Constructivism Theory

(Chemical Equation)
Aini Aziziah Binti Ramli MP121286
Nurun Nadia Binti Masrom MP121356
Lee Kha Ling MP121281
What is Constructivism?
A theory of learning suggesting that learners
construct their own knowledge of the topics
they study rather than receiving that
knowledge as transmitted to them by other
source

(Eggen, Kauchak, 2010)


Characteristics of misconceptions
May be linked to specialist language
Can be personal or shared with others
Explain how the world works in simple terms
Are often similar to earlier scientific models
(eg; earth is flat)
May be inconsistent with science taught in schools
Can be resistant to change
May inhibit further conceptual development
Correcting misconceptions with
instruction
Teaching for conceptual change.
Creating cognitive conflict
-Students must question their previous conception
Hands-on explorations are great, but your
guidance is needed!
TEACHING MODELS BASED ON CONSTRUCTIVIST
APPROACH
(The way of the new learning)
NEEDHAMS FIVE PHASE CONSTRUCTIVE
MODEL
This learning model was proposed by Richard
Needham (1987) in his work Children Learning
in Science Project.
It consists of five phases namely the orientation,
the generation of ideas, restructuring of ideas,
application of ideas and lastly the reflection .
Phase Purpose
Orientation To attract students attention and interest.

Generation of ideas

To be aware of the students prior
knowledge.

Restructuring of ideas


To realize the existence of alternative ideas ,
ideas needs to be improved, to be
developed or to be replaced with scientific
ideas.


Application of ideas
To apply the new ideas to a different
situation.

Reflection To accommodate ones idea to the scientific
ideas.

Students Misconception on Chemical
Equation
Problem in finding the proper stoichiometric coefficients and
subscripts for a chemical equation (Savoy, 1988).

Some students could not draw a correct molecular diagram to
explain the chemical equation (Yarroch, 1985)

Students misconception in balancing equations of
combustion reactions involving hydrocarbons.

Students misconception in predicting correct products
of reactions due to difficulty in writing the correct formula
of the products predicted.

students misconception to translating reactions in statement
form into symbol equations.
Researches Finding

a) C
4
H
10
+ O
2
b) Ca(OH)
2
+ H
3
PO
4
c) CaCO
3
+ heat
d) AgNO
3
+ NaCl
e) CO
2
+ CaO

Students were given 5 incomplete equations of
reactions and were expected to complete each
equation by predicting the products in symbols
(Baah and Ampiah, 2012).

The Expected Balance Equation
a) C
4
H
10
+ O
2
8CO
2
+ 10H
2
O

b)Ca(OH)
2
+ H
3
PO
4
Ca
3
(PO
4
)
2
+ 6H
2
O

c) CaCO
3
+ heat CaO + CO
2
d) AgNO
3
+ NaCl AgCl + NaNO
3
e) CO
2
+ CaO CaCO
3

Of the five questions, performance on three
questions (c, d, and e) was satisfactory, but
performance on (a) and (b) was poor. Less than
half students predict the product correctly (Baah and
Ampiah, 2012).
Question (a)
C
4
H
10
+ O
2

Student answer:
i) 72 / 292 = 24.7%
C
4
H
10
+ O
2
C
4
H
10
O
2

Reason = Because C
4
H
10
reacted with O
2


ii) 48/ 292 = 16.4%
2C
4
H
10
+ 5O
2
2C
4
+ 10H
2
O
Reason= Because carbon and water will be the
products
iii) 56/ 292 = 19.2%
C
4
H
10
+ 4O
2
4CO
2
+ 5H
2

Reason= Because carbon (IV) oxide and hydrogen
gas will be the products

iv) 82/ 292 = 28.1%
C
4
H
10
+ O
2
2C
2
H
5
+ O
2

Reason= Because C
4
H
10
on burning, will split into
2 moles of C
2
H
5
with O
2
released

v) 34/ 292 = 11.6%
No response
Reason= No response because of lack of
knowledge about combustion reactions
involving hydrocarbons
Question (b)
Ca(OH)
2
+ H
3
PO
4

Student answer:
i) 92 / 277 = 33.2%
Ca(OH)
2
+ H
3
PO
4
CaPO
4
+ H
2
O

Reason = Because salt CaPO
4
and water H
2
O will
be the products

ii) 73/ 277 = 26.4%
2Ca(OH)
2
+ 2H
3
PO
4
2CaPO
4
+ 4H
2
O + H
2
Reason= Because salt CaPO
4
, water H
2
O and
hydrogen gas will be the products

iii) 70/ 277 = 25.3%
Ca(OH)
2
+ H
3
PO
4
(CaPO
4
)
2
+ H
2
O

Reason= Because salt (CaPO
4
)
2
and water H
2
O will
be the products

iv) 42/ 277 = 15.1
No response
Reason= Because writing the formula of the salt
Calcium tetraoxophosphate (V) was a
problem
According to the research that conducted by
Baah and Ampiah (2012), we have decided to
construct the students ideas about writing the
chemical equation base on the reaction between
copper (II) carbonate and hidrochloric acid
Example of Misconception

Write the balance
chemical
equation for this
reaction
What are
the product?
Student Answers
1) CuCO
3
+ 2HCI Cu + CO
2
+ H
2
0 + Cl
2
2) CuCO
3
+ 2HCI CuO + CO
2
+ H
2
+ Cl
2

3) CuCO
3
+ 6HCI Cu + C + 3H
2
0 + 3Cl
2
4) CuCO
3
+ 2HCI CuCl
2
+ COH + O
2
(not balance because lack of knowledge)
5) CuCO
3
+ 2HCI Cu Cl
2
+ CO
2
+ H
2
0
Apparatus Setting
Procedures:
1) Pour lime water into a clean test tube until it is about 3
cm in depth.
2) Place 3 spatula of copper carbonate into another clean
test tube.
3) Pour in the dilute acid until it covers the solid (about 3
cm in depth).
4) Stopper the mouth of test tube with the delivery tube and
dip the longer end of the delivery tube into the test tube
of lime water.
5) Shake the test tube to mix the acid and carbonate
well.
6) Record your observation.
Other Apparatus Setting
Procedures:
1) The meauring cylinder is set up as shown in figure
2) Place three spatula of copper carbonate into conical
flask
3) Pour in the dilute hydrochloric acid continually until there
are no buble produce in measuring cylinder.
4) the liberated gas is collected by displement of water in
meaurinf cylinder.
Equation 1:
CuCO
3
+ 2HCI Cu + CO
2
+ 10H
2
O + Cl
2

Check :

Copper, Cu reddish-orange colour metal
Carbon dioxide, CO
2
test with lime water

Water, H
2
O test with cobalt chloride paper
Chlorine gas, Cl
2
yellow colour
Equation 2:
CuCO
3
+ 2HCI CuO + CO
2
+ H
2
+ Cl
2

Check :

Copper oxide, CuO black powder
Carbon dioxide, CO
2
test with lime water

Hydrogen gas, H
2
test with wooden splint
Chlorine gas, Cl
2
yellow colour


Equation 3:
CuCO
3
+ 6HCI Cu + C + 3H
2
0 + 3Cl
2


Check :

Copper, Cu reddish-orange colour metal
Carbon, C soft, dull gray or black non-metal

Water, H
2
0 test with cobalt chloride paper
Chlorine gas, Cl
2
yellow colour


Equation 4:
CuCO
3
+ 2HCI CuCl
2
+ COH + O
2




Check :

Copper chloride, CuCl
2
blue colour
Carbon hydroxide, COH cannot observe
because not exist!

Oxygen, O
2
test with wooden splint


Equation 5:
CuCO
3
+ 2HCI CuCl
2
+ CO
2
+ H
2
O



Check :

Copper chloride, CuCl
2
blue colour
Carbon dioxide, CO
2
test with lime water

Water, H
2
O test with cobalt chloride paper


Copper Identification Test
Pure copper is soft and
malleable.
(a freshly exposed surface has
a reddish-orange colour)

Copper is a ductile metal with high electricity and
thermal conductivity.

Construct a circuit as shown in the images.




Test the circuit to see if it works. If the
connection is not complete, the pathway is
broken and the bulb does not glow.


Connect the free ends of the wires to the object
you wish to test. If the object is able to conduct
electricity it will complete the circuit, the bulb will
glow and you can conclude that the item is a
good conductor. If the object cannot conduct
electricity, the pathway will be blocked, the bulb
will not glow and this shows that the item is an
insulator.
Copper does not react with water, but it slowly
reacts with atmospheric oxygen forming a layer
of brown-black copper oxide.

Chlorine Gas Identification Test
Chlorine gas is green-yellow
in colour.
Chlorine gas has a pungent
choking smell.
Chlorine gas turns moist litmus paper for blue to
red. (it is acidic)
(After turning red, paper is then bleached white.)
Chlorine gas turns moist universak indicator
papaer to red (it is acidic).
(After turning red, paper is then bleanched
white.)


Chlorine gas will put out a lit splint.









Chlorine is the only gas that has a bleaching affect.


Copper Oxide Identification Test
Copper oxide, CuO black powder
To identify the copper (II) ion (Cu
2+
),
add 0.5 M K
4
Fe(CN)
6
drop wise to 10 drops of
solution until a red-brown precipitate forms.

Copper(II) ion reacts with stoichiometric quantities
of aqueous ammonia to precipitate light blue
Cu(OH)
2
. Some basic salts may also form.

Cu
2+
(aq) + 2NH
3
(aq) + 3H
2
O(l) = Cu(OH)
2
(s) + 2NH
4+
(aq)
Carbon Identification Test
Carbon is a soft, dull gray or black non-
metal that you can scratch with a fingernail.

Copper Chloride Identification Test
Copper chloride, CuCl
2
blue colour

Carbon Dioxide Test
1) Carbon dioxide will turn lime water 'milky' or cloudy.
Lime water is a solution of calcium hydroxide. When
carbon dioxide is bubbled through it, a solid
precipitate of calcium carbonate is formed. Calcium
carbonate is chalk or limestone, and it is this that
makes the lime water cloudy.
Collect carbon dioxide in a
gas jar/boiling tube or
other suitable container.
This is usually done over
water.
2. Place a bung on top.
3. Bubble the gas through
lime water.
4. If CO is present, the lime
water will turn cloudy.
2) Carbon dioxide gas will put out a lit splint.
3) Carbon dioxide
gas will turn moist
litmus paper from
blue to red, and
moist universal
indicator paper to
yellow.
Oxygen

Test
The glowing splint test is a test for oxygen. It
involves a thin piece of wood (splint) being lit,
with the flame blown out, leaving an ember at
the tip. Upon exposure to high concentrations of
oxygen, the glowing ember flares and gives a
flame.

Hidrogen

Test
First, collect the gas in a test tube and hold the
tube upside down.
Then, put a lit splint into the tube.
Then, if there is a squeaky pop, the gas will be
hydrogen.
H
2
O Test
Water or its vapour will turn cobalt chloride
paper from blue to pink.
2) Water or its vapour turns anhydrous copper
(II) sulphate crystals from white to blue.







3) Water melts at 0C and boils at 100 C.
+ H
2
O
Conclusion

Students already overcome their
misconception in writing correct
chemical equation.
Correct chemical equation not only a
balanced equation, but the products
must exist and can be proved.

THANK
YOU