Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy

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written by Doris J. Wagner, Sam Cohen, and Adam Moyer

This study is part of an ongoing effort to develop a diagnostic test assessing student understanding of fluids. In particular, this paper addresses a question involving density and buoyancy. The "five blocks" question, which asks students to predict the final location of blocks released from rest when submerged and explain their reasoning, has been administered to hundreds of students in three different introductory courses at Grove City College for the past four years. We used the common student responses to craft a multiple-select version of the five blocks problem in 2008. This paper will present the effects that changing workshop activities have had on student performance on the five block question.

Physics Education Research Conference 2009
Part of the PER Conference series
Ann Arbor, Michigan: July 29-30, 2009
Volume 1179, Pages 289-292

download 58kb .pdf
Published: November 11, 2009

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education - Basic Research - Alternative Conceptions - Assessment = Conceptual Assessment = Instruments Fluid Mechanics - Statics of Fluids = Density and Buoyancy	- Lower Undergraduate	- Reference Material = Research study

PER-Central Type	Intended Users	Ratings
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Formats:: application/pdf
non-digital
Mirror:: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266739
Access Rights:: Free access and
Available for purchase; A preprint of the work is available. A hard copy of the PERC 2009 proceedings is also available.
Restriction:: © 2009 American Institute of Physics
DOI:: 10.1063/1.3266739
PACSs:: 01.40.Fk; 01.40.G-
Keywords:: Archimedes' principle, PERC 2009, buoyancy, density, diagnostic instrument development, education research, student understanding of fluids
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created October 14, 2009 by Alea Smith
Record Updated:: July 15, 2010 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: November 11, 2009

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=9507">Wagner, D, S. Cohen, and A. Moyer. "Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 29-30, 2009.</a>

AIP Format

D. Wagner, S. Cohen, and A. Moyer, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9507&DocID=1382).

AJP/PRST-PER

D. Wagner, S. Cohen, and A. Moyer, Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9507&DocID=1382>.

APA Format

Wagner, D., Cohen, S., & Moyer, A. (2009, July 29-30). Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9507&DocID=1382

Chicago Format

Wagner, D, S. Cohen, and A. Moyer. "Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 29-30, 2009. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9507&DocID=1382 (accessed 19 September 2024).

MLA Format

Wagner, Doris J., Sam Cohen, and Adam Moyer. "Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy." Physics Education Research Conference 2009. Ann Arbor, Michigan: 2009. 289-292 Vol. 1179 of PER Conference. 19 Sep. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9507&DocID=1382>.

BibTeX Export Format

@inproceedings{ Author = "Doris J. Wagner and Sam Cohen and Adam Moyer", Title = {Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2009}, Pages = {289-292}, Address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {1179}, Month = {July 29-30}, Year = {2009} }

Refer Export Format

%A Doris J. Wagner %A Sam Cohen %A Adam Moyer %T Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy %S PER Conference %V 1179 %D July 29-30 2009 %P 289-292 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9507&DocID=1382 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %O July 29-30 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Wagner, Doris J. %A Cohen, Sam %A Moyer, Adam %D July 29-30 2009 %T Addressing Student Difficulties with Buoyancy %B Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %V 1179 %P 289-292 %S PER Conference %8 July 29-30 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9507&DocID=1382

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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The AJP/PRST-PER presented is based on the AIP Style with the addition of journal article titles and conference proceeding article titles.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation.

The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ.