Abstract
In this work we analyzed how electric and magnetic lines of force were conceived byFaraday and how they are understood by a group of Argentine university studentsafter receiving instruction. Our results show that many students possess ideas similarto those of Faraday in that lines of force are conceived as real physical entities responsible for the transmission of the electric action. These results are in accordance with the interpretation of physical entities as ``matter-based'' suggested by Chi et al. (1994). It is suggested that emphasis on the geometrical character of these lines seems imperative in basic electromagnetism classes in order to avoid this kind of confusion.
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Pocovi, M.C., Finley, F. Lines of Force: Faraday's and Students' Views. Science & Education 11, 459–474 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016579722962
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016579722962