Reasoning in Physics The Part of Common Sense
For a meaningful understanding of physics, it is necessary to realise that this corpus of knowledge operates in a register different from natural thought. This book aims at situating the main trends of common reasoning in physics with respect to some esse
- PDF / 13,834,135 Bytes
- 229 Pages / 432.761 x 670.476 pts Page_size
- 73 Downloads / 204 Views
Reasoning in Physics The Part of Common Sense
by
Laurence Viennot Université Denis Diderot (Paris 7), France
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, BOSTON, DORDRECHT, LONDON, MOSCOW
eBook ISBN: Print ISBN:
0-306-47636-3 0-7923-7140-2
©2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow Print ©2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht All rights reserved No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written consent from the Publisher Created in the United States of America Visit Kluwer Online at: and Kluwer's eBookstore at:
http://kluweronline.com http://ebooks.kluweronline.com
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ix
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
xi
PREFACE
xiii
INTRODUCTION
1
PART ONE - THE MAIN LINES
5
CHAPTER 1 / Physics: what is essential, what is natural? 1. The Essential: abstraction and coherence Common Ways of Thinking in Physics 2. 3. Taking “Wrong Ideas” Seriously 4. Areas of Physics and Units of Common Knowledge: do they coincide? 5. What To Do in Teaching?
7 7 8 9 10
11
CHAPTER 2 / A Trend in Reasoning: materialising the objects of physics 1. The Essential in Physics: constructed concepts 2. Common Forms of Reasoning in Elementary Optics 3. Conclusion APPENDIX 1. Research in Didactics and the New French Syllabus: Convergences APPENDIX 2. Excerpt from the Accompanying Document for the French Syllabus at Grade 8, implemented in 1993
15 15 16 34
CHAPTER 3 / The Real World: intrinsic quantities 1. The Essential: defining a frame of reference 2. Questions: fishes, parachutists and moving walkways 3. When Drag Disappears … 4. Considering Non Intrinsic Quantities: a teaching goal
47 47 49 52 57
36 42
vi
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 4 / The Essential: laws for quantities “at time t” Introduction 1. Analysing the Motion of Material Objects: 2. usual ways of reasoning An Interpretation of Common Ways of Reasoning in Dynamics 3. Coherence and Range of Common Ways of Reasoning in 4. Dynamics The Stakes in Teaching Dynamics 5. APPENDIX 1. A Cause Situated in the Past: propulsion by a spring APPENDIX 2. When the Past Leaves its Mark APPENDIX 3. Analysing Interactions: two situations APPENDIX 4. Excerpts from Official Instructions on the Curriculum For Grades 9 and 11 (Science Section)
61 61
CHAPTER 5 / Quasistatic or Causal Changes in Systems 1. The Essential: systems that obey simple laws Natural Reasoning: more stories 2. 3. Systems with a Clear Spatial Structure 4. Systems with No Clear Spatial Structure: examples from thermodynamics 5. Linear Causal Reasoning and Quasistatic Approaches: irremediable differences
93 93 95 95
PART TWO - THE IMPACT OF COMMON SENSE SOME INVESTIGATIONS CHAPTER 6 / Quantities, Laws and Sign Conventions 1. Introduction 2. The Essential: algebraic quantities and laws 3. The Natural: reality first, laws must adapt 4. Results of Inquiries 5. Realistic Balances 6. A Suggested Strategy: split diagrams 7. Verbal Statements: confusion and misunderstandings 8. Con
Data Loading...
