Conceptual physics is an approach to teaching
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...
that focuses on the ideas of physics rather than the mathematics. It is believed that with a strong
conceptual foundation in physics, students are better equipped to understand the equations and formulas of physics, and to make connections between the concepts of physics and their everyday life. Early versions used almost no equations or math-based problems.
Paul G. Hewitt
Paul G. Hewitt (born December 3, 1931) is an American physicist, former boxer, uranium prospector, author, and cartoonist. Born in Saugus, Massachusetts, Hewitt lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife.
Conceptual physics
In 1964, Hewit ...
popularized this approach with his textbook ''Conceptual Physics: A New Introduction to your Environment'' in 1971. In his review at the time, Kenneth Ford noted the emphasis on logical reasoning and said "Hewitt's excellent book can be called physics without equations, or physics without computation, but not physics without mathematics." Hewitt's wasn't the first book to take this approach. ''Conceptual Physics: Matter in Motion'' by
Jae R. Ballif
Jae R. Ballif (born 1931) was a provost of Brigham Young University (BYU).
Ballif was the son of Ariel S. Ballif and his wife, Artemesia Romney Ballif. Artemesia was the daughter of George S. Romney and Artemesia Redd and the sister of Marion G ...
and
William E. Dibble
William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conqu ...
was published in 1969.
But Hewitt's book became very successful. As of 2022 it is in its 13th edition. In 1987 Hewitt wrote a version for high school students.
The spread of the conceptual approach to teaching physics broadened the range of students taking physics in high school. Enrollment in conceptual physics courses in high school grew from 25,000 students in 1987 to over 400,000 in 2009. In 2009, 37% of students took high school physics, and 31% of them were in Physics First, conceptual physics courses, or regular physics courses using a conceptual textbook.
This approach to teaching physics has also inspired books for
science literacy courses, such as ''From Atoms to Galaxies: A Conceptual Physics Approach to Scientific Awareness'' by Sadri Hassani.
References
Further reading
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External links
Conceptual Physics website
Physics education
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