Equations in Scientific Proofs: Effects on Comprehension

Abstract

Scientific laws are typically presented with corresponding proofs to justify their correctness and illustrate scientific reasoning. The form of these proofs is commonly a series of logically related equations. This research examined how this equation-based format influences proof comprehension. This was done by comparing learners’ ability to solve problems after studying typical equation-based proofs and matching proofs with equations replaced by verbal equivalents (a verbal format). Verbal proofs produced better performance than equation-based proofs on problems relating to both equations and nonequational proof content. These results suggest that equations in proofs cause learners to shift attention away from nonequational content and that learners have more difficulty processing equations than verbal statements containing the same content.