An example of an alternative conception:
It is common for learners to suggest that ionic bonds are stronger than covalent bonds. Often they argue this is because substances with covalent bonding have much lower melting temepratures than substance with ionic bonding.
Usually these learners are not thinking of substances with giant molecular structures, such as diamond, but of simple molecular substances where there is intramolecular covalent bonding (which is unaffected on melting) and also much weaker inter-molecular bonding. Often learners are initially introduced to covalent bonding with simple molecules even though the substances concerned are more complex that giant molecular structures becasue there are two different kinds of bonding involved.
Read about a classroom probe to diagnose and adress this conception: Melting temperature. A diagnostic probe
