Spanish chemistry?

[Mahuta ♥]

I was in Chemistry after school exam revision today, doing MCQ about bonding.

When we were going through it at the end of the hour, and we came across this question, where in the mark scheme it gives 'B' as the answer then it says if taught in spanish the answer is 'C'. So i thought, HUH?!

the question was:

Which of the following increase(s) for the bonding between carbon atoms in the sequence of molecules C₂H₆, C₂H₄ and C₂H₂?

1. Number of bonds
   
2. Length of bonds
   
3. Strength of bonds
   

A. 1 only

B. 1 and 3 only

C. 3 only

D. 1,2 and 3

So we all answered B, because only number and strength increase and length decreases. Whereas in spain, their answers say that only strength of bond increases and not the number. I thought this is kind of odd. So if anybody around here is spanish and takes HL chemistry, could you please tell us about this point??

Edited January 5, 2009 by mahuta

[Ashika]

Maybe it could be the way the question is translated into Spanish?

Nothing else would really make sense in my mind... since you are right, science is science regardless of language.

[Mahuta ♥]

Hmm..that actually makes sense. But French, Spanish and Italien are very similar, as in, they use the same style.

Thanks for the answer anyways, never really thought of that(although it was very simple,lol).

We'll just wait for a spanish person to pass by.

[Max]

One could interpret the "Number of bonds" as the number of bonds within the molecule, rather than between the carbons. The Spanish wording might have been worse, which is why B and C are accepted in the Spanish version.

[robertomx]

I take chem in spanish and i really don't know why the answer would be different. Maybe in spanish they didn't specify 'between carbon atoms' or something, but it really is weird.

[KLSmash]

My best guess is that, the when the question is written in Spanish, the question may have been re-worded slightly, and because of that--a different answer would also be acceptable. But you're right, science is science; regardless of language.

[Mahuta ♥]

One could interpret the "Number of bonds" as the number of bonds within the molecule, rather than between the carbons. The Spanish wording might have been worse, which is why B and C are accepted in the Spanish version.

No, not really because B isnt accepted there, which made it even more confusing.

[Ashika]

Maybe it wasn't an interpretation error at all?

Maybe it CLEARLY stated that it was the bonds within the molecule rather than between the carbons?

Honestly, when I first looked at the question my eyes skipped over the part where it said between the carbons

[Mahuta ♥]

Yes, i agree actually, the question was quite clear actually, just like i typed it up. I dont see where the different interpretation comes in. Add to that, as i said previously, answer B isnt allowed for spanish, which is like "hmmm...".

[Ashika]

I think we would only get clarity if we got a hold of that exam in Spanish

[Mahuta ♥]

yup, indeed, lol. This is, if we actually understood the paper itself.

I'll find what session that came from, because its quite interesting, lol.

Do you speak spanish?

[Ashika]

I don't speak Spanish but I know some people on the boards who can