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Formative assessment questions for teaching physics

A2L Item 156

  • Description: Identify the principles needed to solve the problem.
  • Goal: Developing strategic knowledge
  • Source: UMPERG-ctqpe85
  • Keywords: Strategic Approach, Problem Solving, Impulse-Momentum Theorem, Work-Energy Theorem

The question for students:

A mass of 0.5 kg moving along a horizontal frictionless surface encounters a spring having k = 200 N/m. The mass compresses the spring by 0.1 meters before reversing its direction. Consider the total time the mass is in contact with the spring. What is the total impulse delivered to the mass by the spring?

Which of the following principles or combination of principles could be used to solve this problem MOST EFFICIENTLY.

  1. Newton’s 2nd law & dynamics
  2. Work-Energy theorem
  3. Impulse-Momentum theorem
  4. 1 and 2
  5. 1 and 3
  6. 2 and 3
  7. Other

Commentary for teachers:

Answer

(6) This is a two-principle problem. Again, student response is not as important as discussing what clues there are for deciding what principles are needed.