UTF-8Particle phase transitionsType your name here:
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 continuously bounce off of each other and off of the walls of the container in a random, ceaseless motion. By following one individual particle one will observe its velocity changes every time it hits a particle as both its direction and speed change. Observing the change of speed indicates that there is some kind of transfer from stored to kinetic energy (or visa versa) between the particles in the system. Because none of these particles ever come into contact with each other for more than a split second before separating it is known that the particles are in the gas state.
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.
By lowering the potential energy on the Lenard-Jones plot by a certain amount the particles will have a greater attraction towards one another. This causes the particles to form a mass that moves around the screen (liquid state). However, this mass is still in equilibrium with some particles in the gas state, which is evidenced by single particles bouncing around the screen, knocking (and sticking) to the liquid state, which knocks another particle off of the liquid mass.
Repeat the above for a solid.
When the energy is lowered as much as possible all of the particles appear to be in the solid state. They all "stick" to one another and move across the screen while vibrating. Also they are in a very ordered structure where all of the particles are packed together as tightly as possible. The reason why the mass of particles are not stationary is because there is already energy (heat) in the system to begin with. If the energy in the system can not be changed then it will not be possible to stop the solid from moving around the screen. A real life example to equate this to is jiggling Jell-O. Obviously, Jell-O is still in the solid state even when it is moving around, however it will only move if some outside force puts energy into it (shakes it).
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.true16true16true16161616255 0 25516255 0 25516255 0 255255 0 255true16true16true16org.concord.mw2d.activity.AtomContainer2013-0916_Smay-Phases$0.mmltrue16true16true16true1616true16true16true16true16true1616true16true16true16true16true16true16