ABSTRACT
This chapter explores what is considered to be one of the most important ideas in teaching chemistry— the relationship between the chemistry that can be observed at the bench and the theoretical models of the structures and processes that are posited at the submicroscopic scale of individual molecules and the like. Working memory refers to the faculty of mind which allows us to think about issues and consciously solve problems, to suggest fertile questions, and so forth. The triplet idea is sometimes presented as an argument that there are three distinct levels at which chemistry is discussed in classes: the macroscopic; the submicroscopic; and the symbolic, which gives students a lot to think about at once; and that where the molar level deals with concrete phenomena that can be directly observed, the other two complementary levels deal with abstractions that are more difficult for learners to understand.
