What is a conceptual problem?
What makes a problem conceptual is difficult to describe. By and large, the problems you’ll find here are non-quantitative, in the sense that a student would not need pencil and paper to solve them. Here’s a top 5 list of the types of conceptual problems you’re likely to find: • Problems which determine how two variables scale with one another. For example, if you increase the resistance in a circuit while holding the potential difference constant, the current must go down. • Problems which compare how fast two variables change. For example, because the electric field varies as the square of the distance, if you separate two charged objects at a particular rate, the field will die off at a much faster rate. • Problems requiring a definition or formula to be recalled. For example, a student might be asked to recall that the power of a circuit is the product of current and potential difference, or that Watts measure the amount of energy discharged in one second. • Problems which apply a
