PROCEEDINGS OF THE 23RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2020
Boston, Massachusetts
Student interpretation of Cartesian points and trends of a chemical reaction coordinate diagram with abstracted physical dimensions
Page: 1177
Reaction Coordinate Diagrams (RCDs) aid in the visualization of the thermodynamic and kinetic factors which influence chemical reactions. These graphical representations pose unique challenges for chemistry students given the abstracted physical dimensions that define the Cartesian coordinate system. General chemistry students’ interpretations of RCDs were investigated by applying mathematics and chemistry education research frameworks in a semi-structured interview setting. Findings suggest that students’ interpretations of the points and trends along these diagrams strongly influence the physical meaning they attribute to RCDs.