RUME 26
2024
Omaha, Nebraska
Physics Students’ Challenges Coordinating Multiplication with the Definite Integral Concept
Page: 36
Integration plays a significant role in applied problems, including those set in a wide range of physical phenomena. Past research has shown that students often experience difficulties applying calculus knowledge to physics, engineering, and other subjects. More specifically, recent research has identified students’ difficulties constructing the “product layer,” 𝑓(𝑥) ∙ 𝑑𝑥, as a core part of the definite integral. In this study, we extend research on students’ understandings of the definite integral by focusing on how they reason about multiplication with quantities, physical units, and the construction of the “product layer.”