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Oct 2004

Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 387-448

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Another Modest Proposal

George K. Horton

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 387

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
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Mario Iona (1917–2004)

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 389

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries
01.40.-d Education
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Would You Believe — ?

Cliff Swartz

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 390

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries
01.40.-d Education
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Material Strength

Paul Hewitt

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 392

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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01.50.F- Audio and visual aids
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Model Rocketry in the 21st-Century Physics Classroom

Ken Horst

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 394 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Model rocketry has changed since my introduction to it as an eighth-grade student. Two of these changes are important for the use of rocketry in the physics classroom. First, simulation software,1 which is relatively inexpensive and very powerful, allows students to create and fly virtual models of their rocket designs. Second, lightweight and sophisticated electronics2 are available for logging flight data and for controlling flight operations such as deploying parachutes. In this technology-rich context, designing, building, and flying model rockets can capture the interest of today's physics students.
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01.50.Wg Physics of toys
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus

Getting Students to Provide Direction When Drawing Free-Body Diagrams

Mark Mattson

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 398 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Free-Body Diagrams (FBDs) are an essential part of teaching mechanics to students in an introductory physics course.1–3 While determining the forces acting on the body is of primary importance,4–6 this paper will not address that issue. Those who are interested in gaining more insight in how to determine the forces that are acting on a body are referred to the work of James E. Court.7,8 In this paper, an extra step in the standard technique is suggested: The student should include the forces' angles in the FBD. Importantly, these angles should be determined relative to appropriate coordinate axes imposed on the system. This step is not emphasized in the textbooks, a general fault for which they have previously been criticized.9,10 It is recommended that students be introduced to this technique after having achieved a reasonable level of mastery in the determination of forces in an FBD.
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01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
01.55.+b General physics

The Nimitz Freeway Collapse

Bernard J. Feldman

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 400

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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One of the most tragic sights created by the Loma Prieta earthquake of Oct. 17, 1989, was the collapse of the double-deck Nimitz Freeway (the Cypress Street Viaduct on Interstate 880) just south and east of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in Oakland. Along a 1.4-km north-south stretch, the upper deck of the freeway fell on top of the lower deck of the freeway, killing 42 motorists (see Fig. 1). Even though the earthquake occurred during rush hour (5:04 p.m.), traffic was extremely light that day because the third game of the World Series between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants was about to begin and many commuters were already at home in front of their television sets.
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01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
89.60.Gg Impact of natural and man-made disasters
91.30.Bi Seismic sources (mechanisms, magnitude, moment frequency spectrum)

The Haunted Physics Lab

Thomas H. Zepf

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 404 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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During the Halloween season at Creighton University, our students and the public are treated to a haunted physics laboratory. Visitors to the lab learn physics while having fun as they are confronted with a maze of exhibits that demonstrate optical, electrical, and mechanical phenomena in the context of Halloween.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation

Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion for the Classroom

Gabriel I. Font and Scott C. Dudley

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 410 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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The cinema industry can sometimes prove to be an ally when searching for material with which to motivate students to learn physics. Consider, for example, the electromagnetic force on a current in the presence of a magnetic field. This phenomenon is at the heart of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion systems. A submarine employing this type of propulsion was immortalized in the movie Hunt for Red October.1 While mentioning this to students certainly gets their attention, it often elicits comments that it is only fiction and not physically possible. Imagine their surprise when a working system is demonstrated! It is neither difficult nor expensive to construct a working system that can be demonstrated in the front of a classroom.2 In addition, all aspects of the engineering hurdles that must be surmounted and myths concerning this “silent propulsion” system are borne out in a simple apparatus. This paper details how to construct an inexpensive MHD propulsion boat that can be demonstrated for students in the classroom.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
52.75.Di Ion and plasma propulsion

The Siren

Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 418

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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One evening in the fall of 1964, early in my first semester of teaching physics at Kenyon College, I decided to try out the siren in Fig. 1. In those days we had a compressed air line in the lecture hall, and I connected the siren to it. It gave out a satisfyingly loud scream like a legion of cats having their tails stepped on, and within seconds the entire campus security force (two men) arrived in the lecture hall asking about the emergency. I have not done the demonstration since. The siren is a blessing and a curse of modern life. It is used to warn us of approaching storms, and also of overtaking police cars. However, it began as a scientific instrument in the first part of the 19th century.1
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries
43.58.+z Acoustical measurements and instrumentation

Tossing on a Rotating Space Station

Mark Paetkau

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 423 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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The following analysis was inspired by a question posed by a listener of a radio science show.1 The listener asked the question: “If an astronaut in a space station that was rotating to simulate gravity threw a ball up, where would the ball go?” The physicist answered, “The ball would travel straight across the space station (assuming an open structure). “The main point is that to an outside observer the ball would not “fall” back down as on Earth. As I pondered this it occurred to me that while the answer is correct, it is a special case with a more general solution. Below is an analysis of the motions a thrown object can undergo on a rotating space station. The first part of the discussion is aimed at lower-level undergraduates who have a basic understanding of vectors and circular motion, and the motion is described from the point of view of an external reference frame. Further analysis of the motion by an observer on the space station is appropriate for upper-level students.
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45.40.-f Dynamics and kinematics of rigid bodies

Assessing-To-Learn: Formative Assessment in Physics Instruction

Robert J. Dufresne and William J. Gerace

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 428 | Cited 9 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Assessment designed to enhance teaching and learning is called “formative assessment.” During formative assessment, teachers and students seek information about the state of student learning and then use the acquired information to adapt teaching and learning to meet student needs. “Classroom formative assessment” (CFA) requires that teachers explicitly engage in formative assessment during classroom learning activities. At a basic level, CFA occurs naturally and is a common part of most instructional settings. Nevertheless, the systematic practice of CFA is rare in secondary and post-secondary science education. Here we provide suggestions for those interested in formative assessment for use in teaching introductory physics. A simple model of classroom formative assessment is presented. Included are examples of formative assessment activities and suggestions for implementation.
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01.40.E- Science in school
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
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Using the Vernier LabPro as an Ohmmeter and Multimeter

Robert C. Word, Erik Bodegom, and Ian Honohan

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 435

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Vernier Software and Technology's LabPro® data acquisition device1 has the cursorily documented2 ability to measure resistance. Here we describe how to build a resistance probe and how to configure Vernier's Logger Pro® data acquisition software to automatically detect and understand the probe. We discuss the range, accuracy, and limitations of this ohm-meter. When this probe is used with voltage and current probes already available from Vernier, the LabPro may be used as a digital multimeter.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
07.68.+m Photography, photographic instruments; xerography
84.37.+q Measurements in electric variables (including voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, impedance, and admittance, etc.)
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Building a Better Bed of Nails Demonstration

Gordon P. Ramsey

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 438

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
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Damped Simple Harmonic Motion on a Linear Air Track [Phys. Teach. 7, 395 (Oct. 1969)]

Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 440

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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45.40.-f Dynamics and kinematics of rigid bodies
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A Futile Chase

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 442

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.55.+b General physics

A Picture Is Worth 137 Words

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 442

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education

Bounce, Bounce, Bounce…

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 442

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
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Question Their Answers

Brenda Royce

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 444

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Brenda Royce has been teaching high school chemistry and physics for nine years, and is currently science department chair at University High School in Fresno, CA, a college prep charter school on the CSU Fresno campus. She also enjoys coaching Science Olympiad, and working with science and math student teachers as a workshop leader and mentor teacher through the Science and Math Education Center at CSUF. Prior to teaching, she worked in analytical and environmental chemistry for several years. Brenda shares with us her strategy of answering students' questions by “questioning their answers.”
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01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
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Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: The Mechanical Universe, http:∕∕www.learner.org∕resources∕series42.html

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Spacecraft Piloting Games, http:∕∕www.ncsu.edu∕sciencejunction∕station∕gameroom∕spacetrak∕index.html

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Personal Hovercraft, http:∕∕physicsed.buffalostate.edu∕WNYPTA∕meetings∕2003-04∕12Jun04∕hover.doc

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Tutorials and Simulations for Free-Body Diagrams, http:∕∕www.glenbrook.k12.il.us∕gbssci∕phys∕shwave∕fbd.html

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Tutorials and Simulations for Vectors, http:∕∕www.walter-fendt.de∕ph11e∕resultant.htm

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Students Like to See Newton's Laws Analyzing Their Own Bodies and Interesting Situations, http:∕∕hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu∕hbase∕carcr.html

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Gravity, Orbits, and Kepler's Laws, http:∕∕observe.arc.nasa.gov∕nasa∕∕education∕reference∕orbits∕orbits.html

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Visualizing Inclined Planes, Banked Roads, and Newton's Third Law, http:∕∕physicsed.buffalostate.edu∕pubs∕TPT∕TPTApr01WallFlex∕

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Sites for Teaching Newton's Laws, Introductory Forces, and Uniform Circular Motion: Unit-Level Curricula for Forces, http:∕∕modeling.asu.edu∕Curriculum.html

Dan MacIsaac

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 447

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use
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Time Tested: The Tests of Time: Readings in the Development of Physical Theory,: Lisa M. Dolling, Arthur F. Gianelli, and Glenn N. Statile

John L. Hubisz, Reviewer

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 448

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews

Time Tested: On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy,: Stephen Hawking

John L. Hubisz, Reviewer

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 448

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews

MicroReviews by the Book Review Editor: Cosmic Cabaret & Maxwell's Equations 1.0: Lynda Williams

John L. Hubisz, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 448

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews

MicroReviews by the Book Review Editor: 200 Puzzling Problems with Hints and Solutions: Peter Gnädig, Gyula Honyek, & Ken Riley

John L. Hubisz, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 448

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews

MicroReviews by the Book Review Editor: Remarkable Physicists: From Galileo to Yukawa: Ioan James

John L. Hubisz, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 448

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews

MicroReviews by the Book Review Editor: Small Things Considered: Why There Is no Perfect Design: Henry Petroski

John L. Hubisz, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 448

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews

MicroReviews by the Book Review Editor: Are Universes Thicker than Blackberries?: Discourse on Gödel, Magic Hexagrams, Little Red Riding Hood, and other Mathematical and Pseudoscience Topics: Martin Gardner

John L. Hubisz, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2004 -- Volume 42, Issue 7, pp. 448

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

Full Text: Read Online (HTML) | Download PDF

Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews
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