Changing approach to teaching electromagnetism in a conceptually oriented introductory physics course

American Journal of Physics

Volumn 65, Issue 7, 1997, Pages 657-667

  Galili, Igal ^a   Kaplan, Dov ^a  

^a HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM   (Israel)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0031493896     PISSN: 00029505     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1119/1.18623     Document Type: Article

References (82)

1. We draw our conclusions from a survey of more than ten currently employed IPC textbooks published in the USA, most of them recently.
2. The Lorentz force is not unique in its velocity dependence. The Biot-Savart law is another example. We focused on the velocity dependence of the magnetic force as in many texts it is considered earlier than the sources of magnetic field. Force serves as a starting point for the suggested by us pedagogical changes. In their textbook Electric and Magnetic Interactions (Wiley, New York, 1995), R. Chabay and B. Sherwood start from the magnetic field and the Biot-Savart law, and from there develop the critique of velocity dependence (p. 459).
3. L. C. McDermott, "Millikan Lecture 1990: What we teach and what is learned - Closing the gap," Am. J. Phys. 59, 301-315 (1991).
4. For example, S. Rainson, G. Transtromer, and L. Viennot, "Students' understanding of superposition of electric fields," Am. J. Phys. 62, 1026-1032 (1994).
5. I. Galili, "Mechanics background for students' misconceptions in electromagnetism," Int. J. Sci. Ed. 17, 371-387 (1995).
6. A. Arons, A Guide to Introductory Physics Teaching (Wiley, New York, 1990), p. 191.
7. Reference 4.
8. A. K. T. Assis and F. M. Peixoto, "On the Velocity in the Lorentz Force," The Phys. Teach. 30, 480 (1992).
9. M. Born, Einstein's Theory of Relativity (Dover, New York, 1965).
10. For example, H. Benson, University Physics (Wiley, New York, 1991), p. 570; H. D. Young, University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1992), p. 773; R. A. Serway, Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990), p. 806; P. Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Worth, New York, 1990), p. 783; D. Halliday, R. Resnick, and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley, New York, 1993), p. 819.
11. For example, H. Benson, University Physics (Wiley, New York, 1991), p. 570; H. D. Young, University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1992), p. 773; R. A. Serway, Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990), p. 806; P. Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Worth, New York, 1990), p. 783; D. Halliday, R. Resnick, and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley, New York, 1993), p. 819.
12. For example, H. Benson, University Physics (Wiley, New York, 1991), p. 570; H. D. Young, University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1992), p. 773; R. A. Serway, Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990), p. 806; P. Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Worth, New York, 1990), p. 783; D. Halliday, R. Resnick, and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley, New York, 1993), p. 819.
13. For example, H. Benson, University Physics (Wiley, New York, 1991), p. 570; H. D. Young, University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1992), p. 773; R. A. Serway, Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990), p. 806; P. Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Worth, New York, 1990), p. 783; D. Halliday, R. Resnick, and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley, New York, 1993), p. 819.
14. For example, H. Benson, University Physics (Wiley, New York, 1991), p. 570; H. D. Young, University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1992), p. 773; R. A. Serway, Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990), p. 806; P. Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Worth, New York, 1990), p. 783; D. Halliday, R. Resnick, and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley, New York, 1993), p. 819.
15. R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, Physics (Wiley, New York, 1992), pp. 773-774.
16. R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, in Ref. 2.
17. E. M. Purcell, Electricity and Magnetism (McGraw-Hill New York, 1985), p. 208.
18. Reference 8.
19. D. Halliday, R. Resnick and J. Walker, in Ref. 10, p. 825.
20. M. Alonso and E. J. Finn, Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1992), p. 584.
21. G. I. Cohn, "Electromagnetic Induction," Electr.-Eng. 68, 441-447 (May 1949). (Thanks to B. Sherwood).
22. R. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, and M. Sands, Feynman Lectures on Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1964), Vol. II.
23. M. T. H. Chi, J. D. Slotta, and N. De Leeuw, "From things to process: A theory of conceptual change for learning science concepts," Learn. Instrum. 4, 27-43 (1994).
24. O. Jefimenko, "Force exerted on a stationary charge by a moving electric current or by a moving magnet," Am. J. Phys. 61, 218-222 (1993).
25. C. Kittel, W. D. Knight, and M. A. Ruderman, Mechanics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1973), p. 368.
26. J. F. Reichert, A Modern Introduction to Mechanics (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1991).
27. Reference 13.
28. We do not discuss, the consistency of this low velocity limit which would by far expand the scope and goals of this paper. After the second term in Eq. (8b) is neglected, the problem is fixed. [M. Bellac and I.-M. Levy-Leblond, "Galilean Electromagnetism," Nuovo Cimento 14B, 217-234 (1973).]
29. J. Piaget, Biology and Knowledge (The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1974), p. 148.
30. R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, in Ref. 2, pp. 482, 490-494.
31. E. M. Purcell, in Ref. 13, Chaps. 5, 6; A. P. French, Special Relativity (Norton, New York), Chap. 8.
32. E. M. Purcell, in Ref. 13, Chaps. 5, 6; A. P. French, Special Relativity (Norton, New York), Chap. 8.
33. For example, M. Alonso and E. J. Finn, in Ref. 16, p. 588.
34. For example, M. Alonso and E. J. Finn, Fundamental University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1967), Vol. 2, p. 539.
35. For example, P. Tipler, in Ref. 10, p. 813.
36. R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, in Ref. 2.
37. If one considered the two charges moving perpendicularly to each other, the flaw in Newton's third law would become obvious.
38. For example, H. Benson, in Ref. 10, p. 596.
39. For example, P. Tipler, in Ref. 10, p. 812; R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, in Ref. 2, p. 436.
40. For example, P. Tipler, in Ref. 10, p. 812; R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, in Ref. 2, p. 436.
41. 2.
42. A. Arons, in Ref. 6.
43. Dissatisfaction with prior knowledge, and the recognition of the new knowledge to be intelligible, plausible and fruitful, were claimed to be necessary conditions for a student to genuinely adopt the new knowledge in the progress of learning. See, for example, G. J. Posner, K. A. Strike, P. W. Hewson, and W. A. Gertzog, Sci. Educ. 66, 211-227 (1982).
44. For example, E. M. Purcell, in Ref. 13 or J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (Wiley, New York, 1965).
45. This question, which naturally appears, is rarely addressed in IPC texts. The text of R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, in Ref. 11, pp. 793-795, is an exception.
46. M. Born, in Ref. 9.
47. M. N. Wise, "The mutual embrace of electricity and magnetism," Science 203, 1310-1318 (1979).
48. A. I. Miller, "Unipolar induction: A case study of the interaction between science and technology," Ann. Sci. 38, 155-189 (1981).
49. Reference 17.
50. J. P. G. Hewitt, Conceptual Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1982), p. 566.
51. A. Einstein, "On the Electrodynamics of the Moving bodies," Ann. Phys. 17, 891 (1905). English translation in The Principle of Relativity (Dover, New York, 1952).
52. A. Einstein, "On the Electrodynamics of the Moving bodies," Ann. Phys. 17, 891 (1905). English translation in The Principle of Relativity (Dover, New York, 1952).
53. See for example, M. Faraday, Experimental Researches in Electricity, in Great Books of the Western World Vol. 45 (Encyclopedia Britannica, Chicago, 1978), Sec. 6.
54. E. M. Purcell, in Ref. 13, Chap. 7.
55. The customary integral form of the law of inductance was written first by F. Neumann (1798-1895) in 1845.
56. M. Born, in Ref. 9; A. Einstein in Ref. 45.
57. M. Born, in Ref. 9; A. Einstein in Ref. 45.
58. Of course, one can still correctly talk about "moving field" regarding electromagnetic-waves radiation by accelerated charges.
59. One can easily find such definitions as "the induced emf equals the number of field lines cut per second by a conductor."
60. The texts by E. M. Purcell, in Ref. 13 and R. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, and M. Sands, in Ref. 18, are not IPC textbooks and do not address a novice learner.
61. The texts by E. M. Purcell, in Ref. 13 and R. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, and M. Sands, in Ref. 18, are not IPC textbooks and do not address a novice learner.
62. J. D. Jackson, in Ref. 38, p. 173.
63. E. M. Purcell, in Ref. 13, Chap. 7, p. 243.
64. P. Lorrain and D. Corson, Electromagnetic Fields and Waves (Freeman, New York, 1970), p. 341, Eq. (8-36).
65. Reference 17.
66. For example, F. W. Sears, M. W. Zemansky, and H. D. Young, University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1982), p. 630; H. C. Ohanian, Physics (Norton, New York, 1989), p. 780.
67. For example, F. W. Sears, M. W. Zemansky, and H. D. Young, University Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1982), p. 630; H. C. Ohanian, Physics (Norton, New York, 1989), p. 780.
68. R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, in Ref. 2, Chap. 13.
69. They constitute a great majority. See, for example, R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, in Ref. 11; P. Tipler, in Ref. 10; D. C. Giancoli, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1989); A. Hudson and R. Nelson, University Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990).
70. They constitute a great majority. See, for example, R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, in Ref. 11; P. Tipler, in Ref. 10; D. C. Giancoli, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1989); A. Hudson and R. Nelson, University Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990).
71. They constitute a great majority. See, for example, R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, in Ref. 11; P. Tipler, in Ref. 10; D. C. Giancoli, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1989); A. Hudson and R. Nelson, University Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990).
72. They constitute a great majority. See, for example, R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, in Ref. 11; P. Tipler, in Ref. 10; D. C. Giancoli, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1989); A. Hudson and R. Nelson, University Physics (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1990).
73. Faraday's disc should not be confused with the case of unipolar induction. In the latter the rotating disc is a magnet itself. This case is much more complicated conceptually and never touched on in introductory physics courses, e.g., L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshits, Theoretical Physics, Vol. VIII, "The Electrodynamics of Continuous Media", Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1963, p. 209.
74. 2.
75. For example, R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, in Ref. 11; R. Wolfson and J. M. Pasachoff, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Harper Collins College Publishers, New York, 1995).
76. For example, R. Resnick, D. Halliday, and K. Krane, in Ref. 11; R. Wolfson and J. M. Pasachoff, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Harper Collins College Publishers, New York, 1995).
77. H. Benson, p. 628; H. D. Young, p. 845, both in Ref. 10.
78. H. Benson, p. 628; H. D. Young, p. 845, both in Ref. 10.
79. R. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, and M. Sands, in Ref. 18, pp. 17-2, 3.
80. Studies of teaching electricity preceded the suggestion of a new conceptual approach to learning electrical circuits. See, for example, H. Haertel, Report No. IRL 87-0001, Palo Alto: Institute on Research on Learning (1987) and the recently published textbook by R. Chabay and B. Sherwood, in Ref. 2.
81. L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshiz, The Classical Theory of Fields (Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1959), p. 279.
82. As was strongly stressed by Feynman (Ref. 18).