Journal of Science Education Technology
By Gonen, Selahattin
“A Study on Student Teachers’ Misconceptions and Scientifically Acceptable Conceptions About Mass and Gravity”
Publisher: JSTOR
17
Pp. 70-81
2008
A Study on Student Teachers’ Misconceptions and Scientifically Acceptable Conceptions About Mass and Gravity
Type: Empirical
Data collection method: Test
Number of subjects, range: Large — 31 or more
Grade and age of subjects: Adult — over 18 years

  • The weight of a body is the same everywhere in the universe. However, mass have different values at different regions of the universe.
  • There is no gravity in space The mass of a body is as much as 1/6 of it in the world, because  gravitational acceleration has taken different value at the space.
  • There is acceleration in the gravitational mass, but not in the inertial mass.

  • Criterion of the inertial of a body is, at the same time, the gravitational mass.

  • The gravitational mass is the gravitational acceleration that is applied to a body.

  • The inertial mass is unchanged according to the place where it is located, but the gravitational mass changes.

  • The gravitational mass is the force that a body applies to the earth.

  • The gravitational mass is gravity, but the inertial mass is the mass of a body while it is stationary.

  • The gravitational mass is a vector quantity, but the inertial mass is a scalar quantity.

  • Gravity is the same everywhere and has constant value.

  • Mass changes and depends on the gravitational acceleration.

  • Gravity is the gravitational acceleration that acts on a body.

  • Mass depends on density and volume, but weight does not.

  • The gravitational force is important for gravity.

  • Mass is the specific gravity of a body.

  • A body moves continuously in space due to the absence of gravitation. However, a force requires moving a body on the earth because gravitational force influences it.

  • The resultant force should be zero for a body on the earth to get into motion.

  • We can bring a body into action in an empty space, which does not require any force.

  • The empty space and frictionless surface have the same. properties; therefore, the same forces should be applied to the bodies.
  • If a force is bigger than the gravitational force applied on a body, it moves in the frictionless space.
  • A body on a frictionless surface has gravity, so a force requires moving it.
  • A body on a horizontal frictionless surface moves because of its potential energy. Energy of a body is zero in the empty space.