The study of Chemistry Students' Perceptions in Application of Mathematical Expressions in Physical Chemistry: Case study of Shahid Hasheminejad Campus in Mashhad

In this study, chemistry student teacher's perception in application of mathematical expressions in physical chemistry were investigated. The statistical population of chemistry students in this research is 17 volunteers from Shahid Hasheminejad Campus in Farhangian University of Mashhad, who has passed the Physical Chemistry 1 course and investigated their interpretation of using of mathematical equations in thermodynamics. The research method was descriptive-analytical. The results showed that although the students were successful in the basic mathematics courses and also could appropriately solve and analyze the mathematical equations, and represented appropriate interpretation in various algebraic terms with different degrees, while they had great difficulty in using mathematical expressions in thermodynamic systems. Misconceptions in the definition and application of partial derivatives as well as exact and inexact differentials had a thermodynamic quantity that led to the improper using of these differential equations in various thermodynamic systems. They also paid less attention to the units of a quantity and misinterpreted it in the application of units of thermodynamic quantities. Students also had difficulties in connecting the mental quantities such as entropy and Gibbs free energy to the objective quantities such as volume and pressure using Maxwell relations.