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2004
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Research: Science and Education
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Chemical Education Research
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Major Sources of Difficulty in Students' Understanding of Basic Inorganic Qualitative Analysis
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Kim Chwee Daniel Tan, Ngoh Khang Goh, and Lian Sai Chia
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Republic of Singapore
David F. Treagust
National Key Centre for School Science and Mathematics, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia
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May 2004
Vol. 81 No. 5
p. 725
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| Abstract |
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Most students' introduction to qualitative analysis in the United States occurs in general chemistry courses at college or university; in Australian universities this occurs as part of analytical chemistry courses for chemistry majors. In Singapore, however, students are first introduced to qualitative analysis in grade 10 chemistry (when they are 16 years old), even though the topic is generally considered to be conceptually difficult to understand and there is inadequate time for comprehensive experimental work. Using extensive interviews, this study was designed to identify the sources of these difficulties. Students had difficulty understanding the formation of precipitates and complex salts, and the reactions of acids in qualitative analysis experiments. Many students thought that the formation of precipitates in reactions involving exchange of ions was because of more-reactive ions displacing less-reactive ones, and that ammonia was included in the reactivity series. The students also regarded the formation of complex salts such as zincates as a mere dissolution process, and did not understand the reactions involving acids; for example, they thought that neutralization reactions involved redox processes, and that the order in which acids were added determined whether unknown anions could be identified. Instructional implications arising from the study are discussed.
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| More Information |
 Citation |
Tan, Kim Chwee Daniel; Goh, Ngoh Khang; Chia, Lian Sai; Treagust, David F. J. Chem. Educ. 2004 81 725.
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Keywords |
Chemical Education Research; Introductory / High School Chemistry; Acid–Base Chemistry; Redox Reactions
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History |
Created:
Last Updated: |
April 1, 2004
February 18, 2005
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| Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues >
2004
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