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Edition 01 | January 2025

From Learning Data to Classroom Instruction

Explore how data-driven insights can transform teaching by addressing misconceptions and fostering deeper understanding.

Contents:

Question: Kevin placed some ice cubes inside a glass bottle and then closed the bottle tightly. He placed the bottle on a weighing balance, as shown in the figure 1. He saw water droplets forming on the inside and on the outside of the bottle and that the weight of the bottle kept increasing as shown in the figure 2.
From Learning Data to Classroom Instruction<br><p><small>(Edition 01)</small></p>

What is the increase in the weight of the bottle due to?

A. the water formed from the melted ice
B. the water droplets formed on the inside of the bottle
C. the water droplets formed on the outside of the bottle
D. the increase in the temperature of water inside the bottle

National Performance

From Learning Data to Classroom Instruction<br><p><small>(Edition 01)</small></p>

What is the Question Testing?

This question is testing students’ understanding of condensation and mass conservation. Specifically, it requires students to realise that when water droplets form on the outside of a cold bottle, they originate from water vapour in the surrounding air. This leads to an increase in the weight of the bottle because the condensed water is now part of the bottle’s weight.

What is the Most Common Wrong Answer and Possible Misconception?

  • Most Common Wrong Answer: Option A (40%) Many students chose Option A, thinking that the increase in weight is due to the water formed from the melted ice inside the bottle. This is a common misconception, as the melted ice will not change the overall weight since the total mass of ice and water inside the closed bottle remains constant.

  • Misconception: Students might believe that melting ice increases the mass of the water inside, leading to a weight change. However, they are overlooking the role of condensation—water vapour from the surrounding air turning into liquid droplets on the surface of the bottle, which adds mass to the system (bottle + water droplets).

    • What Will Happen if Children Do Not Show Development of This Concept?

  • Impact on Understanding of Science Concepts: Without understanding condensation and mass conservation, students may struggle with more advanced scientific concepts such as the water cycle, states of matter, and how mass is conserved in closed systems.

  • Further Implications: Misunderstanding such concepts can also affect their ability to grasp fundamental ideas in physics and chemistry, particularly in real-world applications involving temperature changes, evaporation, and condensation processes.

    • How Should I Remediate This in My Class?

  • Demonstrations of Condensation: Conduct hands-on experiments in class where students can observe condensation on cold surfaces. Place a cold bottle in a warm room and show how water droplets form on the outside. Explain that this is due to water vapour in the air condensing on the cooler surface and that this adds weight to the bottle as water droplets accumulate.ds weight to the bottle as water droplets accumulate.

  • Focus on Mass Conservation: Emphasise the concept that the mass inside a closed system (like the bottle with ice) remains the same, whether the ice is solid or has melted. The increase in weight must come from an external source—in this case, water vapour from the surrounding air.

  • Interactive Learning: Use visual models or simulations to help students understand how temperature changes can cause condensation and how this affects the mass of an object. Encourage students to predict what will happen and then observe the real results during the experiment.

  • Address Misconceptions: Ask students to explain their reasoning for their answer choices and clarify that melting ice doesn’t increase mass, but adding external water (from condensation) does.

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