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Physical Science and Nature of Science Assessment Probes 3

Thermometer
Mr. Martinez placed a thermometer in a jar of very hot water.
His students watched what happened to the thermometer. Im-
mediately the level of the red liquid in the thermometer went up.
His students disagreed about why the red liquid in the thermom-
eter rose when the thermometer was placed in hot water. This is
what they said:

Jean-Paul: “The hot water pushed it up.”

Pita: “The mass of the red liquid increased.”
Jonathan: “The heat inside the thermometer rises.”
Jimena: “The air inside the thermometer pulls it up.”
Molly: “The molecules of the red liquid are further apart.”
Greta: “The number of molecules in the red liquid increased.”
Keanu: “The molecules of the red liquid are getting bigger.”

Which student do you most agree with? ______________________

Explain why you think that student has the best explanation.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science 33

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3 Physical Science and Nature of Science Assessment Probes
Thermometer
Teacher Notes
Purpose
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit
students’ ideas about thermal expansion. The
probe is designed to find out whether students
attribute expansion of the space between mole-
cules to the rise of the liquid in a thermometer.
Related Concepts
kinetic molecular theory, thermal expansion,
thermometer
Explanation
Molly has the best answer: A thermometer is
a closed system. It operates on the principle
that the fluid inside it (usually alcohol or mer-
cury) expands when heated and contracts when
cooled. When the bulb is in contact with a
warm object such as the hot water, energy from
the hot water is transferred to the liquid inside
34
the bulb. The molecules of the red liquid, in this
case alcohol with a red dye added, gain energy
and increase their motion as the faster-moving
molecules bump up against and push the slower-
moving molecules. This causes the molecules to
move farther apart, and as a result, the alcohol
inside the thermometer occupies more space
as it expands. In order to occupy more space,
the alcohol has to rise in the narrow tube. It is
this increased motion and collisions of the mol-
ecules inside the very narrow tube that accounts
for the rise of the alcohol.
Curricular and Instructional
Considerations
Elementary Students
At the elementary school level, students use
thermometers to measure the temperature of
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Physical Science and Nature of Science Assessment Probes
objects and materials. At this level they are de-
veloping the procedural skills of using a ther-
mometer. They are not expected to know how
a thermometer works.
Middle School Students
At the middle school level, students continue
to use thermometers. They learn how a ther-
mometer works and should be able to explain
how it operates at a substance level—most
substances expand or contract when they are
heated or cooled. Some students can begin to
use particle ideas to explain why a substance
expands when heated and contracts when
cooled and connect that to what happens in-
side a thermometer. At this stage they also rec-
ognize water as an anomaly to the idea that
substances expand when heated and contract
when cooled, noting that when water cools to
form ice, it expands.
High School Students
At the high school level, students deepen their
understanding of kinetic molecular theory and
relate the thermometer phenomenon to particle
ideas about thermal expansion. At this level,
they are expected to be able to explain how a
thermometer works based on the expansion or
contraction of the liquid due to increasing or de-
creasing space between the molecules as a result
of increased or decreased motion when energy is
gained or lost by the molecules.
Administering the Probe
This probe can be demonstrated for students
using a red alcohol thermometer or performed
Uncovering Student Ideas in Science
3
in small groups with appropriate safety pre-
cautions. The word volume is intentionally not
used to describe the “liquid going up” in order
to probe for younger students’ ideas related to
the visible increase in the height of the liquid
without having their lack of understanding
of what volume is interfering with their ideas
about the phenomenon. For middle school
and high school students who understand the
concept of volume, you can replace “His stu-
dents disagreed about why the red liquid in the
thermometer rose when the thermometer was
placed in hot water” with “…why the volume of
red liquid in the thermometer increased when
the thermometer was placed in hot water.”
Related Ideas in National
Science Education Standards
(NRC 1996)
K–4 Abilities Necessary to Do
Scientific Inquiry
! Employ simple equipment and tools (ther-
mometers) to gather data and extend the
senses.
K–4 Properties of Objects and
Materials
! Objects have many observable properties,
including size, weight, shape, color, tem-
perature, and the ability to react with other
substances. Those properties can be mea-
sured using tools, such as rulers, balances,
and thermometers.
35
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3 Physical Science and Nature of Science Assessment Probes
5–8 Abilities Necessary to Do
Scientific Inquiry
! Use appropriate tools (thermometers) and
techniques to gather, analyze, and inter-
pret data.
5–8 Transfer of Energy
! Energy is a property of many substances
and is associated with heat. Energy is
transferred in many ways.
! Heat moves in predictable ways, flowing
from warmer objects to cooler ones, until
both objects reach the same temperature.
9–12 Conservation of Energy and the
Increase in Disorder
" Heat consists of random motion and the
vibrations of atoms, molecules, and ions.
The higher the temperature, the greater the
atomic or molecular motion.
Related Ideas in Benchmarks
for Science Literacy (AAAS
1993)
3–5 Structure of Matter
! Heating and cooling cause changes in the
properties of materials. Many kinds of chang-
es occur faster under hotter conditions.
6–8 Structure of Matter
" Atoms and molecules are perpetually in
motion. Increased temperature means
greater average energy of motion, so most
substances expand when heated.
" Indicates a strong match between the ideas elicited by the probe and a national standard’s learning goal.
36
6–8 Energy Transformations
! Heat can be transferred through materials
by the collisions of atoms or across space
by radiation.
! Energy appears in different forms. Heat ener-
gy is in the disorderly motion of molecules.
9–12 Transformations of Energy
! Heat energy in a material consists of the dis-
ordered motions of its atoms or molecules.
Related Research
! Some students tend to regard liquids as
continuous (nonparticulate) and static
(Driver et al. 1994).
! In an Australian study of 25 children
ages 8–11, children were asked how they
thought a thermometer worked (Appleton
1985). About one-third of the children
suggested the thermometer “was sensitive
to heat,” or that it “was made to go to the
right number.” Other suggestions involved
pressure, pushing, or heat rising (Driver et
al. 1994).
Suggestions for Instruction and
Assessment
! Have students research how to make a
thermometer and then have them build
one. Students should demonstrate the use
of their thermometers and explain how
they work at a substance level and a par-
ticle level (if they are ready to use atomic/
molecular reasoning).
! Use the rising level of liquid in a thermom-
eter as a plausible phenomenon to develop
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Physical Science and Nature of Science Assessment Probes
the idea that most substances expand when
heated.
! Trace the transfer of thermal energy in a
thermometer from the hot water to the
glass to the alcohol. Have students draw a
visual representation of the transfer of en-
ergy between molecules.
! Have students draw pictures to show what
happens to the liquid in a thermometer at
the particle level when the bulb comes in
contact with hot material. Use the draw-
ings (whiteboards work well for this) to
discuss students’ ideas about conduction,
the particle nature of matter, and kinetic
molecular theory.
! Use the analogy of playing pool to illus-
trate what happens when molecules collide
and transfer energy. When a pool cue ball
hits a rack of pool balls, it transfers energy
and the balls it hits spread out.
! Help the students who chose Jonathan’s
response to understand how some words in
science are used incorrectly. For example,
the common phrase “heat rises” is incor-
rect. It is the warm air or water that rises,
not the heat.
! Probe students’ reasoning further for each
of the distracters chosen and challenge
their ideas. For example, Greta’s idea can
be challenged with conservation of matter
reasoning, including the idea of a closed
system in which no additional molecules
can get into the thermometer.
! Relate expansion of the liquid in a ther-
mometer to expansion of a metallic object.
A metal ball and ring apparatus, available
Uncovering Student Ideas in Science
3
through most science supply stores, dem-
onstrates how a metal expands when heat-
ed by showing how the ball passes through
the ring before the ball is heated, but not
after it is heated. Have students connect
this phenomenon to what happens inside
the thermometer.
Related NSTA Science Store
Publications and NSTA Journal
Articles
American Association for the Advancement of Sci-
ence (AAAS). 1993. Benchmarks for science lit-
eracy. New York: Oxford University Press.
American Association for the Advancement of Sci-
ence (AAAS). 2007. Atlas of science literacy.
Vol. 2, “states of matter map,” 58–59. Wash-
ington, DC: AAAS.
Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-
Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary sci-
ence: Research into children’s ideas. London and
New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
Keeley, P. 2005. Science curriculum topic study:
Bridging the gap between standards and practice.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National
science education standards. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
Robertson, W. 2002. Energy, Stop Faking It! Final-
ly Understanding Science So You Can Teach It.
Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.
37
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3 Physical Science and Nature of Science Assessment Probes

perature. Research in Science Education 15:

Related Curriculum Topic Study
Guides
(Keeley 2005)
“Heat and Temperature”
“Particulate Nature of Matter” (Atoms and
Molecules)
References
American Association for the Advancement of Sci-
ence (AAAS). 1993. Benchmarks for science lit-
eracy. New York: Oxford University Press.
Appleton, K. 1985. Children’s ideas about tem-
122–126.
Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-
Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary sci-
ence: Research into children’s ideas. London and
New York: RoutledgeFalmer
Keeley, P. 2005. Science curriculum topic study:
Bridging the gap between standards and practice.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National
science education standards. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.

38 N a t i o n a l S c i e n c e Te a c h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n