Common Misconceptions in Chemical Reactions
MisconceptionSpontaneous human combustion (SHC) is not combustion
Freezing and boiling are examples of chemical reactions The original substance vanishes "completely and forever" in a chemical reaction The electron shell is there to protect the nucleus, like an eggshell and a yolk Every chemical reaction occurs instantaneously |
ScienceCombustion: Fuel and oxidant is used to make light and heat.
SHC is a supernatural phenomenon, scientists are still not sure it’s valid, as shown in Fig 2a. Freezing and boiling are examples of changes of state, which are physical reactions, not chemical. Other changes of state include melting, condensation, and sublimation. One characteristic that changes of state do share with chemical changes: energy is either added or removed from the system, unlike other physical changes. The original substance can be produced if the reaction can be reversed under the necessary conditions. Shells are not physical shells like eggshells. They are not thin or hard. They are regions around the nucleus where electrons can be found. Teachers tend to demonstrate have very rapid reaction rates due to time constraints. Show a slow motion of a fast reaction would solve this problem. |
· An important thing to note is that when students are taught in elementary school a chemical reaction is when one object is changed to a new object. This misconception allows for the student to understand what a chemical reaction is. It must be emphasized that the chemical reaction is just the rearrangement of molecules and atoms in a substance.
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