Force concept inventory

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written by David Hestenes, Malcolm Wells, and Gregg Swackhamer

This article reports the rationale, design, validation, and uses of the "Force Concept Inventory," an instrument to assess students' beliefs on force. Results and implications of two studies that compared the inventory with the "Mechanics Baseline" are included. The article includes a copy of the instrument.

The Physics Teacher: Volume 30, Issue 3, Pages 141-158

https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education Foundations - Assessment = Instruments General Physics - Physics Education Research	- High School - Lower Undergraduate	- Assessment Material = Test - Reference Material = Research study

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Researchers - Educators	- application/pdf - text/html	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Access Rights:: Available by subscription and
Available for purchase
Restriction:: © 1992 American Association of Physics Teachers
DOI:: 10.1119/1.2343497
PACSs:: 01.40.Gm; 03.20.+i
Keywords:: Attitude Measures, Beliefs, Cognitive Measurement, Cognitive Structures, Force, Force Concept Inventory, High Schools, Higher Education, Item Analysis, Measures (Individuals), Mechanics (Physics), Misconceptions, Motion, Newton Laws of Motion, Physics, Science Education, Science Instruction, Test Construction, Test Validity
Record Creator:: Metadata instance created July 13, 2005 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:: February 22, 2025 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: March 1, 1992
Other Collections:: The PER-Central

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=2641">Hestenes, D, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer. "Force concept inventory." Phys. Teach. 30, no. 3, (March 1, 1992): 141-158.</a>

AIP Format

D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, , Phys. Teach. 30 (3), 141 (1992), WWW Document, (https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497).

AJP/PRST-PER

D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, Force concept inventory, Phys. Teach. 30 (3), 141 (1992), <https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497>.

APA Format

Hestenes, D., Wells, M., & Swackhamer, G. (1992, March 1). Force concept inventory. Phys. Teach., 30(3), 141-158. Retrieved March 20, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497

Chicago Format

Hestenes, D, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer. "Force concept inventory." Phys. Teach. 30, no. 3, (March 1, 1992): 141-158, https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497 (accessed 20 March 2025).

MLA Format

Hestenes, David, Malcolm Wells, and Gregg Swackhamer. "Force concept inventory." Phys. Teach. 30.3 (1992): 141-158. 20 Mar. 2025 <https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497>.

BibTeX Export Format

@article{ Author = "David Hestenes and Malcolm Wells and Gregg Swackhamer", Title = {Force concept inventory}, Journal = {Phys. Teach.}, Volume = {30}, Number = {3}, Pages = {141-158}, Month = {March}, Year = {1992} }

Refer Export Format

%A David Hestenes %A Malcolm Wells %A Gregg Swackhamer %T Force concept inventory %J Phys. Teach. %V 30 %N 3 %D March 1, 1992 %P 141-158 %U https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Journal Article %A Hestenes, David %A Wells, Malcolm %A Swackhamer, Gregg %D March 1, 1992 %T Force concept inventory %J Phys. Teach. %V 30 %N 3 %P 141-158 %8 March 1, 1992 %U https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2343497

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