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Classroom Resources: Energy & Thermodynamics

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51 – 75 of 109 Classroom Resources

  • Electromagnetic Spectrum | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Electromagnetic Spectrum Book

    In this activity, students will create a book that describes all of the individual parts that make up the electromagnetic spectrum.

  • Chemical Change, Exothermic & Endothermic, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Separating Mixtures | Elementary School

    Lab: Super Suds

    In this lab, students will investigate an endothermic chemical reaction by combining baking soda, hand soap and citric acid. The students will be tasked with differentiating between chemical and physical changes during this experiment.

  • Atomic Spectra, Emission Spectrum, Emission Spectrum, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Interdisciplinary, Identifying an Unknown | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lab: Spectral Detective

    In this lab, students will use a spectroscope to view the atomic spectra of various unknown elements. Using their collected data in combination with known atomic spectra, they will identify the chemical elements.

  • Exothermic & Endothermic, Classification of Reactions | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Simulation Activity: Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions

    In this simulation, students will evaluate the energy changes in an endothermic and an exothermic chemical reaction. Through the use of this simulation students will have the opportunity to compare how energy is absorbed and released in each reaction. Additionally, students will make a connection between the standard energy diagrams associated with each reaction type.

  • Exothermic & Endothermic | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions

    In this activity, students observe industrial-strength snap sticks and chemical cold packs and discuss processes of endothermic and exothermic reactions.

  • Temperature, History, Accuracy, Physical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Video: The Temperature Guys Video

    This video tells the story of how temperature as we currently know it evolved. The first thermometers invented in the early 1600s are very different than ones we use today!

  • Heat of Combustion, Heat, Exothermic & Endothermic, Combustion | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Video: The Internal Combustion Engine Video

    This video investigates both the mechanical and the chemical processes used in the internal combustion engine, as well as the history and evolution of the combustion engine.

  • Reduction, Oxidation, Redox Reaction, Catalysts, Activation Energy, Combustion | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Video: Catalytic Converters Video

    This video investigates the role of a catalytic converter and its corresponding chemical reactions within a vehicle. Students will learn about both oxidation and reduction reactions and how they, in combination with a catalyst, can impact the molecules released in a car’s exhaust.

  • Electricity, Anode, Cathode, Galvanic Cells, Heat, Renewable Energy | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Video: Alternative Fuels Video

    This video analyzes alternatives to petroleum based fossil fuels, such as biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells.

  • Calorimetry, Exothermic & Endothermic, Temperature, Stoichiometry, Limiting Reactant, Chemical Change, Molarity | High School

    Lab: Less Than Zero

    In this lab, students will investigate the endothermic reaction between baking soda and HCl. Students will consider stoichiometric ratios, molar concentrations, reaction scale, and calorimetry. The lab starts with a scripted reaction that uses given molar ratios, a glass beaker, and 2-M HCl. They will witness a temperature drop of about 5 to 8 C. Students then adjust the experiment so they can achieve a temperature drop of more than 20 C.

  • Heat, Temperature | High School, Middle 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.

  • Temperature, Molecular Motion | High School, Middle School

    Demonstration: What is Temperature?

    In this demonstration, students will observe food dye mixing with water at different temperatures.

  • Freezing Point, Phase Changes, Temperature, Physical Change | Middle School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lab: Lemon Ice

    This activity explores the interaction between salt and water (ice) as a way to further investigate their impact on the state of matter of a substance. Students will use salt and ice to create a slushy lemonade drink without the use of a freezer. They will learn through this hands-on experiment how salt and ice can rapidly cool a liquid.

  • Combustion, Limiting Reactant, Catalysts, Gas Laws, Stoichiometry, Activation Energy, Enthalpy, Energy Diagrams, Experimental design | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lab: Launching Rockets

    In this lab, students create a stoichiometric mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gases to launch a soda bottle rocket.

  • Chemical Change, Exothermic & Endothermic, Redox Reaction, Reaction Rate | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Demonstration: Potassium Permanganate Demo

    In this demo, students witness two chemicals that take some time to react. The KMnO4 and glycerin come into contact and appear not to react, but then a flame results. This is an example of an exothermic redox reaction.

  • Conservation of Mass, Exothermic & Endothermic | High School, Middle School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lab: Kitchen Reaction

    In this lab students will observe an endothermic chemical reaction involving baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid). Students will investigate the signs a chemical reaction has occurred (gas production, change in temperature). Students will perform the lab in an open system so they can see the change of mass due to gas production. This lab is a lead into the topic of conservation of mass. After the lab is completed, the teacher should do a demonstration of the exothermic reaction Hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide.

  • Calorimetry | High School, Middle School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. 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.

  • Pros Cons of Nuclear Power, Combustion, Acid Rain, Radiation, Renewable Energy, Radiation | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Town Meeting

    In this activity, students will learn about acid rain, gas scrubbers, half-life, chain reactions, and other topics around electricity production through a debate on nuclear power.

  • Radiation, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Radiation | Middle School, High School

    Lab: The Most Effective Sunscreen

    In this lab, students will research and compare the effectiveness of various SPF levels in sunscreen lotions. The lotion’s ability to block UV (ultraviolet) radiation from the sun will be tested using a UV bead detector.    

  • Colligative Properties, Specific Heat | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lesson Plan: The Hot and Cold of it All

    In this lesson students will analyze the effectiveness of different brands of antifreeze/coolants and their ability to protect an engine in cold climates. Students will conduct a lab investigation to examine the freezing point depression in samples that have been diluted with distilled water. Students will also determine the specific heat capacities of antifreeze/coolant products as compared to pure water and explain how it relates to thermal energy transfer in the internal combustion engine.

  • Emission Spectrum, Electromagnetic Spectrum | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Demonstration: The Emission Spectrum from a Candle Flame

    In this demo, students look at a candle flame through a diffraction grating to see the emission spectrum of the flame. This provides for an opportunity to talk about how a flame works and prove that carbon is being released by charring a porcelin crucible.

  • Calorimetry, Law of Conservation of Energy, Combustion, Heat of Combustion, Specific Heat, Heat, Exothermic & Endothermic, Bond Energy, Temperature, Measurements, Accuracy, Dimensional Analysis, Error analysis | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lab: How Much Energy is in Your Snack Food?

    In this lab, students will find the amount of heat energy stored in foods and compare heat calories with food calories.

  • Redox Reaction, Gibb's Free Energy , Spontaneous Reactions | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lesson Plan: How Far Can We Go?

    In this lesson students compare energy densities of lead acid and lithium ion batteries to understand the relationship between electrochemical cell potentials and utilization of stored chemical energy.

  • Hess's Law | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lesson Plan: Hess's Law

    In this lesson, students learn about the concepts of Hess's Law and how to solve problems involving them.

  • Physical Change, Intermolecular Forces, Heating Curve, Phase Changes, Graphing, Heat, Exothermic & Endothermic, Temperature, Freezing Point, Melting Point | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Lab: Heating & Cooling Curve

    In this lab, students will create a phase change graph by adding and removing heat to observe and record data during actual phase changes.

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