Inquiring-mind Science: How did James Joule Help Prove Heat Was a Form of Motion?

Schedule: This is a 1-hour class.

Format: Lecture with some class participation. We will learn concepts and practice them to attain the mastery we can in a short time. No grading; homework is optional.

Cost: $20 per person for a group class of 4 or more students; $70 for one-on-one tutoring.

Payment options: Payments can be made via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, cash, or check.

Materials: Pencil, paper, and an inquiring mind. 

For more details or to schedule a class, contact Michael by email at michaelgold@goldams.com or by phone at 281-770-2276.

Class Description.

Learn how science works in this one-hour class.

In this class, we will learn how scientists did it and we will do some of their calculations ourselves, and so learn a bit about how to do science ourselves. We will do a combination of lecture, Q&A, and independent work.

As they say on Wikipedia: “Joule studied the nature of heat, and discovered its relationship to mechanical work. This led to the law of conservation of energy, which in turn led to the development of the first law of thermodynamics.”

We will identify what the experiment and its conclusions depend on to make sense of it, dig into how the experiment worked, do some calculations about the mechanical equivalent of heat, and identify the larger consequences of the experiment.

We will be finding answers to general questions like How do experiments work? How do we make sense of them? What is science? What are some good and bad ideas about the nature of experimentation and of science, ideas some some hold today? How can we be better thinkers, and better engineers and scientists?

This is a class for everyone — science is all around us! — but especially for those who want to go into science or engineering careers, or study science in school.

“My son (13yo) loved this class, he loved learning math he had not learned before, the instructions were very clear and he enjoyed them a lot. He loved learning the historical context and is already looking for other classes with this teacher. He really enjoyed the class! Thank you!”
–Judith V., parent, about the Outschool place “Inquiring-mind Science: How Far Is the Sun? How Far Are the Planets?,” 1 Apr 2020

“Prior to working with Michael, I had very little hope of actually pursuing my dream to work in the aerospace industry as an engineer. Yet here I am, finishing an engineering degree at A&M this Fall and working at Bell Helicopter as an engineer. I wasn’t good at math. I didn’t like math (in fact, I avoided it). With Michael’s help, I came to understand the importance of not only mathematics, but also reason, rationality, and a constant pursuit of knowledge. His emphasis on critical thinking and questioning changes the fundamental way student’s think about and approach problems, regardless of the specific nature of the problem. In other words, don’t expect him to do your homework – expect to come out asking for seconds. You will take away a lot more than you ever expected, and it will stick with you for a long time. I honestly wish more teachers were like Michael – maybe they should take a lesson or two! I cannot recommend Michael enough for any student of any subject, this guy is simply the best.” –Drew T, ex-high school student

“I tutored with Michael for physics and calculus at the end of my senior year of high school in order to prepare myself for my first semester of engineering at Texas A&M University. Not only was I prepared enough to feel comfortable and excel in the coursework my 1st semester but Michael introduced me to thinking about problems as a whole and inductively (a thought process which has helped in every form of learning). To this day, 7 years later, I still use this method to help me solve problems and learn, in work and in life, more effectively. I highly recommend Michael to anyone looking to not only improve their grades but also to improve their ability to problem-solve and appreciate learning.” –Joe S, ex-high school student