{"id":1489,"date":"2019-02-14T00:00:06","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T05:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/per\/?p=1489"},"modified":"2019-05-20T20:44:29","modified_gmt":"2019-05-21T00:44:29","slug":"ben-and-john-write-about-differential-length-vectors-in-unexpected-coordinates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/per\/2019\/02\/14\/ben-and-john-write-about-differential-length-vectors-in-unexpected-coordinates\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben and John write about differential length vectors in unexpected coordinates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.aps.org\/prper\/abstract\/10.1103\/PhysRevPhysEducRes.15.010111\">Physics students\u2019 construction of differential length vectors in an unconventional spherical coordinate system<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Benjamin P. Schermerhorn and John R. Thompson<br \/>\nPhys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 15, 010111<\/p>\n<p>Vector calculus and multivariable coordinate systems play a large role in the understanding and calculation of much of the physics in upper-division electricity and magnetism. Differential vector elements represent one key mathematical piece of students\u2019 use of vector calculus. In an effort to examine students\u2019 understanding of non-Cartesian differential length elements, students in junior-level electricity and magnetism were interviewed in pairs and asked to construct a differential length vector for an unconventional spherical coordinate system. One aspect of this study identified symbolic forms invoked by students when building these vector expressions, some previously identified and some novel, given the vector calculus context. Analysis also highlighted several common ideas in students\u2019 concept images of a non-Cartesian differential length vector as they determined their expressions. As no interview initially resulted in the construction of an appropriate differential, analysis addresses the role of the evoked concept images and symbolic forms on students\u2019 performance.<\/p>\n<p>DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1103\/PhysRevPhysEducRes.15.010111<\/p>\n<p>Link to UMaine PERL article archive: <a href=\"https:\/\/umaineperl.blogspot.com\/2019\/02\/schermerhorn-and-thompson-on.html\">Schermerhorn and Thompson on differential length vectors<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Physics students\u2019 construction of differential length vectors in an unconventional spherical coordinate system Benjamin P. Schermerhorn and John R. Thompson Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 15, 010111 Vector calculus and multivariable coordinate systems play a large role in the understanding and calculation of much of the physics in upper-division electricity and magnetism. Differential vector elements [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-papers"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ben and John write about differential length vectors in unexpected coordinates - Physics Education Research Laboratory - University of Maine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/per\/2019\/02\/14\/ben-and-john-write-about-differential-length-vectors-in-unexpected-coordinates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ben and John write about differential length vectors in unexpected coordinates - Physics Education Research Laboratory - University of Maine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Physics students\u2019 construction of differential length vectors in an unconventional spherical coordinate system Benjamin P. Schermerhorn and John R. Thompson Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 15, 010111 Vector calculus and multivariable coordinate systems play a large role in the understanding and calculation of much of the physics in upper-division electricity and magnetism. 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