Developing an action concept inventory

McGinness, Lachlan; Savage, C. M.

doi:10.1103/physrevphyseducres.12.010133

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The challenges of action physics do not only have to do with the mathematical competencies needed, but also with various misconceptions about the principle of least action and the calculus of variation [23]. Several authors [11,24] have discussed methods to simplify the mathematics, but for many a student the Lagrangian, defined as the difference between kinetic energy and potential energy, remains a vague concept that is less clear than the concepts of force, momentum and energy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Lagrangian approach to bungee jumping

Heck

Uylings

2020

Phys. Educ.

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The fact that a bungee jumper can reach an acceleration greater than the acceleration of gravity is, also from a physics point of view, intriguing. Taking only gravity into account, it can be explained by applying conservation of energy or by deriving carefully the equation of motion in a Newtonian approach. In this article we show how it can be done straightforwardly via the Lagrangian approach. We will also apply this method to the fall of a block with a chain hanging underneath and touching the ground floor, and to the fall of a chain on a scale. These examples of systems of variable mass may motivate physics students to learn and use the Lagrangian approach, and may let them appreciate the benefits of this approach in some physics problems compared to Newtonian mechanics, with which they are already familiar.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Lagrangian approach to bungee jumping

Heck

Uylings

2020

Phys. Educ.

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“…The variational principles in physics, such as the principle of least action, are often introduced in advanced mechanics courses. Recently, many authors have argued that the least action principle provides a powerful technique for unifying Newton's mechanics, relativity and quantum mechanics, and they proposed the advantages of teaching them in introductory courses [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. Building on their work, Moore presented changes that can be implemented in the upper-level physics curriculum to teach Lagrangian methods variational methods that are also very useful in contemporary research [50].…”

Section: Conclusion and Implications For Teachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the variational methods for solving DC circuits

Harsha

2019

Eur. J. Phys.

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Direct current (DC) circuits are usually taught in upper-level physics curricula, and Kirchhoff's laws are stated and used to solve the steady-state currents. However, students are not often introduced to alternative techniques, such as variational principles, for solving circuits. Many authors have tried to derive the steady-state distribution of currents in circuits from variational principles, and the initial attempts were carried out by great physicists, such as Kirchhoff, Maxwell and Feynman. In this article, we shall review such variational principles in physics and illustrate how they can be used to solve DC circuits. We will also explore how they are related, in a fundamental way, to the entropy production principles of irreversible thermodynamics. We believe that the introduction of variational alternatives for solving circuits can be a good opportunity for the instructor to present the techniques of the calculus of variations and irreversible thermodynamics to students.

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“…(1) model estimation, and (2) concentration factor [10][11][12][13]. It has been broadly cited in physics education research [14][15][16][17].…”

Section: Model Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of model analysis to analyse Thai students’ attitudes and approaches to physics problem solving

Rakkapao

Prasitpong

2018

Eur. J. Phys.

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This study applies the model analysis technique to explore the distribution of Thai students’ attitudes and approaches to physics problem solving and how those attitudes and approaches change as a result of different experiences in physics learning. We administered the Attitudes and Approaches to Problem Solving (AAPS) survey to over 700 Thai university students from five different levels, namely students entering science, first-year science students, and second-, third- and fourth-year physics students. We found that their inferred mental states were generally mixed. The largest gap between physics experts and all levels of the students was about the role of equations and formulas in physics problem solving, and in views towards difficult problems. Most participants of all levels believed that being able to handle the mathematics is the most important part of physics problem solving. Most students’ views did not change even though they gained experiences in physics learning.

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Developing an action concept inventory

Cited by 9 publications

References 23 publications

A Lagrangian approach to bungee jumping

A Lagrangian approach to bungee jumping

A review of the variational methods for solving DC circuits

Use of model analysis to analyse Thai students’ attitudes and approaches to physics problem solving

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