Students' understanding of the transfer of charge between conductors

This paper describes an investigation into students' understanding of the transfer of charge between two charged conductors. The research is based on interviews conducted with students in an algebra and trigonometry based physics course and on written tests administered both before and after instruction. Results from two tasks are reported, both of which involve a pair of identical conductors that are given an initial charge, are made to touch each other and are then separated. The test was also administered as a post test to other populations at the pre-college and college levels. It was found that a considerable number of students from the eighth grader to the college student in an advanced physics course were unable to predict the transfer of charge correctly from one conductor to another. Implications for instruction are also discussed.