A space physicist’s perspective on energy transformations and some implications for teaching about energy conservation at all levels

Abstract

Space physics is primarily focused on the study of plasmas and electromagnetic fields in space, principally the plasma physics processes that give rise to the solar wind and the interaction of that wind with planetary magnetospheres. And the key to understanding space physics interactions is the transfer of energy from one part of the system to another, such as the sudden transfer of energy from stressed magnetic fields to the plasma during magnetic reconnection. Over the years, I have observed that graduate and undergraduate students are conceptually unprepared to create a coherent conceptual framework for understanding space physics because they do not have a firm grasp of the meaning of energy and the role of energy in interactions, or the role of fields in energy transfer. These difficulties are rooted in their precollege education, and are not well addressed in university education. In this paper I will outline some aspects of how the concept of energy is used in space plasma physics. I will also discuss some difficulties that students have with applying the concept of energy in two specific cases. In this context, I will discuss ideas around the teaching of energy that have applicability to the problem at all academic levels.