Student handout: Acting Out the Gradient
Static Fields 2021
Students are shown a topographic map of an oval hill and imagine that the classroom is on the hill. They are asked to point in the direction of the gradient vector appropriate to the point on the hill where they are "standing".
- accessibility_new Kinesthetic 10 min. Student handout (PDF)
- Search for related topics
gradient vector fields electrostatics
What students learn
- Geometric understanding of the directionality of the gradient vector.
- Clarify misconceptions about the phrase “the gradient always points up hill”
There is a hill in this classroom. The top of the hill is in the middle of the room at the ceiling. This topo map below describes the hill in the room. You are standing at some point on the topo map. Use your right arm to point in the direction of the gradient.
- Author Information
- Corinne Manogue, Tevian Dray
- Keywords
- gradient vector fields electrostatics
- Learning Outcomes
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