Classroom Resources: Energy & Thermodynamics

1 – 8 of 8 Classroom Resources

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  Phase Changes, Heat, Specific Heat | Elementary School, Middle School

  Lab: The Insulation Investigation

  In this lab, students will think critically about the properties, structure and function of materials as they design and build a device used to insulate an ice cube to prevent it from melting.

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  Observations, Chemical Change, Phase Changes, Physical Change, Specific Heat, Temperature, Heat of Combustion, Intermolecular Forces, Heating Curve, Boiling Point, Heat of Vaporization | Middle School, High School

  Demonstration: Cooking an Egg in Chemistry Class

  In this demonstration, students will observe the very high latent heat of vaporization for water by boiling water over a Bunsen burner in a paper cup to cook a boiled egg. The discussion can be extended to incorporate intermolecular forces to explain the unusually high boiling point of water, as well as heat of vaporization and specific heat capacity.

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  Heat, Specific Heat, Temperature, Experimental Design | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Understanding Specific Heat

  In this simulation, students will play the role of engineer in deciding which materials are the best candidates for a building project. They will calculate the specific heat capacity of various building materials to determine which ones meet the criteria for building an energy efficient home. Students will also do a cost analysis to determine which material to use in their building project. On the student activity sheet, they will answer additional conceptual and numerical questions related to specific heat capacity.

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  Observations, Molecular Motion, Heat, Specific Heat, Temperature | Middle School, High School

  Activity: What Makes Something Feel Warm

  In this lesson students actively engage in thinking about energy issues in chemistry and the nature of energy (thermal) transfer. The idea that temperature is a measure of heat content will be challenged, and students will be given the opportunity to collect data that will allow them to clearly see that different materials transfer energy at different rates.

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  Calorimetry, Heat, Specific Heat, Temperature | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Understanding Specific Heat

  In this lab, students will get a general idea of specific heat by investigating the mixing of two liquids at different temperatures. In one case, the same liquids will be mixed, in another case different liquids will be mixed.

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  Melting Point, Freezing Point, Phase Changes, Molecular Motion, Heat, Specific Heat, Temperature, Intermolecular Forces, Heating Curve, Boiling Point, Heat of Vaporization , Heat of Fusion | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Heating Curve of Water

  In this simulation, students will investigate qualitatively and quantitatively what happens as water changes states.

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  Observations, Inferences, Calorimetry, Heat, Specific Heat, Temperature, Exothermic & Endothermic, Enthalpy | Middle School, High School

  Demonstration: Energy in Hot and Cold Packs

  In this demonstration, students will observe temperature changes in chemical hot and cold packs and discuss processes of endothermic and exothermic changes. They will also see that common household products can be used to make a hot and cold pack.

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  Physical Properties, Heat, Specific Heat, Temperature, Scientific Method, Experimental Design | Middle School, High School

  Lesson Plan: Designing & Engineering a Fast Defroster

  In this activity students use their understanding of energy transfer to “design a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.”  And “evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.”  The real world problem is to help a cook who is trying to make a meal, but realizes some of the ingredients are frozen and must be thawed before he can begin.