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Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay
Didaktikogenic Misconceptions in Physics: An Example Educational Officer
North Bengal Science Centre
P.O. Matigara, Siliguri Dist.,
This article deals with situations where textbooks actually
Darjeeling 734 010, India.
promote misconceptions in physics students. The particular Email: dckc.sc@gmail.com
case of weighing a filled balloon is taken up. An experimental
approach to exploring this topic is described, bringing home
the fact that because of Archimedes’ principle, one cannot
weigh air in a container surrounded by air at the same
pressure. This example is used to make some general points
about addressing misconceptions.
Introduction
Weight of Air
Step 1: Let us take a small balloon and a rubber band. Now with
the help of a chemical balance, their weights are measured and
noted. Let the total weight be x mg. Then, the balloon is filled
with air and the opening is tied up with the rubber band. After
that, the weight is measured again. Now, the weight has increased
to, say, y mg (y>x). (See Figure 1.) The question asked to the
students is, ‘Why does the weight increase?’ Almost all of them
will answer,‘It is due to the weight of the air’. To the student it
appears that the weight of air has been measured. They will not
question whether we can measure the weight of air in this way or
not; in fact, it is not possible to get the weight of the air in this way
as the buoyant force of air on the air-filled balloon acts upwards, Figure 1. Many textbooks
cancelling the weight of the air in the filled balloon. However, use this type of picture to
from textbooks and this kind of experiments, students have show that air has weight.
gathered this type of misconception.
the reasons behind this. As the plastic bag is bigger than the
balloon, it is expected to contain more air and so weigh more. But
the practical experiment shows that there is no change in weight.
too is a free-falling body with respect to the sun and so on. In fact,
in that sense the entire universe is a free-falling body.
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