JoinScience Sampler: Building student mental constructs of particle theory
The concept of particle theory is a basic idea in chemistry and physics and leads students to understand why solids, liquids, and gases have different properties although they are they are made of the same materials. Understanding particle theory helps students recognize the differences in the classification of elements, compounds, and mixtures. The following three-part demonstration requires students to have adequate process skills in observation and inference in order to make this abstract concept concrete.