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  • Buoyancy

    Book Chapter |

    Buoyancy is a phenomenon that occurs not only in water but also in the atmosphere. The effect of buoyancy is easily felt in water. A hot air balloon rises up in the air because of a buoyant force from the air around it…

  • Angular Momentum

    Book Chapter |

    The concept of angular momentum can be related to linear momentum. The difference is that while linear momentum occurs with motion in a straight line, angular momentum applies to circular motion. The observations in…

  • Magnetism

    Book Chapter |

    Magnetism is a well known physics phenomenon that is used, for example, in computers for magnetic recording, in Maglev trains, or for holding notes on a refrigerator door. Magnetism is a phenomenon in which the magnetic…

  • Electromagnetic Induction

    Book Chapter |

    Electromagnetic induction is the basis for producing energy in our society. This phenomenon is used in wind generators, hydroelectric generators, and nuclear power plants, as well as in metal detectors, induction brakes…

  • More Fun

    Book Chapter |

    In this chapter, you will find explorations on gadgets that are very interesting and illustrative but that do not fit into the other chapters. However, many of these gadgets complement the explorations in earlier…

  • Do the Objects Need to Touch?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about electric forces. It is designed to reveal whether students recognize that electric forces can act at a distance without direct contact. The probe…

  • How Will the Balloons Move?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about electric charge when they rub balloons on their hair. It is designed to reveal whether students recognize that objects charged in the same way…

  • Can It Be Electrically Charged?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about electric charge. It is designed to reveal students’ thinking about the types of materials that can be electrically charged so it’s not important…

  • What Happens When Your Bring a Balloon Near a Wall?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about electrical interactions. It is designed to find out how students visually represent electrical interactions. The most common representation used to…

  • Conductors or Insulators?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about conductors and insulators of electric charge. It is designed to determine whether students can distinguish between objects that allow the charge to…

  • Does the Example Provide Evidence?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about charged objects. It is designed to reveal whether students recognize that one can only make a limited conclusion about charge during an interaction where…

  • Where Can You Find Electric Charge?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about electric charge. It is designed to determine whether students recognize that electrically charged particles are found in all matter. Its important…

  • Where Does the Charge Come From?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about electric charge. It is designed to reveal students’ thinking about where charge comes from. The example provided is when sliding down a plastic…

  • One Wire or Two?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about complete circuits. It is designed to reveal whether students recognize how just one wire can be used to make a circular pathway of electricity…

  • How Can You Light the Bulb?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about complete circuits and the structure of a lightbulb. It is designed to reveal how students think a battery and bulb need to be connected in order to…

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