Understanding Children’s Concepts of Aqueous Solutions: on the bases of the density when the aqueous solution is divided into two parts

Abstract

To divide an aqueous solution into two parts has two aspects when children recognize it. For one aspect is whether children really understand the phenomenon of “dissolve.” What is more, how children think the phenomena of “saturation” and “preservation.” Then, this paper is intended as an investigation of the state of children’s cognition before learning of the aqueous solution to use the situation to divide the aquueous solution into two parts. The findings of this investigation was the following five patterns how children to understand the density of aqueous solution. Every pattern but A is not scientiffically correct. A. Children who think that the aqueous solution’s density consists of solute and solvent. B. Children who think that the aqueous solution’s density consists of solute only and they confuse the concept of solvent with the aqueous solution. C. Children who think that the aqueous solution’s density consists of solvent only and they can think the concept of solute in the aqueous solution. D. Children who think that the aqueous solution’s density consists of its volume only and they cannot think both the concept of solute and solveny. E. Children who think that the aqueous solution’s density depends on its colour and muddieness. From our observations, we point out the ideal way of teaching on science education which have made sufficient use the children’s ideas to construct it scientifically ones.