PHYSICS PROBLEM SOLVING

(^)
Statement
Type
Definition
Example
Claim
(C)
A claim is a fundamental
assertionargument at hand. central to the
Warrants, grounds, and
backings establish the
validity of a claim.
For an object in equilibrium, a
claim might be, “It's not moving so it's in equilibrium.”
Warrants
(W)
Warrants make reference to
general physical principles
or laws. Warrants also apply to mathematical
principles such as resolving
vectors into components.
Newton's Laws of motion are
warrants fundamental to physics.
Statements like “because it's in equilibrium, the forces must all
add to zero” are examples of
warrants that derive from these
physical laws.
Grounds
(G)
Surface features of a
problem or the physical data
give meaning to a claim and are classified as grounds.
“The sign weighs 100 N,” or
“the angle is 30 degrees,” are
data from the problem itself. In problem-solving groups, a
gesture at a diagram can also
serve as a ground. (Toulmin
also refers to grounds as data.)
Backings(B)
Any appeal to an authority
such as the textbook,
teaching assistant, or
professor is a backing.
“That's how she did it in class.”
Table 2-4. Summary Of Toulmin Categories.