Students' ideas about equilibrium, friction and dissipation

Abstract

Students' ideas on the explanation of motion phenomena will be presented. It will be shown that the researches have taken as the framework in which to place students' ideas, the scientific model of Newtonian mechanics centered on the force concept with little, if none, consideration on the real life motion phenomena which may be considered an important experential source of students interpretations. Equilibrium, friction and dissipation are key concepts for the analysis of these real life experiences. The analysis will also focus on the epistemological aspects related to the methodology of an experential science in the relation observations/experiments/theories/models. Historical considerations of the key concepts mentioned above will give evidence, besides furnishing a cultural background, of the problematic aspects of friction and dissipation. Suggestions for teachers' training will be discussed with a focus on conceptual change and on thinking about the possibility of changing the content organization of physics teaching in such a way as to take into consideration the experential roots of intuitive physics scheme.