Even honors students have conceptual difficulties with physics

Abstract

Honors students in an introductory physics course are shown to exhibit some of the same kinds of misconceptions as do students in the usual standard introductory courses. Examples are given of exercises and written exam questions that probe for conceptual understanding, and student responses to these questions are used to identify conceptual difficulties common to many students. Because these misconceptions were found in a very select group of students, the implication may be drawn that conceptual difficulties of the same kind are present in students in all levels of introductory physics.