APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF PHYSICAL FIELDS IN THE COURSE OF GENERAL PHYSICS

Abstract

The article reveals a problem of forming ideas about physical fields and approaches to their study in the course of general physics at a technical university. Definitions of physical fields (gravitational, electromagnetic, etc.) in textbooks on general physics are based on the concept of “matter” and are often descriptive. The authors propose a definition of a physical field, in which a physical object acts as a generic concept, and species differences are interpreted due to the field’s connections with fundamental physical interactions, mathematical fields and space-time theories. The article analyzes the content and negative consequences of the use of an inductive approach to the formation of ideas about physical fields. The deductive approach to the formation of ideas about physical fields is revealed, the problems of its application in the practice of teaching general physics are revealed. Due to the unity in the study of each physical field, the deductive approach allows students to increase their understanding of specific physical fields, gain more solid knowledge about them, and reduce the time spent studying each physical field.