Some students think that when air is heated it expands and causes high pressure

Properties of Matter

Misconception RESEARCH REVIEW

Students may think that a change in the pressure of a sample of gas is due to changes in the size of the gas particles.

They may also think that when air/gas is cooled it contracts and causes low pressure. 

Diagnostic Resources

The following worksheets may help to identify whether students hold this particular misconception.

For more information, see the University of York BEST website.

Resources to address this

  • Change of volume: water to water vapour  (16-19)

    Ref- Teaching Advanced Physics; Kinetic Theory; Episode 603: Kinetic model of an ideal gas 

    In the previous episode, we looked at the macroscopic behaviour of a gas, in terms of its temperature, pressure and volume. Now we can go on to relate this behaviour to the underlying microscopic behaviour of the particles of which the gas is made.

    View Resource

References

The following studies have documented this misconception:

  • Ayas, A., Özmen, H. and Calik, M., () Students' Conceptions of the Particulate Nature of Matter at Secondary and Tertiary Level, International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 8,

    165-184.

    Review sheet

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