[sdiy] Wanted: non mathematical description of the functionofRC-filters

[David G Dixon]

> And math works better once you have some sort of intuition 
> about the things you are talking about, especially if you are 
> doing the engineering type applied mathematics as opposed to 
> pure math. In my experience (learning and teaching) 
> presenting different ways of viewing a given situation or 
> problem is usually helpful. Forcing math (well, if it's just 
> formulas and calculations as in a typical engineering class 
> it's not really math anyways) down students' (let alone 
> casual, but interested, learnes) throats is a lazy way of 
> teaching. Student's as well as teachers should be able to see 
> past all the mathematical mumbo-jumbo to the heart of the 
> matter, wether it be voltages and current or the properties 
> of a symmetric monoidal category. Once the ideas are clear in 
> the student's head the formal description of those ideas 
> comes much easier.

I agree with you, to a degree.  The math needs to come after the concept.
However, in the case of an RC filter, the concept is of a voltage divider
where one of the "resistors" has a frequency-dependent resistance.  None of
this is going to make sense unless a current balance is drawn around the
central node of the divider.  This, quite simply, requires some math!
However, it is not much more than arithmetic.

If someone wants to understand RC filters, but isn't even prepared to do the
simple math around a voltage divider, then I would say that they simply
aren't invited to the club.  Sorry, call it elitism if you will, but a
modicum of effort must be made with these things.