ABSENCE OF GRAVITY AND WEIGHTLESSNESS: UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ CONCEPTION

Abstract

This article reports a descriptive study realized with first semester undergraduate students about the concepts of absence of gravity and weightlessness. The subjects of this study were students of Exact Sciences and Engineering courses of a community university in the city of Caxias do Sul, RS. A closed-ended questionnaire was applied to students to identify their understanding about the concepts of weightlessness and absence of gravity. For this, a bibliographic survey was carried out to assist in the preparation of the questions that composed the questionnaire. The results of the questionnaire indicated that more than half of the students did not distinguish between the concepts of absence of gravity and weightlessness. In view of the results obtained, it is emphasized the recommendation that teachers, both High School and College, search appropriate materials and make use of adequate strategies to teach these subjects in their classes.