
Matter and Interactions
Developed by: Ruth Chabay and Bruce Sherwood
Level









middle schoolhigh schoolintro collegeinter-mediateupper levelgrad school other

calc based










middle schoolhigh schoolintro collegeinter-mediateupper levelgrad school other

calc based
Topics





Setting



Overview
What? A modern calculus-based introductory curriculum with a radical change in content and emphasis, focusing on the power of fundamental principles and guiding students through the process of starting from these principles in analyzing physical systems, on both the macroscopic and the microscopic level.
Curriculum outline
VOLUME I: Modern Mechanics
- Interactions and Motion
- The Momentum Principle
- The Fundamental Interactions
- Contact Interactions
- Determining Forces from Motion
- The Energy Principle
- Internal Energy
- Energy Quantization
- Translational, Rotational, and Vibrational Energy
- Collisions
- Angular Momentum
- Entropy: Limits on the Possible
VOLUME II: Electric and Magnetic Interactions
- Electric Field
- Electric Fields and Matter
- Electric Field of Distributed Charges
- Electric Potential
- Magnetic Field
- Electric Field and Circuits
- Circuit Elements
- Magnetic Force
- Patterns of Field in Space
- Faraday’s Law
- Electromagnetic Radiation
Student skills developed
Designed for:
- Conceptual understanding
Can be adapted for:
- Problem-solving skills
Instructor effort required
- Medium
Resources required
- TAs / LAs
- Projector
- Computers for students
- Cost for students
Resources
Developer's website: Matter and Interactions
Teaching Materials
You can buy the Matter and Interactions book from Wiley. You can also view a sample chapter from Wiley.
You can find additional resources on the Matter and Interactions website.
Research
RESEARCH VALIDATION

This is the third highest level of research validation, corresponding to:
- at least 1 of the "based on" categories
- at least 1 of the "demonstrated to improve" categories
- at least 1 of the "studied using" categories
Research Validation Summary
Based on Research Into:
- theories of how students learn
- student ideas about specific topics
Demonstrated to Improve:
- conceptual understanding
- problem-solving skills
- lab skills
- beliefs and attitudes
- attendance
- retention of students
- success of underrepresented groups
- performance in subsequent classes
Studied using:
- cycle of research and redevelopment
- student interviews
- classroom observations
- analysis of written work
- research at multiple institutions
- research by multiple groups
- peer-reviewed publication