Low-level conceptual questions closed as homework questions when using HW question as motivating example

Question

In the past week, I've had two different questions closed as homework questions. In both questions, I included textbook problems that motivated my conceptual question, but in neither case was solving the textbook problem the essence of my question. I am concerned that the voters, seeing that the questions were of a relatively elementary nature and included textbook material, have closed these questions on reflex without taking note of the substance of the question.

1. Is the elastic modulus needed to solve this question?

   In this question, I asked if the question as posed in the textbook is internally consistent. I can do the computations and get an answer (close to) the textbook's answer, but the textbook also gives other information that may or may not be extraneous to the solution. My question is about whether elastic tension is capable of producing the geometry described: conceptual.

2. Why do tension forces count towards the force-balance constraints, but not the torque constraint?

   I concede that this question lacks a bit of focus, but again, I made it clear in the post that I am not asking for someone to check my computations. I was trying to reconcile two different approaches to force-balance equations that I have encountered: one where you try to balance the forces "into" and "out of" each node, and another where you balance the $x$ and $y$ forces acting on the origin.

   I edited this question once to remove the details of the solution and emphasize my conceptual questions, but it was quickly closed again.

I have read the meta pages on homework and check-my-work questions and I cannot see which policy my posts violate. Could anyone shed some light on why they were closed?

Answer 1

Based on a quick look, I believe you're correct that these questions should not have been closed under our existing homework policy. Questions are supposed to be closed as homework-like when they are asking for help with solving the problem (or asking for solutions outright, or variants on that type of thing). If a question is asking something conceptual that happens to be motivated by a homework problem or educational exercise, as is the case with yours, that's fine.

I don't want to make a hasty decision, so I'm not going to act on this right away, but I anticipate reopening your questions unless other people want to post here and argue for them to remain closed (or unless there's something pretty major that I missed in my initial assessment).

One thing that I do notice is that your questions are a bit long, particularly the second one. That's not a problem in its own right, but it can make it difficult for readers to identify what you're actually asking and thereby convince themselves that your question is not homework-like. So, while you're waiting for responses here, you might want to review your questions to see if there are ways you could either shorten them or reorganize them to make it more clear what you're asking. Strategic use (but not overuse!) of paragraph breaks, headings, display-style equations, bold text, and other formatting can also make a question easier to parse even if it is long. (Though to be honest, I think you've done a better job of that than many people who post here.)

Another thing to note in your second question is that you're asking multiple distinct questions at the end. We tend to like our questions pretty focused, so it helps if you can reduce your question down so it only asks one thing, or at least has one main question and a few secondary questions that can logically be considered parts of the main one. That doesn't seem to be the case with the question I linked earlier in this paragraph, and thus people might want to argue that it should remain on hold with the "needs more focus" reason.

Answer 2

First, just so we are on the same page here, these are the versions of the first and second questions before they were closed. They did not have the conceptual questions you claim that they had when they were closed, and they are much more off topic than they are now.

It seems like what you have done is asked questions that should have been closed, but then came to meta and only pointed out the good parts of your posts (which were edited in after closure, not before like you seem to suggest). However, if you really were trying to ask the conceptual questions you have stated here, you can easily edit the posts to do this.

As a general note, just putting something in a question like

I made it clear in the post that I am not asking for someone to check my computations.

doesn't make it true. If your question looks like a "check my work" question then there is a good reason to close it, even if you say it is not.

Now, onto the questions:

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For the first one let's start with the title:

Is the elastic modulus needed to solve this question?

This definitely doesn't help your case here. The title suggests that your goal is to solve the problem, not to ask a conceptual physics problem

Now onto your bold question:

What explains the discrepancy between these answers?

Since this is in bold, it seems to be your main focus. But this makes it look like a "check my work" question. "I have these different attempts, but they don't work. Why do they not work?" In addition to the title, this also gives the impression of the question being off topic.

Now onto what you claim the question was about in this meta post

My question is about whether elastic tension is capable of producing the geometry described: conceptual.

Then ask that! If you actually have a conceptual question, then make this the focus of the post; don't hide it in the middle of the question, make the title about solving the problem, and put in bold the "check my work" question.

As the first question stands, I still think it should be closed. It can be edited to bee worth reopening though.

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For your second question, for now let's ignore that the many questions at the end of the post give reason for the question to be closed as needing more focus (which has been fixed since posting this).

IMO the entire homework problem and your calculations are nearly irrelevant to the questions you ask at the end. Just like before, if you have conceptual questions then ask them. I would strip down the homework problem to just the system and not even ask the entire problem. Include the picture with just the description, and don't include all of your work.

I also think this second question should be closed as it currently is.

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In summary, the theme here is if you have a conceptual question then ask that conceptual question. Don't bury it in calculations and requests to point out what is wrong in those calculations. Additionally, do this from the beginning. Don't do this after the question was closed and then claim to have been asking the conceptual questions the entire time.