Abstract
The nature of energy is not typically an explicit topic of physics instruction. Nonetheless, verbal and graphical representations of energy articulate models in which energy is conceptualized as a quasimaterial substance, a stimulus, or a vertical location. We argue that a substance ontology for energy is particularly productive in developing understanding of energy transfers and transformations. We analyze classic representations of energy---bar charts, pie charts, and others---to determine the energy ontologies that are implicit in those representations, and thus their affordances for energy learning. We find that while existing representations partially support a substance ontology for energy and thus the learning goal of energy conservation, they have limited utility for tracking the flow of energy among objects.
Highlights
Representations are at the heart of the scientific enterprise
We identify three main ontologies: one in which energy is understood as a metaphorical substance, one in which it is seen as a type of stimulus, and one in which it is symbolized by vertical locations
We describe the ontologies that we have found to structure thinking about energy in physics discourse, and discuss the advantages and limitations of the substance ontology, which is a critical piece of our instructional approach. (Some of the material appeared in Ref. [6].)
Summary
Representations are at the heart of the scientific enterprise. Central practices of science include many representation-based activities, including representational invention, refinement, negotiation, adaptation, adoption, rule-based manipulation, and enrichment or pruning of features of representations. Science itself is a representation of a class of patterns identified and manipulated by the community of its practitioners. We find that while each of the aforementioned representations partially supports a substance metaphor for energy, they have limited utility for tracking the flow of energy among objects. In a companion paper [5], we present a novel representation that embodies the substance metaphor and supports learners in conserving and tracking energy as it flows from object to object and changes form. Such representations enable detailed modeling of energy dynamics in complex physical processes
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