Table 6 Comparison of the LP levels in teachers’ perceptions with students’ actual LPs

Students believe that particles in solids, liquids, and gases are all scattered

3

3

Students are not aware of the collisions that exist between particles

3

3

Students cannot determine the difference in the interaction forces between particles of solids, liquids and gases based on differences in the voids between the particles

3

3

Students are unable to explain the effects of temperature on macroscopic phenomena in the context of energy and molecular dynamics

3

3

Students believe that the gap between particles can be reduced to 0 and the particles can be pressed tightly together

2

3

Students do not know that there are gravitational and repulsive forces between particles

2

3

The student believes that the particle is moving under the force of other objects

2

2

Students believe that there are no gaps between the particles of an object and that they are close together

2

2

Students cannot simply explain the phenomenon of diffusion from the angle of particles

2

2

Students believe that the particles inside a stationary object do not move

2

2

Students do not know that the higher the temperature, the faster the thermal motion of the molecules

2

2

Students think that particles move only when they are heated

2

2

Students believe that the voids between solid particles, between liquid particles, and between gas particles are the same

2

1

Students believe that the gas particles float in the upper part of the closed container

2

1

Students believe that the change in volume of the same object is due to the change in volume of the particles within the object

2

1

Students believe that matter visible to the naked eye is made up of particles

2

1

Students believe that there are substances other than particles in matter

2

1

Students think that the gas particles sink in the lower part of the closed container

2

1

Students think that the particles move spontaneously in a certain direction

2

1

Students believe that the change in volume of the same object is due to a change in the number of particles within the object

2

1

Students do not understand the size of particles and cannot compare the size of particles and matter

1

2

Students have no idea about particles and believe that matter is a continuous substance

1

2