36 citations · 116 across the 8 of their papers we have counts for
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physics.ed-ph2015★ 20 cited
Student understanding of the Boltzmann factor
Trevor I. Smith, Donald B. Mountcastle, John R. Thompson
We present results of our investigation into student understanding of the physical significance and utility of the Boltzmann factor in several simple models. We identify various ju…
physics.ed-ph2015★ 36 cited
Identifying Student Difficulties with Entropy, Heat Engines, and the Carnot Cycle
Trevor I. Smith, Warren M. Christensen, Donald B. Mountcastle +1
We report on several specific student difficulties regarding the Second Law of Thermodynamics in the context of heat engines within upper-division undergraduates thermal physics co…