Bulletin: Student Misconceptions

Mass confusion ensues in Bronx science classroom. Textbook & teacher say that if a liquid changes to a gas, that's a physical change, but if two chemicals react and a gas is produced, that's a chemical change. Students doubt that when water evaporates, it's still water. Students continue to doubt this even after observing that you can "catch" the water vapor and it will condense back to liquid water. Teacher marks many questions wrong on homework and wonders how to demonstrate the difference.