An Investigation into Dissonance-Induced Changes in Intermolecular Force Conceptions through Electrostatic Potential Maps

• Isaiah Nelsen ^[1] ; Chloe K. Robinson ^[1] ; Stephanie Krzypkowski ^[1] ; Scott E. Lewis ^[1]
  1. [1] University of South Florida

     University of South Florida

     Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 102, Nº 7, 2025, págs. 2623-2635
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The topic of intermolecular forces presents a persistent challenge for general chemistry students. This study explores the use of electrostatic potential maps (EPMs) as a representational tool to support conceptual change in students’ understanding of intermolecular forces by visually depicting molecular geometry and electrostatic features. Thirteen participants were recruited for semistructured interviews where they were presented with parallel intermolecular force tasks. First students identified intermolecular forces when given Lewis Dot structures with electronegativity values provided and then when given EPMs without electronegativity values provided. Interview transcripts were analyzed from the perspective of cognitive dissonance in comparing each student's approaches between the two representations, and findings indicate that the EPMs produced productive changes, challenging participants’ conceptions tied to the features of the Lewis Dot structure and electronegativity values. Instances of unproductive changes were also present, as the features of the EPM generated further problematic complexities in students’ conceptions and caused participants to question the productive conceptions they carried. Consequently, this study highlights EPMs’ potential as a pedagogical tool to challenge students’ conceptions of intermolecular forces and discloses the complexities instructors must address when introducing EPMs into the curriculum. Future studies should investigate how the continual integration of EPMs into the chemistry curriculum influences students’ proficiency at applying core concepts across different contexts and supports measurable improvements in performance on both formative and summative assessments.