Addressing student difficulties with concepts related to entropy, heat engines and the Carnot cycle

Trevor I. Smith; Warren M. Christensen; John R. Thompson

doi:10.1063/1.3266735

Addressing student difficulties with concepts related to entropy, heat engines and the Carnot cycle

Trevor I. Smith, Warren M. Christensen, John R. Thompson

Physics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the rationale behind and preliminary results from a guided-inquiry conceptual worksheet (a.k.a. tutorial) dealing with Carnot's efficiency and the Carnot cycle. The tutorial was administered in an upper-level thermodynamics course at the University of Maine. The tutorial was implemented as the third in a three-tutorial sequence designed to improve students' understanding of entropy and its applications. Initial pre- and post-tutorial assessment data suggest that student understanding of heat engines and the Carnot cycle improved as a result of tutorial instruction.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER
Pages	277-280
Number of pages	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266735
State	Published - Dec 16 2009
Event	2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER: Physics Education Research across Paradigms - Ann Arbor, MI, United States Duration: Jul 29 2009 → Jul 30 2009

Publication series

Name	AIP Conference Proceedings
Volume	1179
ISSN (Print)	0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)	1551-7616

Other

Other	2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER: Physics Education Research across Paradigms
Country	United States
City	Ann Arbor, MI
Period	7/29/09 → 7/30/09

Fingerprint

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Physics and Astronomy(all)

Cite this

Smith, T. I., Christensen, W. M., & Thompson, J. R. (2009). Addressing student difficulties with concepts related to entropy, heat engines and the Carnot cycle. In 2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER (pp. 277-280). (AIP Conference Proceedings; Vol. 1179). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266735

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Smith, TI, Christensen, WM & Thompson, JR 2009, Addressing student difficulties with concepts related to entropy, heat engines and the Carnot cycle. in 2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER. AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 1179, pp. 277-280, 2009 Physics Education Research Conference, PER: Physics Education Research across Paradigms, Ann Arbor, MI, United States, 7/29/09. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266735

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Access to Document

10.1063/1.3266735