A Momentum-First Approach to Teaching Force in High School

Abstract

[EN] A common conception that students have in mechanics courses is that a force is needed to maintain motion. Our work approaches this problem from a p-prim perspective with a comparison to the historical understanding of force. From a p-prims perspective, momentum is proposed to substitute force as a maintaining agency to motion. By a comparison with history, it is shown that a similar problem occurred in the development of the concept of force, which led to a similar solution to the one proposed in our work. As a result, a teaching plan and activities are prepared to introduce the concept of force through the concept of momentum. In this work, the main activities of the plan are discussed, as well as the results of a preliminary research based on its realization in a classroom.