Open AccessImprovement and Evaluation of Copper Oxidation Experimental Procedure for the Introduction of the Law of Definite Proportion
Author(s) -
Shizuya Yamashita,
Yasuyuki Kashiwaguma,
Haruyuki Hayashi,
Verena Pietzner
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
science education international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2077-2327
pISSN - 1450-104X
DOI - 10.33828/sei.v28.i2.10
Subject(s) - confusion , copper , mathematics education , computer science , mathematics , law , calculus (dental) , psychology , chemistry , political science , medicine , organic chemistry , dentistry , psychoanalysis
In Science classes, students usually learn about the law of definite proportions by the oxidation of copper. However, common procedures usually do not lead to proper results. This leads to confusion among the students because their experimental results do not fit to the theoretical values. Therefore, we invented a new procedure for this experiment to improve the introduction of the law of definite proportions. The new procedure can also be done by the students, it is done within 15 minutes and provides theoretical data written in the textbook. To evaluate this improved procedure, we let 8th year students (n = 133) do the copper oxidation experiment in the traditional and the improved way. The oxidation ratio doing the improved method was 98%, while the traditional way was only 55%. Student's individual feedback indicates that the new method might be able to improve the understanding of the law of definite proportions.