We present a critical discussion of how chemistry textbooks treat the electrolysis of water and aqueous salt solutions, based on a survey of general chemistry textbooks in English and Korean at secondary and tertiary levels, also informed by the historical background of 19th-century debates. English-language textbooks present various and contradictory accounts of the electrolysis of water; a key point of disagreement is whether hydrogen and oxygen gases originate from pre-existing H⁺ and OH⁻ ions, or from the direct reduction and oxidation of H₂O molecules. School textbooks in South Korea all present the same account, with no indication of alternative views. A vast majority of all texts ignore the possibility that H₂ and O₂ may result from secondary reactions, which was a standard view in the late 19th century following the works of Daniell and Miller. Concerning the electrolysis of aqueous salt solutions, all texts give oversimplified views of competing reactions based on standard reduction/oxidation potentials. It is understandable that textbooks try to present sufficiently simple pictures that students at each level can handle; however, this should not be done in a way that shuts down questions. We recommend that students should be made aware that textbook accounts are only models, and encouraged to extend their learning beyond the models. The plausibility of our recommendations is shown in a pilot study we conducted with secondary school students in South Korea.

中文翻译：

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电解：什么教科书没有告诉我们

我们根据对英语和韩语的中学和高等教育普通化学教科书的调查，结合19世纪辩论的历史背景，对化学教科书如何处理水和盐溶液的电解进行了批判性的讨论。英文教科书介绍了水电解的各种矛盾的叙述；分歧的一个关键点是氢气和氧气从是否预现有h个起源⁺和OH ^-离子，或从H的直接还原和氧化₂水分子。韩国的学校教科书都提供了相同的说明，没有其他观点的迹象。所有文本中的绝大多数都忽略了H ₂和O的可能性₂可能由副反应，这是在19世纪后期以下丹尼尔和Miller的作品的标准视图。关于盐水溶液的电解，所有文献都基于标准的还原/氧化电位给出了竞争反应的过分简化的观点。可以理解的是，教科书试图展示足够简单的图片，以供各个级别的学生使用。但是，不应以关闭问题的方式来完成此操作。我们建议让学生意识到教科书只是模型，并鼓励他们将学习范围扩展到模型之外。我们与韩国中学生进行的一项试点研究表明了我们建议的合理性。