Computer Intensive Physics 211

InfoMall Homework #2 -Printed only (10 points)

Spring, 1998

Due 1/20/98

IFHW2:

Using the InfoMall

Write a short essay, in four parts, and print it out to hand in on Tuesday,
January 20^th, at the beginning of class:

Today there is concern among physicists in the USA because of the relatively
small number of women who pursue studies and/or a career in physics.
Your task is to use the InfoMallto study this topic. You are asked to compare
the points of view expressed in an article that was published in the 1930s with more
current articles about this topic.

1) The earliest article related to this topic that appears in the InfoMallis an article
published by John B. Daffin in the American Journal of Physics in 1937. Find the
Daffin article and list the reasons he gives for the small number of women in
physics.

2) Find twomuch more recent articles, i.e. more that 30 years newer than the Daffin
article, i.e. published since 1967, and summarize their points of view. Give the
completecitation for each of the two articles. (Hint: you can do "wild card"
searches by using a * to substitute for a specific letter or number, e.g. 199* would
search for all of the 1990s.)

3) Compare and contrast the earlier article(1937) with the two more recent articles.
How are they the same? How are they different?

4) Write your own summary paragraph, on the basis of these three articles, what can
you conclude about the role of women in physics in the USA ? Be sure to give
evidenceto support your conclusions.