physics

James B. Macelwane

James B. Macelwane is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James B. Macelwane rather than just read about it. In short: James B. Macelwane, S.J.

Key takeaways

James B. Macelwane belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James B. Macelwane to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James B. Macelwane from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

James B. Macelwane, S.J. (September 28, 1883 – February 15, 1956) was a Jesuit Catholic priest and pioneering American seismologist.

Biography Father Macelwane was the second of nine children born to Alexander Macelwane, a fisherman and farmer, and Catherine Agnes Carr. He was on the faculty of Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri (SLU), where he organized the Jesuit Seismological Service, whose central station is in St. Louis, in 1925. Macelwane is the namesake of the James B. Macelwane Medal awarded annually by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Macelwane Fellowship awarded by the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He served as President of the AGU from 1953 until his death in 1956. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1944. The geological division of the SLU Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences is housed in Macelwane Hall.

Works Introduction to Theoretical Seismology When the Earth Quakes

See also List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics List of Christians in science and technology

References

Byerly, Perry (1956-06-22). "James B. Macelwane, Seismologist and Teacher". Science. 123 (3208): 1109. Bibcode:1956Sci...123.1109B. doi:10.1126/science.123.3208.1109. PMID 17793420.

External links Memorial page at Saint Louis University James B. Macelwane Manuscript Collection at Saint Louis University

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James B. Macelwane

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James B. Macelwane claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James B. Macelwane before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James B. Macelwane ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James B. Macelwane

In research: James B. Macelwane appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James B. Macelwane in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James B. Macelwane is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1883 births, 1956 deaths, 19th-century American Jesuits, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James B. Macelwane outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James B. Macelwane in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James B. Macelwane means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James B. Macelwane out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James B. Macelwane in simple terms?

James B. Macelwane, S.J.

Why does James B. Macelwane matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James B. Macelwane?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James B. Macelwane.