Does the mass of the Earth vary? Modeling through thought experiment
Abstract
This paper analyzes the effect of the resolution of qualitative problems through mental experiments, in the use of the idea of conservation of mass. Its purpose is to identify the models expressed by the students, and how they adjust and self-regulate as a result of the work in the classroom. For this, a multiple case study is carried out with secondary school students, using qualitative methods of data analysis. Throughout the mental experiment, students began mobilizing simple and naive models, based on a non-conservation of matter, while more than half ended up formulating others that spontaneously integrated the principle of conservation of mass and the idea of Earth as an open system. These results show the role of mental experiments as favorable scenarios for modeling in science.Keywords
Conservation of mass, Mental experiments, Models, Modeling, SystemReferences
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Copyright (c) 2021 José Mª Oliva, María del Mar Aragón Méndez, Francisco Soto Mancera, Juan José Vicente Martorell, Jesús Matos Delgado Matos Delgado, Rubén Marín Barrios, Rosario Franco-Mariscal Franco-Mariscal
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