Acid-Base Equilibria, Part I. Upper Secondary Students' Misconceptions and Difficulties

Although several aspects of acid–base chemistry have been treated in the science education literature, a number of issues concerning acid–base equilibria have received little attention. In this paper, the misconceptions of a sample of twelfth-grade Greek students on the subject of acid–base equilibria are explored. Students’ misconceptions and difficulties in understanding and applying the relevant concepts were categorized into seven categories: (a) dissociation and ionization, (b) definition of Brønsted–Lowry acids and bases, (c) ionic equilibria, (d) acid–base neutralization, (e) pH, (f) buffer solutions, and (g) degree of ionization.