Beyond Recurring Free-Body Force Diagrams: Educational Pros and Cons of Alternative Means of Representing Forces and Interactions

Àngela Garcia-Lladó ^[1] ; Víctor López ^[2]
1. [1] Universitat de Barcelona
  
  Universitat de Barcelona
  
  Barcelona, España
2. [2] Center for Research in Science and Mathematics Education
Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 58, Nº. 7, 2020, págs. 504-508
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- Despite the fact that the free-body diagram is the most common method of representing forces in physics education, alternative means have been proposed over the years. Here we present a summary of the proposals found in the literature on physics education. We aim to discuss the pros and cons of these proposals, examine their degree of iconicity, and analyze their suitability for helping students understand the sum of forces (Newton’s second law), the action-reaction principle (Newton’s third law), and the nature of interaction (fundamental forces).