We investigated students’ use of Newton’s second law in mechanics and
electromagnetismcontexts by interviewing students in a two-semester calculusbased
physics course. We observed that students’ responses are consistent with
three mental models, Newtonian, Aristotelian, and a hybrid model formed with
elements of the first two models. These models appeared in mechanics contexts
and were transferred to electromagnetismcontexts. We developed an inventory
to help instructors identify thesemodels and direct students towards the correct
one.
