UTF-8Particle phase transitionsType your name here: Sarah Miller
The learning goals for tonight's activity include:
- Be able to describe the behavior of a system of one type of particle as either gaseous, liquid or solid
- Be able to manipulate particle properties and/or the potential energy function for their interaction to change
the 'state' of the particles (gas --> liquid --> solid) without changing particle size or the temperature.
Observe the particles in the simulation below. Describe how the particles behave and whether this behavior
is more like that of a gas, liquid or solid. Explain why using complete sentences with specific details.
The particles are moving around in a random motion. They do not stay close to each other for very long and move freely throughout the whole system. This behavior is characteristic of a gas.
Make a change(s) that cause the molecules to behave more like a liquid without changing the particle
diameter or the temperature of the system. Describe with complete sentences and specific details
why the behavior of the system after your changes is more like a liquid.
To make the molecules behave more like a liquid, I changed the potential energy of the particles from 0.039 to 0.300 eV. It takes more energy to separate two particles
in a liquid than it does in a gas. The particles in a liquid are closer together and exhibit more attractive forces than a gas. This is supported by the change to 0.30 eV
required to move from equilibrium distance to two separated particles.
Repeat the above for a solid.
To make a solid, I changed the potential energy to 0.600 eV. Now, the energy required to separate two particles is greater than would be needed to separate two particles of
a liquid or gas. Once again, the particles of a solid are more closely packed together than those of a liquid or gas; therefore, they exhibit stronger attractive forces between
each particle.
Save the page in the following format: "2013-0916_LastName-Phases". Click on "Webspace" above and
"Submit Current Page" to submit your work before you leave tonight.16true16true16true1616255 0 25516255 0 25516255 0 25516255 0 25516true16true16true16trueorg.concord.mw2d.activity.AtomContainer2013-0916Phases$0.mml16true16true16true16161616true16true16true16true16161616true16true16true16true16true16true