American Chemical Society
Energy and Entropy of a Stretched Rubber Band
Stephen Perry invented and patented the modern rubber band in 1845. Young scientists put his discovery to work as they use rubber bands to observe entropy and enthalpy. They determine the change in free energy to figure out if it...
American Chemical Society
The Energy of Evaporation
Do all liquids evaporate at the same rate? Young scientists observe the evaporation rate of three different liquids. They measure the time, the temperature, and the change in energy. After comparing the chemical formulas, scholars...
Exploratorium
Hand-Held Heat Engine
See the direct relationship between pressure and temperature using these classic science toys. As individuals hold the glass bulb, the liquid inside reaches it's boiling temperature, which is just a bit above room temperature. As the...
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Alphas, Betas and Gammas Oh, My!
Referring to the periodic table of elements, nuclear physics learners determine the resulting elements of alpha and beta decay. Answers are given in atomic notation, showing the atomic symbol, mass, atomic number, and emission particles....
Teach Engineering
Human Power
How many humans does it take to power a light bulb? The 10th part of a 25-lesson Energy Systems and Solutions unit has learners conduct an experiment to calculate power. They then use the results to determine how many classmates they...
Serendip
Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis
Is your class in the dark about photosynthesis? Shed some sunlight on an important biological process with a thoughtful activity. After answering questions to help determine their level of knowledge, learners work with chemical equations...
Colorado State University
What Makes a Gas, a Greenhouse Gas?—The Carbon Dioxide Dance
Investigate a heated topic in environmental science. Scholars team up to play the parts of gas molecules in the atmosphere. As the teacher moves about, acting as the electromagnetic wave, learners react as their molecules would to the...
Other
Siemens Science Day: Physical Science: You're Getting Warmer
This hands-on science activity allows students to explore how materials absorb sunlight differently. Students will create model houses with different materials on the roof and see which material allows the most heat to be absorbed into...
Other
Physics Labs/specific Heat (C) of Metal
A complete set of directions, notes, and suggestions for a lab involving the determination of the specific heat values for various metals. Suitable for a student project or lab investigation.
Other
Physics Labs: Heat of Fusion (Hf) of Ice
A complete set of directions, notes and suggestions for a lab involving the determination of the heat of fusion of ice. Suitable for a student project or lab investigation.
Other
Physics Labs/heat of Vaporization (Hv) of Water
A complete set of directions, notes and suggestions for a demonstration involving the determination of the heat of vaporization of water. Suitable for a student project or lab investigation.
University of Sydney (Australia)
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics [Pdf]
A set of printable pdf pages from the University of Sydney's "Thermal Physics Module" site. Entropy is defined and explained conceptually. The mathematical treatment of entropy is introduced. The second law of thermodynamics and its...