Formation and Structure of Ramified Transportation Networks in an Electromechanical System

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Last weeks topics lab reflections Scientific
Method Idea Use observations to predict the
future Definition A scientific method consists
of the collection of reproducible data through
observation , and the formulation and testing of
scientific models which predict these
observations. Uncertainties Design Flaws,
Measurement Uncertainty, Chaos (waterwheel) Testi
ng Hypothesis is correct, if model prediction is
within the error bar.
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• This weeks topic
• -Understanding Base Concepts
• Reflections on the lab
• -Customary Units / SI Units
• Outlook
• Solids / Fluids / Gases

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What is Understanding? Student responses

• You can demonstrate it
• Know how it works
• - Can explain it to somebody else
• - Can make accurate predictions
• - Can use skills or concepts to solve different
  problems
• - Being able to say it back in my own words
• - Can be tested on it
• - Not confused about it
• - Being confident about what I am doing
• - Having no more questions
• - When I can do myself, without help
• - You can reason why it is a certain way and not
  another
• - When you completely get it
• - When you can apply it to other situations
• - When you can compare it or relate it to
  something else that you already know
• - When you understand another person, you know
  where they are coming from
• - Experiencing something for yourself, so you
  know what its like
• - Not understanding speaking a different
  language, using different concepts

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Understanding Definition To understand being
able to translate Antonym being confused
Understanding Spanish being able to translate
from and to English Practical Understanding of
Physics match real world phenomena with
Physics concepts
Conceptual networks
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Understanding a base concept Matching a base
concept with a real world phenomena (practical
understanding) Relating a base concept to more
abstract concepts (abstract understanding,
theoretical understanding) Translating a base
concept into algebra (mathematical
understanding) And so on
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What is a concept? Answer Topic 1, Concept,
Concept Icon 1. Objective (brief)- create a
relation to a very well known conceptkeywords,
typical tasks, one typical example 2.
Introduction/Context (detailed)- create more
relations to better known conceptscontext
keywords, task keywords, typical situations,
typical tasks in more detail, contrast from other
concepts. 3. Definition of the Concepta)
list of situations, list of sub concepts,
e.g. Physics b) recipe, measurement algorithm
for quantity, e.g. probability of an
event c) relation between sub concepts,
e.g. theoretical probability 4. Illustrationuse
clean graphical models
Algebra to Go, Houghton-Mifflin
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5. Discussion a) When is it constant? When does
it apply? (equally-likely outcomes) b)
Other definitions, corollaries, does the
magnitude have a special name? c)
Synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, inverses d)
Is it additive, when is it additive? How
does it spread?(evenly such as tension in a
string, heat in a material, or like a flow
current)? How to compare (two forces)?
How to calibrate? e) units f) how to measure,
how to test it? g) largest, smallest, typical,
benchmarks h) how to produce it at home,
how is it used commercially 6. Examples a)
single concept b) single concept used twice
ratios, comparisons, iterations
c) single concept with one set of substitutions
substitute inputs (such as units), compute
differences, use the definition of a sub
concept. d) double concept (i) other physics
concept (ii) common knowledge concept (iii)
concept from other discipline e) ask for formal
solutions for all of the above 7. Translations
a) derive within the discipline b) translate
into other disciplines c) fully substitute
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Customary Units Add two cups of water. Walk 3
steps forward. Buy a 2x4 (beam). Definition A
small whole number ( less than 20) and/or a
simple fraction, followed by a unit. Examples
3 1/2 , a 2x4 beam (actually size 1 1/2 x 3
1/2 ) Discussion Other number systems SI
units (metric and decimal) Customary units are
easy to use but hard to compare.
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• Solids, Fluids, and Gases
• Solid
• rock, wood, water ice, dry ice (ball)
• atoms are close and do not change position
• elastic returns to original shape after being
  squeezed or stretched
• Fluid
• water, oil, clay, liquid nitrogen (vases)
• atoms are close and change position
• viscous does not return to original shape
  after beeing squeezed or stretched
• Gas
• air, oxygen gas, nitrogen gas
• atoms are far apart and change position (N2
  cannon)
• viscous does not return to original shape
  after being squeezed or stretched

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• This weeks topic
• -Understanding Base Concepts
• 1 L. J. Durak and A. Hübler. Scaling of
  knowledge in random conceptual networks. Lecture
  Notes in Computer Science 2074, 976-985 (2001).
• 2 A. Hübler, Understanding Complex Systems
  Defining an abstract concept. Complexity 12(5),
  5-9(2007).
• Reflections on the lab
• -Customary Units / SI Units
• Outlook
• Solids / Fluids / Gases