PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams

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published by the PhET
written by Trish Loeblein

This is a lesson plan for high school physics and/or chemistry, developed specifically to accompany the PhET simulation States of Matter. It guides students in an exploration of particle behavior as it relates to phase, molecular polarity, and how force interactions occur at the molecular level. It is intended for students who already have functional knowledge of basic kinetic molecular theory.

Editor's Note: This lesson must be used in conjunction with the "States of Matter" simulation. See Related Materials for a link to the simulation.

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education Practices - Active Learning = Modeling General Physics - Properties of Matter Thermo & Stat Mech - Kinetic and Diffusive Processes = Kinetic Theory - Phase Transitions = Phase Diagrams - Thermal Properties of Matter = Pressure	- High School	- Instructional Material = Activity = Instructor Guide/Manual = Lesson/Lesson Plan = Problem/Problem Set = Student Guide

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Educators - Learners	- text/html - application/pdf	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2009 University of Colorado at Boulder
Additional information is available.
Keywords:: gas laws, interaction potential, molecular models, molecular structure, nonpolar molecules, phase, phase change simulation, phase diagrams, polar molecules, states of matter, states of matter simulation
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created July 18, 2011 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 18, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: February 8, 2010
Other Collections:: The Physics Front

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AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

4. The Physical Setting

4D. The Structure of Matter

6-8: 4D/M3cd. In solids, the atoms or molecules are closely locked in position and can only vibrate. In liquids, they have higher energy, are more loosely connected, and can slide past one another; some molecules may get enough energy to escape into a gas. In gases, the atoms or molecules have still more energy and are free of one another except during occasional collisions.
6-8: 4D/M7a. No matter how substances within a closed system interact with one another, or how they combine or break apart, the total mass of the system remains the same.
6-8: 4D/M8. Most substances can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas depending on temperature.
9-12: 4D/H8. The configuration of atoms in a molecule determines the molecule's properties. Shapes are particularly important in how large molecules interact with others.

4E. Energy Transformations

6-8: 4E/M4. Energy appears in different forms and can be transformed within a system. Motion energy is associated with the speed of an object. Thermal energy is associated with the temperature of an object. Gravitational energy is associated with the height of an object above a reference point. Elastic energy is associated with the stretching or compressing of an elastic object. Chemical energy is associated with the composition of a substance. Electrical energy is associated with an electric current in a circuit. Light energy is associated with the frequency of electromagnetic waves.
9-12: 4E/H7. Thermal energy in a system is associated with the disordered motions of its atoms or molecules. Gravitational energy is associated with the separation of mutually attracting masses. Electrical potential energy is associated with the separation of mutually attracting or repelling charges.
9-12: 4E/H9. Many forms of energy can be considered to be either kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion, or potential energy, which depends on the separation between mutually attracting or repelling objects.

11. Common Themes

11B. Models

6-8: 11B/M1. Models are often used to think about processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly. They are also used for processes that are too vast, too complex, or too dangerous to study.
6-8: 11B/M4. Simulations are often useful in modeling events and processes.

11D. Scale

6-8: 11D/M3. Natural phenomena often involve sizes, durations, and speeds that are extremely small or extremely large. These phenomena may be difficult to appreciate because they involve magnitudes far outside human experience.

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=11326">Loeblein, Trish. PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams. Boulder: PhET, February 8, 2010.</a>

AIP Format

T. Loeblein, (PhET, Boulder, 2009), WWW Document, (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168).

AJP/PRST-PER

T. Loeblein, PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams (PhET, Boulder, 2009), <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168>.

APA Format

Loeblein, T. (2010, February 8). PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from PhET: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168

Chicago Format

Loeblein, Trish. PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams. Boulder: PhET, February 8, 2010. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168 (accessed 25 April 2024).

MLA Format

Loeblein, Trish. PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams. Boulder: PhET, 2009. 8 Feb. 2010. 25 Apr. 2024 <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Author = "Trish Loeblein", Title = {PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams}, Publisher = {PhET}, Volume = {2024}, Number = {25 April 2024}, Month = {February 8, 2010}, Year = {2009} }

Refer Export Format

%A Trish Loeblein %T PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams %D February 8, 2010 %I PhET %C Boulder %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168 %O text/html

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %A Loeblein, Trish %D February 8, 2010 %T PhET Teacher Activities: Phase Change and Phase Diagrams %I PhET %V 2024 %N 25 April 2024 %8 February 8, 2010 %9 text/html %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3168

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