Stokes' Law, etc.). Many experiments should he open-ended to encourage the better students to engage in further work. Whenever possible, experiments should underlme the integration of physical and chemical points of view.
Auxiliary Questions
Some time was devoted to discussing: (1) How can the work of physics and chemistly teachers be organized for most effective cooperation in a combined course? (2) How should chemistry and physics courses which follow the combined course he designed to capitalie on the benefits that students gain from the combined course? (3) If a college course combining chemistry and physics is designed to meet the needs of students majoring in science, will it be equally valuable to other students? Some answers to these questions are included in the full report to be printed at a later date. The printed report will also contain detailed information on combined courses now being taught or planned by the participants in the conference.
On the basis of their general satisfaction with combined courses developed to date, the participants recommended the establishment of a committee to encourage the teaching of such courses in other colleges and in secondary schools. This committee hopes to stimulate the holding of future conferences to deal with various aspects of teaching combined courses. The members of this committee are E. C. Fuller, Chairman (Beloit), W. A. Deskin (Cornell, Iowa), E. L. Haenisch (Wabash), R. H. Maybury (Redlands), R. R. Palmer (Beloit), W. L. Parker (Reed), R. A. Reitz (Carleton), L. S. Salter (Wabash), R. W. Schulz (Science Consultant, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Public Schools), and L. E. Strong (Earlham). The committee invites inquiries and participation by all interested in this venture of curriculum re-examination,
Volume 39, Number 7, July 1962
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