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Abstract Title: Probing Student Understanding of Resonance*
Abstract: The study of how students apply knowledge in new contexts is a currently being researched at Kansas State University.  Resonant phenomena play a crucial role in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a widely used medical tool in today's society and a part of the larger modern miracle medical machines project. The basics of MRI can be taught by looking at the resonance of a compass driven by an electromagnetic field.  However, this is not a system that is familiar to most students, making it beneficial to start by first introducing resonance in the context of a pendulum before shifting over to a system involving magnetism.  We present a case-study on students' ability to apply the knowledge learned in the traditional resonant system to the novel system.
*Supported in part by NSF Grant DUE 04-27645
Abstract Type: Contributed Poster

Author/Organizer Information

Primary Contact: Sytil K. Murphy
Kansas State University
Dept. of Physics
116 Cardwell Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
Phone: 785-532-1824
Co-Author(s)
and Co-Presenter(s)
Dyan L. McBride, and Dean A. Zollman