University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Atmospheric Processes Radiation
This site provides background information, images, and an activity to help students understand the concept of radiation. Includes both the student pages and a teachers guide with lesson plan.
Other
Digital Library for Earth System Education: Teaching Box: Essentials of Weather
A suite of lessons focusing on the basic elements of climate and weather. Inquiry-based exploration of extreme weather events and the factors of weather including clouds, wind, air pressure, temperature, and the water cycle.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Newton's Law of Cooling
Students come to see the exponential trend demonstrated through the changing temperatures measured while heating and cooling a beaker of water. This task is accomplished by first appealing to students' real-life heating and cooling...
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Greenhouse Effect in a Greenhouse
In this activity, you will use a temperature sensor to relate changes in sunlight to the temperature of the air trapped in a container.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Model Greenhouses
Students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the greenhouse effect. They construct their own miniature greenhouses and explore how their designs take advantage of heat transfer processes to create controlled environments....
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Reversible Reactions
Watch a reaction proceed over time. How does total energy affect a reaction rate? This model represents an analogy of chemical reactions.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Hot and Cold Water Experiment
Demonstrate the relationship between water temperature and density using two clear plastic soda bottles.
New York University
Nyu: Math Mol: Motion of Molecules
Examine the link between molecular motion and energy. Observe the movement of a molecule at room temperature. Learn about the different types of molecular motion.
Better Planet Productions
Earth Care: Movers and Shakers [Pdf]
Wind is created in areas where there are temperature shifts. For this lesson, Grade Two students will investigate areas of their schoolyard where there are 'wind tunnels' and 'wind shadows'. They will then use this information to...
Curated OER
Ucar: About Temperature
This site from the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research provides a lengthy page covering numerous topics including the difference between heat and temperature, the use of different temperature scales, thermal expansion, how a...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Thermal Conductivity
Lists thermal conductivity values for a variety of topics. The link "Heat conduction discussion" on this page displays an equation for calculating the rate of thermal conduction using these conductivity values.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Thermophysical Properties of Fluid Systems
At this site, the student can find out thermophysical properties of different fluids and gases.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Thermodynamics Article
Thermodynamics is a very important branch of both physics and chemistry. It deals with the study of energy, the conversion of energy between different forms and the ability of energy to do work. Through this article, you will begin to...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Expansion Concepts
An indexing page from Georgia State University Physics Department which includes links to various other pages with information pertaining to thermal expansion. From expansion coefficients to equations to calculation and practice pages,...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Bimetallic Strips
The operation of bimetallic strips is explained and illustrated. The principle of thermal expansion is related to their operation. A link to applications of bimetallic strips is provided.
Colorado State University
Csu: Model of Basic Otto Cycle
This site from the Colorado State University discusses the Otto cycle of a car engine. Includes a highly mathematical treatment of the efficiency of such engines. Includes a link to a java applet investigating the efficiency of such...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Law Concepts
This site from Georgia State University Department of Physics and Astronomy is an indexing page for the HyperPhysics site. The page links to a variety of other pages which discuss concepts related to entropy and the second law of...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Entropy
This informative site is from Georgia State University. The tendency of nature to move towards a more disordered state in an isolated system, a concept known as entropy, is discussed. This concept is well-depicted in meaningful diagrams.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Global Climate Change: Atmosphere
Use this site to explore real scientific data relating to the atmosphere. With this information you can gather evidence, test theories, and come to conclusions. Click on the data examples to view a full scale version.
Physics4kids
Physics 4 Kids: Thermodynamics Quiz
Take this ten question multiple choice quiz over thermodynamics.
University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky: Online Physics for Teachers
A set of four online courses in Physics for elementary and middle school teachers. Each course targets a different topic area - light, electricity & magnetism, temperature & heat, and force, motion, & energy.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Reasons for the Seasons
Why do some regions experience full-time heat while others are reckoning with frigid temperatures and snow? And why are the seasons reversed in the two hemispheres? Rebecca Kaplan explains how the shape of the Earth's orbit around the...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Exhibit Cross Reference: Convection Currents
A description of a museum exhibit that illustrates convection and convection currents. Great idea stimulus for a student project or lab investigation.
University of Sydney (Australia)
Thermal Physics Module: Ideal Gases [Pdf]
A molecular model of a gas is introduced and explained. Assumptions behind the ideal gas law are presented. The ideal gas law is stated. Charles' law and Boyle's law are derived from the ideal gas law.