Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results

Lindow, Ashley; Carbone, Elizabeth; Wagner, Doris J.

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Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results

written by Ashley Lindow, Elizabeth Carbone, and Doris J. Wagner

While developing a standardized fluids assessment covering buoyancy and pressure, we discovered deficiencies in student understanding of density. In particular, many college students do not recognize that density is a fixed property of a solid substance, such as aluminum or gold. We added questions to our diagnostic exam to probe the extent of student difficulties. In one of our questions, only 50-60% of students (depending upon class) recognize that the density of gold is a fixed value. When similar questions from an existing diagnostic¹ are used, however, 88-100% of students correctly identify the density of a piece of wood and of a diamond as fixed values. In this paper we discuss the differences between these questions and how those differences affect student responses.
¹ Yeend's Density Survey.

Physics Education Research Conference 2013
Part of the PER Conference series
Portland, OR: July 17-18, 2013
Pages 221-224

download 309kb .pdf
Published: February 1, 2014

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education - Applied Research - Instructional Material Design = Problem/Question Education - Basic Research - Alternative Conceptions - Assessment = Conceptual Assessment General Physics - Properties of Matter	- Lower Undergraduate	- Reference Material = Research study

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Format:: application/pdf
Mirror:: https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2013…
Access Rights:: Free access
License:: This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the published article's author(s), title, proceedings citation, and DOI.
Rights Holder:: American Association of Physics Teachers
DOI:: 10.1119/perc.2013.pr.043
PACSs:: 01.40.-d; 01.40.G-
Keywords:: Density, Education Research, Fluids, PERC 2013, Question Format
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created January 31, 2014 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:: January 31, 2014 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: December 16, 2013

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<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=13170">Lindow, A, E. Carbone, and D. Wagner. "Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, July 17-18, 2013.</a>

AIP Format

A. Lindow, E. Carbone, and D. Wagner, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, 2013, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13170&DocID=3717).

AJP/PRST-PER

A. Lindow, E. Carbone, and D. Wagner, Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, 2013, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13170&DocID=3717>.

APA Format

Lindow, A., Carbone, E., & Wagner, D. (2013, July 17-18). Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR. Retrieved January 18, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13170&DocID=3717

Chicago Format

Lindow, A, E. Carbone, and D. Wagner. "Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, July 17-18, 2013. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13170&DocID=3717 (accessed 18 January 2025).

MLA Format

Lindow, Ashley, Elizabeth Carbone, and Doris J. Wagner. "Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results." Physics Education Research Conference 2013. Portland, OR: 2013. 221-224 of PER Conference. 18 Jan. 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13170&DocID=3717>.

BibTeX Export Format

@inproceedings{ Author = "Ashley Lindow and Elizabeth Carbone and Doris J. Wagner", Title = {Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2013}, Pages = {221-224}, Address = {Portland, OR}, Series = {PER Conference}, Month = {July 17-18}, Year = {2013} }

Refer Export Format

%A Ashley Lindow %A Elizabeth Carbone %A Doris J. Wagner %T Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results %S PER Conference %D July 17-18 2013 %P 221-224 %C Portland, OR %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13170&DocID=3717 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2013 %O July 17-18 %O application/pdf

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%0 Conference Proceedings %A Lindow, Ashley %A Carbone, Elizabeth %A Wagner, Doris J. %D July 17-18 2013 %T Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results %B Physics Education Research Conference 2013 %C Portland, OR %P 221-224 %S PER Conference %8 July 17-18 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13170&DocID=3717

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