The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher candidates’ understandings of momentum and impulse and the relationships that they create in a concept map about these concepts. The data were collected towards the end of 2002 spring semester from 66 participants. They were asked to construct their own individual concept maps about momentum and impulse. Participants’ concept maps were analyzed and it was found that although they included a number of concepts in their concept maps they had difficulty in creating meaningful relationships and as a result had many missing links among concepts.

Keywords: Concept map, science education, momentum and impulse