ERIC Number: EJ1249329
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-May
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-9120
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Arriving at "e": A Physical Approach Using the Decay of Charge in an RC Circuit
Atkin, Keith
Physics Education, v55 n3 Article 035018 May 2020
This paper demonstrates how the transcendental number "e" may be arrived at by observing the discharge of a capacitor through a fixed resistor and then modelling the system using a simple step-wise procedure. The experimental phase makes use of the Arduino microcontroller, while simple modelling of the system is carried out by means of SMath Studio software, leading finally to the exponential number and the well-known exponential function for the decay process.
Descriptors: Physics, Science Instruction, Computer Software, Mathematical Models, Electronics, Teaching Methods, Algebra, Calculus, Science Experiments
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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