Teaching about circuits at the introductory level: An emphasis on potential difference

Introductory physics students often fail to develop a coherent conceptual model of electric circuits. In part, this failure occurs because the students did not develop a good understanding of the concept of electric potential. We describe an instructional approach that emphasizes the electric potential and the electric potential difference. Examples are given to illustrate this approach and how it differs from traditional treatments of these concepts. Assessment data is presented to suggest that this approach is successful in improving student understanding of electric potential and electric circuits. © 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers. DOI: 10.1119/1.2173271