Adam Erickson with Mano Singham

Common Misconceptions in Electricity and Magnetism

A great deal of problem solving in physics comes from our physical intuition.  While this intuition may come more natural to some individuals as opposed to others, it certainly can be improved through experience.  Through fundamentally introductory questions with counter intuitive twists, an investigation on problem solving methods will be attempted.  I will observe the responses of beginner (Physics 122 students), intermediate (Physics 325 students) and expert (professors/grad students) physics problem solvers to observe just how prevalent certain misconceptions may be among physicists.