English

Students' Responses To Different Representations Of A Vector Addition Question

Physics Education 2015-05-19 v2

Abstract

We investigate if the visual representation of vectors can affect which methods students use to add them. We gave students one of four questions with different graphical representations, asking students to add the same two vectors. For students in an algebra-based class the arrangement of the vectors had a statistically significant effect on the vector addition method chosen while the addition or removal of a grid did not.

Cite

@article{arxiv.1008.0822,
  title  = {Students' Responses To Different Representations Of A Vector Addition Question},
  author = {Jeffrey M. Hawkins and John R. Thompson and Michael C. Wittmann and Eleanor C. Sayre and Brian W. Frank},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1008.0822},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

Accepted by Physics Education Research Conference (PERC) Proceedings, 4 Pages

R2 v1 2026-06-21T15:57:04.899Z