PERC 2025 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | "Its just a math equation": Examining resource coordination in physics students’ reasoning about exponential functions and drag |
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| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Abstract: | Exponential functions are foundational to modeling dynamic phenomena in physics, yet students often struggle to integrate their mathematical form with corresponding physical interpretations. This study reports on upper-division physics students' reasoning about exponential decay in the context of projectile motion with drag. Using the Knowledge in Pieces framework, we analyze how students activate and coordinate mathematical and conceptual resources during problem-solving. Case studies reveal that while participants demonstrated procedural fluency with exponential expressions, they did not construe these forms as meaningful representations of physical systems. In contrast, polynomial forms elicited stronger conceptual associations, suggesting that curricular familiarity plays a role in resource coordination. These findings underscore a persistent disconnect between symbolic manipulation and physical interpretation in students' reasoning. We argue for instructional designs that explicitly foster connections between mathematical structure (e.g., e^−kt) and mechanistic models (e.g., velocity-dependent drag), thereby supporting more integrated and expert-like engagement with exponential functions in physics contexts. |
| Session Time: | Poster Session A |
| Poster Number: | A-84 |
| Contributed Paper Record: | Contributed Paper Information |
| Contributed Paper Download: | Download Contributed Paper |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Rida Munir Utah State University Logan, UT 84341 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Jared Arnell, Utah State University Hillary Swanson, Utah State University John Edwards, Utah State University |
Contributed Poster | |
| Contributed Poster: | Download the Contributed Poster |
