Abstract
Development and validation of a concept inventory for simple electric circuits suitable for middle-school students.
Highlights
Permanent access to electrical energy at any time represents one of the most important developments of human society over the last few centuries
The other two were, to our knowledge, previously not reported, but show up certain similarities to known misconceptions: 1. Voltage depends on the distance from the battery During the interviews for this study, some students stated that the voltage between the terminals of a light bulb depends on the position of that element in the electric circuit
One student explained “I believe the voltage across light bulb 1 is higher than across light bulb 2 because the current has a longer way to go to light bulb 2” (Interview 1, question 3A)
Summary
Permanent access to electrical energy at any time represents one of the most important developments of human society over the last few centuries. This seems astounding, since in most countries students in middle schools and high schools are required to learn about simple electric circuits. In Austria and Germany, for example, simple electric circuits are introduced to most students in 7th or 8th grade. Simple electric circuits and especially an adequate understanding of voltage are very challenging for most students [3]
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