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Upper-Division Student Difficulties with Separation of Variables
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Wilcox, Bethany R.; Pollock, Steven J. – Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 2015
Separation of variables can be a powerful technique for solving many of the partial differential equations that arise in physics contexts. Upper-division physics students encounter this technique in multiple topical areas including electrostatics and quantum mechanics. To better understand the difficulties students encounter when utilizing the…
Descriptors: Physics, Advanced Students, Problem Solving, Calculus
Upper-Division Student Difficulties with the Dirac Delta Function
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Wilcox, Bethany R.; Pollock, Steven J. – Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 2015
The Dirac delta function is a standard mathematical tool that appears repeatedly in the undergraduate physics curriculum in multiple topical areas including electrostatics, and quantum mechanics. While Dirac delta functions are often introduced in order to simplify a problem mathematically, students still struggle to manipulate and interpret them.…
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Undergraduate Study, College Science, Physics
Using an Isomorphic Problem Pair to Learn Introductory Physics: Transferring from a Two-Step Problem to a Three-Step Problem
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Lin, Shih-Yin; Singh, Chandralekha – Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 2013
In this study, we examine introductory physics students' ability to perform analogical reasoning between two isomorphic problems which employ the same underlying physics principles but have different surface features. 382 students from a calculus-based and an algebra-based introductory physics course were administered a quiz in the recitation…
Descriptors: Physics, Science Instruction, Problem Solving, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique)
Using Isomorphic Problems to Learn Introductory Physics
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Lin, Shih-Yin; Singh, Chandralekha – Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 2011
In this study, we examine introductory physics students' ability to perform analogical reasoning between two isomorphic problems which employ the same underlying physics principles but have different surface features. Three hundred sixty-two students from a calculus-based and an algebra-based introductory physics course were given a quiz in the…
Descriptors: Protocol Analysis, Physics, Logical Thinking, Calculus