English (?)

[akrodha]

Grammar Nazis like me have a mixed feeling of amusement and frustration when confronted with terribly written text. Because I study at an International Program at a German university, it's only natural that the professors here have learned English as a secondary language. Therefore, I try to overlook grammar/spelling mistakes

Comments

[shirou]

That's just awful. I'm a physicist AND I speak Dutch (which is similar to German), yet that required great attention to understand. In parts, I gave up on the text altogether and just focused on the diagrams and equations.

Also, is that the introductory physics lab manual? My God. I would have a hell of a time getting the intro students I teach to perform and understand a lab like that, even with properly written instructions. I think we're doing magnetism next, and I do not look forward to trying to explain electromagnetic induction.

[akrodha]

Yes, this is an introductory lab manual (3rd semester). It's really not that complicated... I'm sure you've worked with transformers before. However, I didn't understand anything until I busted out my American textbook, read up on transforming AC voltages, and read the lab manual again.

I guess I have no option but to get used to these horrid manuals. Necessity seems to be the mother of invention.

Good luck explaining induction. It took me a few tries to understand all these odd electromagnetic phenomena (and to be honest, I probably still don't understand them fully).

[elfy]

Well, I am german and I can read it, just like you said. But it's not _easy_ to read, it just reads like all scientific texts of this kind. With that I mean I understand it, but not more or less easy then a german text - which i would maybe have to read a few times, also. So, yes, the text reads as if it is translated word by word and therefore more complicated then it has to be. Because well, the german is also more complicated then it need to be. A general... hm, flaw of german scientific texts.
That was also something my german english teacher said, that the problem with german scientific texts is that it seems as if the author tries to show how 'intelligent' he is by making them as complicated as possible - not as easy as possible. Very strange and useless habit.

(and sorry for MY crappy english >.< it's too early...)

[akrodha]

I guess that explains why I have trouble reading the manuals in german. Combine that with poor translating skills, and you've got quite a few frustrated students.

[mpnolan]

Hahaha. It's very funny that the first few questions all end in exclamation points.

[akrodha]

the odd thing is that the german manuals don't contain exclamation points, but the english ones somehow do.

[gundamtsubasa]

Strange, I don't speak a lick of German and I understood it just fine. However, having taken several years of electronics written by Navy engineeers, I knew what was going on. I just know things by different names. For example, I think what is referred to as copper losses (RCu), I remember as I2R losses.

[akrodha]

After reading up about transformers, I got a general idea of what to do. However, these are concepts that were barely touched upon in the lecture. Also, we have to take measurements using devices we're not well acquainted with, and the manuals certainly don't clarify much in terms of operation.

Oh, and the RCu losses are indeed caused by I2R within the copper component of the transformer (i think).