Journal of Balıkesir University Institute of Science and Technology
By Nursen Azizoglu and Omer Geban
“Students’ Preconceptions and Misconceptions About Gases”
Publisher: Academia
volume 6, issue 1
Pp. 73-78
2004
Students’ Preconceptions and Misconceptions About Gases
Type: Empirical
Data collection method: Survey
Number of subjects, range: Large — 31 or more
Grade and age of subjects: 9th-12 grade — under 17-18 years
- Conservation of matter applies to solids and liquids, but may be ignored for gaseous reactants and products.
- Molecules increase in size with change of state from solid to liquid to gas. Gases have no mass.
- The decrease in volume as a gas cools is due to increased attractive forces between particles, rather than decreased molecular motion.
- The energy gradually dies, so the gas motion stops and balloon deflates.
- Matter exists between gas atoms.
- Collisions may result in a change of atomic size.
- The particles in a gas are unevenly scattered in any enclosed space. Heated air weighs more than cold air.
- Hot air weighs less than cold air.
- Air neither has mass nor can it occupy space.
- An evacuated can or deflated balloon has less pressure inside than out.
- Pressure acts downward only.
- In compressed air the particles are compacted like a solid and do not move.
- When heated the molecules expand, when cooled they shrink.
- When the air is compressed, the particles stick together.
- When the air is compressed, the air particles are all pushed to the end of the syringe.
- Gas behavior is similar to liquid behavior.