The simple demonstration presented, herein, involves the combustion of acetylene liberated from the rapid hydrolysis of 0.50 g of calcium carbide. The unsaturated hydrocarbon formed burns with a yellow sooty flame in air. This acetylene-air flame being visually attractive is often misused by those attempting to showcase their illusory magical…

Chemistry is a difficult subject for many students. The content is challenging, and students often enter chemistry classes with preconceived ideas about chemical phenomena which may or may not align with scientific ideas (Gabel, 1999; Johnstone, 1991, 1993; Nakhleh, 1992). The purpose of this study was to understand high school students'…

This study examines prevalent misconceptions among students regarding the fundamental concepts of acids and bases, which often arise during the learning process. This study aims to pinpoint misconceptions held by preservice science teachers in the realm of acids and bases; 117 university students from diverse educational backgrounds, enrolled in…

Resonance is a fundamental chemistry concept first introduced to students in General Chemistry I, reintroduced in Organic Chemistry I, and then utilized throughout other higher-level chemistry courses. A molecule or ion can be said to exhibit resonance when it can be represented by two or more chemical structures (i.e., Lewis structures) that…

This study evaluated recent advances in learning progressions for the concept of matter (LPCM) and explored trends by reviewing the literature on the topic published between 2005 and 2021. A total of 21 studies were reviewed. Fifteen studies were devoted to developing LPCM of varying spans and grain sizes. There were six follow-up studies based on…

An investigation was conducted into the common misconceptions in chemical equilibria, adopted by a sample of UK secondary school students. These included the characteristics of a dynamic equilibrium, the nature of the reactants and products at equilibrium, as well as the effect of conditions and catalyst on equilibrium. Suggestions for improved…

This study evaluates the difficulties in concept reasoning, changes in response patterns, and item misconception hydrolysis patterns using Rasch modeling. Data were collected through the development of 30 distractor-based diagnostic test items, measuring ten levels of conceptual reasoning ability in three types of salt hydrolysis compounds:…

High-voltage plasma arcs from solid-state Tesla coils were used to produce characteristic atomic emissions of various metals. The colored arcs produced were highly visible and vibrant, making for a spectacularly engaging demonstration for groups of varying sizes. The demonstration used an inexpensive solid-state Tesla coil to generate low-current,…

The learning of scientific concepts is one of the main research subjects in science education. Although little used, the theory of conceptual profiles allows the study of this knowledge, taking into account the presence of different ways of thinking about a certain concept in the same individual. This study aimed to build a conceptual profile for…

Analogies can be powerful teaching tools because they can make new material intelligible to students by comparing it to material that is already familiar. In assisting students to understand chemistry concepts, teachers occasionally use analogies. These analogies are believed to help the students to structure the new knowledge and they are…

Resonance is a foundational organic chemistry concept, but it is consistently misunderstood by undergraduate students. The development of a concept inventory--a multiple-choice assessment where the incorrect answer choices stem from commonly held alternate conceptions--on the concept of resonance could help organic chemistry instructors quickly…

Psychologists have studied the question of what happens to naïve or intuitive concepts about science that form before accepted scientific ideas have been taught. Studies find that both the accuracy and time required to decide about the accuracy of carefully crafted statements reveal remnants of intuitive models of science. This is true even after…

This study aims to investigate the applicability and effectiveness of the peer instruction method on teaching the subject of acids and bases at the 12th-grade level. In addition, it aims to determine the effect of peer instruction on students' attitudes towards chemistry and in-class discussion, and to examine students' opinions regarding peer…

This study aims to examine the effects of argumentation-supported problem-based learning (AS-PBL) carried out in the Chemistry-II laboratory course on the conceptual understanding of prospective science teachers about "Chemical equilibrium and Le-Chatelier's principle". The prospective teachers' answers were analyzed using content…

This article presents and discusses the results of a study that investigates university students' comprehension of the concept of molar concentration, following teaching and evaluation of the subject. The specific problems underlying learning of this concept have not yet been focused on in sufficient detail or depth. A "Reasoning with…