abstract
- This paper explores the possibility of using a simple analogy based on a city with numbered streets and houses with features as a teaching strategy for electron configuration in chemistry courses. The analogy was designed to provide students with an easily understandable framework to help them understand the distribution of electrons within atoms. In this analogy, each numbered street represents an energy level, while the houses on the streets symbolize different types of energy sublevels. The rooms in the houses are associated with orbitals. The hierarchical structure of streets and houses facilitated the distinction between energy levels, energy sublevels, and orbitals. The results of using this analogy were very positive. A significant improvement was observed in the students' ability to write the electron configurations of various chemical elements and to distinguish between energy levels, sublevels, and orbitals. The analogy was successful in clarifying concepts that can be complex or confusing, providing students with clarity and confidence in understanding electron configuration. Specifically, this paper highlights the effectiveness of using a simple analogy as a pedagogical tool to improve learning outcomes in teaching this chemistry topic. © 2024 University of Minho. All rights reserved.