In lieu of an abstract, below is the first paragraph of the paper.
Today\u27s student may be very different from the students who came through schools many years ago; however there is one thing that unites them all, alternative conceptions. In every subject there are false ideas that are believed to be true. Why? Human nature. It is our nature as human beings to understand how everything fits into place. These understandings will consist of whatever makes sense to us. Everyone on this planet makes assumptions about the way the world works; these assumptions are a way to ease the frustrations of living in a complex world. We must remember that assumptions are assumptions, and nothing more than someone inventing an idea that attempts to explain misunderstandings. These alternative conceptions often lead to inaccurate concepts that can prevent further learning on the subject