A Qualitative Approach to Electricity.
Abstract
In the teaching of physics, the study of electricity and magnetism typically follows the introduction of the basic concepts of mechanics. However, there are some new concepts associated with electromagnetic fields that seem at first to the student to be unrelated to, or even incompatible with, Newton's third law as learned in mechanics. Furthermore, the transition from electrostatics to studies of moving charges and associated magnetic phenomena seems to many thoughtful students not to be consistent with concepts learned earlier in the course. This report describes approaches to electrostatics, to elementary circuits, and to the effects of moving charges in a way carefully designed to be fully consistent throughout, so that the thoughtful students is not left with quandaries about the relationship of each set of basic concepts to the other sets in the course. Keywords include: Physics, Qualitative concepts and reasoning, and Electricity and Magnetism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 15, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA189854
Entities
People
- Hermann Haertel
Organizations
- PARC