CONFRONT AND RESOLVE
BY YUVRAJ SHAMLOLL
FORCE AND MOTION
• COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
HEAVIER OBJECTS FALL FASTER THAN LIGHTER ONES.
AN OBJECT IN MOTION MUST HAVE A FORCE ACTING ON IT TO KEEP IT MOVING.
ASK STUDENTS, "IF YOU DROP A BOWLING BALL AND A MARBLE FROM THE SAME HEIGHT,
WHICH LANDS FIRST?" LET THEM PREDICT, THEN SHOW REAL-WORLD VIDEOS.
ASK STUDENTS TO PUSH A BOOK ACROSS A TABLE AND LET GO—DOES IT STOP BECAUSE OF
LACK OF FORCE OR FRICTION? THIS CHALLENGES THE MISCONCEPTION THAT FORCE IS NEEDED
FOR CONSTANT MOTION.
WAVES AND SOUND
• COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
SOUND CAN TRAVEL IN SPACE.
ALL WAVES REQUIRE A MEDIUM TO TRAVEL.
VACUUM BELL JAR EXPERIMENT: PLACE A RINGING ALARM INSIDE A BELL JAR AND REMOVE THE
AIR. AS THE AIR IS REMOVED, THE SOUND DISAPPEARS, PROVING THAT SOUND NEEDS A MEDIUM
TO TRAVEL.
EXPLAIN THAT LIGHT AND RADIO WAVES DO NOT NEED A MEDIUM, UNLIKE SOUND WAVES,
BECAUSE THEY ARE ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES. USE EXAMPLES LIKE HOW SUNLIGHT REACHES
EARTH THROUGH SPACE.
MAGNETISM
• COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
ONLY IRON OBJECTS ARE ATTRACTED TO MAGNETS.
MAGNETS ALWAYS ATTRACT OBJECTS.
HAVE STUDENTS TEST DIFFERENT MATERIALS (COPPER, ALUMINUM, PLASTIC, IRON) TO SEE WHICH
ONES ARE ACTUALLY ATTRACTED TO MAGNETS. EXPLAIN THAT ONLY CERTAIN METALS LIKE
IRON, NICKEL, AND COBALT ARE MAGNETIC.
SHOW THAT TWO LIKE POLES OF A MAGNET REPEL, NOT ATTRACT. LET STUDENTS EXPERIMENT
WITH PLACING MAGNETS TOGETHER IN DIFFERENT ORIENTATIONS.
LIGHT
• COMMON MISCONCEPTION
LIGHT ALWAYS TRAVELS IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
REFRACTION EXPERIMENT:
• PLACE A PENCIL IN A GLASS OF WATER AND ASK STUDENTS TO OBSERVE THE PENCIL IN THE
WATER.
• EXPLAIN THAT LIGHT SLOWS DOWN AND BENDS WHEN MOVING FROM AIR TO WATER.
THANK YOU