Publication Date
1-1-2024
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Title
Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings
DOI
10.1119/perc.2024.pr.Stuckey
First Page
414
Last Page
419
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to understand and characterize student thinking about the physics concepts of divergence and curl in the context of upper-division electromagnetism for physics majors. We interviewed five students at a west coast university who had taken at least one semester of upper-division electricity and magnetism. The interview prompted students to describe divergence and curl in multiple representations (visually, mathematically, qualitatively). Our analysis identified that students can notice but struggle to resolve discrepancies between the mathematical calculations and the graphical representations of vector fields. We illustrate examples of when students appear to have a disconnect between these two representations and utilize ideas from related, but inappropriate representations. By providing examples of how students interpret divergence and curl both conceptually and mathematically, we hope to inform instructors of potential hurdles students may face when taking upper-division E&M.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Physics and Astronomy
Recommended Citation
J. Toby Stuckey and Gina M. Quan. "Student understanding of divergence and curl in upper-division electromagnetism" Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings (2024): 414-419. https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2024.pr.Stuckey
