Temas de química cuántica: análisis de su presentación en libros de texto de química general

Abstract

College students show serious difficulties in learning chemistry. From research in science teaching, this problem is considered to be multicausal. We will focus on one of the possible intrinsically disciplinary causes. Among the first issues addressed in basic chemistry courses of scientific/technological careers are those corresponding to quantum chemistry. When the student approaches for the first time these subjects only knows classic contents of physics and chemistry. While many of the terms used in both contexts are the same, the ‘world’ and ‘objects’ referred to in classical physics not seem to be the same that those that is cited in chemistry. The fact that it would seem that the quantum chemistry depends on physical models available of the world, it adds the complication of using classical physics concepts in a context in which they no longer seem to have the same meaning. In this paper we analyze the way in which general chemistry textbook introduced the contents of quantum chemistry. Four aspects are considered: epistemologic choice, perspective of approach, use of the history and philosophy of science, and contextualisation of relations between quantum and classical concepts. We conclude that the modes of presentation in the texts do not contribute to a better understanding of the concepts of the discipline, nor of the mode in which the scientific knowledge is developed.