Conceptions of first-year university students of the constituents of matter and the notions of acids and bases

Preconceptions of first-year university students of the constituents of matter and the notions of acids and bases were investigated on a total of 400 students. The procedure used consisted of free interviews, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. It was found that the constituents of matter were well known to students, but that interactions between these constituents were either totally unknown or were the subject of severe misconceptions. The students' knowledge tended to be qualitative and formal, with a worrying lack of connection with everyday life.