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AN INVESTIGATION OF STUDENTSÂÂÂÂ' PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS IN AN INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS CLASS

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Date Issued:
2010
Abstract/Description:
The purpose of this study was to document the specific errors that introductory physics students make in each phase of the solution of Force and Motion problems. A mixed methods design was used to identify those errors, and it was determined that the errors which students made the most frequently were the omission of mgcosθ , mgsinθ, and the lack of a clearly defined coordinate system as part of the free-body diagram. Additionally, there was a negative statistically significant relationship between the quality of the free-body diagram and the quality of equations that were produced to describe the objectÂÂÂÂ's motion. The results indicate that students do not have a full understanding of the role of a free-body diagram or its relationship to the system of equations that are generated as a result of the application of NewtonÂÂÂÂ's Second Law to the free-body diagram.
Title: AN INVESTIGATION OF STUDENTSÂÂÂÂ' PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS IN AN INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS CLASS.
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Name(s): McDonald, Frank, Author
Jeanpierre, Bobby, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2010
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to document the specific errors that introductory physics students make in each phase of the solution of Force and Motion problems. A mixed methods design was used to identify those errors, and it was determined that the errors which students made the most frequently were the omission of mgcosθ , mgsinθ, and the lack of a clearly defined coordinate system as part of the free-body diagram. Additionally, there was a negative statistically significant relationship between the quality of the free-body diagram and the quality of equations that were produced to describe the objectÂÂÂÂ's motion. The results indicate that students do not have a full understanding of the role of a free-body diagram or its relationship to the system of equations that are generated as a result of the application of NewtonÂÂÂÂ's Second Law to the free-body diagram.
Identifier: CFE0003456 (IID), ucf:48407 (fedora)
Note(s): 2010-12-01
Ph.D.
Education, School of Teaching Learning and Leadership
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): Newtons second law
free body diagram
problem solving
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003456
Restrictions on Access: public
Host Institution: UCF

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