Misconceptions
Figure E.3 - Misconceptions
1. Dissolution between solid and liquid molecules and interaction forces between them
- Specific Misconception:
- When dissolving a solid in a liquid, there is a gap among liquid molecules therefore the liquid substance dissolves the solid substance by filling these gaps
- http://egitimvebilim.ted.org.tr/index.php/EB/article/viewFile/546/34
- Akgun, Abuzer. "The Relation between Science Student Teachers’ Misconceptions about Solution, Dissolution, Diffusion and their Attitudes toward Science with their Achievement." Education and Science 34.154 (2009).
- http://egitimvebilim.ted.org.tr/index.php/EB/article/viewFile/546/34
- When dissolving a solid in a liquid, there is a gap among liquid molecules therefore the liquid substance dissolves the solid substance by filling these gaps
- How to overcome it:
- Explain that this is due to polarity, not states of matter
- Explain that polar solute and polar solvent or non-polar solute and non-polar solvent dissolve better than a non-polar solvent and vice-versa
- Dissolution of solid in liquid video:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PHhBBg-6X0
- Dissolution of solid of liquid [Video file]. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PHhBBg-6X0
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PHhBBg-6X0
2. Factors affecting dissolution
- Specific Misconception
- Bonds break among molecules due to temperature only
- http://egitimvebilim.ted.org.tr/index.php/EB/article/viewFile/546/34
- Akgun, Abuzer. "The Relation between Science Student Teachers’ Misconceptions about Solution, Dissolution, Diffusion and their Attitudes toward Science with their Achievement." Education and Science 34.154 (2009).
- http://egitimvebilim.ted.org.tr/index.php/EB/article/viewFile/546/34
- Bonds break among molecules due to temperature only
- How to overcome it
- Explain that there are other factors such as the type of solvent/solute, pressure, temperature, contact surface area, stirring
- Perform an experiment testing these variables
3. For a solid and liquid mixture such as sugar and water, misconceptions of water = solute and sugar = solvent because:
- Specific Misconception
- 1.Sugar decomposes into ions
- 2.Sugar disappears into water, water is the solute
- 3.They both start off as solvents and then end up as solutes
- http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v6n1/calik/paper.pdf
- Çalık, Muammer, and Alipaşa Ayas. "A cross-age study on the understanding of chemical solutions and their components." International Education Journal 6.1 (2005): 30-41.
- http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v6n1/calik/paper.pdf
- How to overcome it
- Sugar = solute and water = solvent because amount of solvent is greater than solute
- Explain using the definition of a solvent; Solvent: The component of a solution that is present in the greatest amount
4. For acids and bases, misconceptions of "strong" and "weak" to be the levels of an acid or base
- Specific Misconception
- A weak acid is not as harmful as a strong acid
- Explain that "weak" and "strong" refer to how much the acid or base ionizes in water, and not how strong or weak it is
- Douglass, S., Finkle, T., Gibbons, K., Searle, S., & Stewart, K. (2011). Chemistry 11 Teacher's Resource. Whitby, Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.
5. For acids and bases, misconceptions of "endpoint" and "equivalence point"
- Specific Misconception
- Endpoint and equivalence point are the same
- Review the definitions of each, and provide examples where they are the same and where they can differ
- Douglass, S., Finkle, T., Gibbons, K., Searle, S., & Stewart, K. (2011). Chemistry 11 Teacher's Resource. Whitby, Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.