Many students are unable to distinguish clearly between momentum and kinetic energy and to recognize which is conserved in specific situations

Energy and Thermal Physics

Misconception RESEARCH REVIEW

Resources to Address This

  • Investigating momentum during collisions (11-16)

    A moving glider on a linear air track collides with a stationary glider, thus giving it some momentum. This datalogging experiment explores the relationship between the momentum of the initially moving glider, and the momentum of both gliders after the collision.

    The event can also be described in terms energy transfer.

    View Resource

References

  • Loverude, M. E. () Student Understanding Of Gravitational Potential Energy And The Motion Of Bodies In A Gravitational Field, AIP Conference Proceedings, 790, 77, California State University Fullerton, American Institute of Physics.

    Paper digest

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RESEARCH REVIEW Energy and Thermal Physics

Students can concentrate on object properties and behaviours overlooking the system and object interactions

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RESEARCH REVIEW Energy and Thermal Physics

Most students are aware that a hot object can ‘heat up’ another object, and think of heat as something that can move from one object to another

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RESEARCH REVIEW Energy and Thermal Physics

Many students explain thermal expansion in terms of increased particle size

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