Unit 8: States of Matter and Gas Laws

Day 4, February 18th

Topic(s) of the Day:
Pressure and average kinetic energy
Student Objectives:
Students should be able to define pressure and how we find it. Students should also
be able to define average kinetic energy and identify which material has a greater
average kinetic energy based on the temperature.

Activity

Questions

Standard/Learning Target

Learning check: States

of Matter

Draw in the box

below, the
arrangement of the
particles in the gas
phase.

*C2.2B: Describe the

various states of matter in
terms of the motion and
arrangement of the
molecules (atoms) making
up the substance.
*C2.2A: Describe
conduction in terms of
molecules bumping into
each other to transfer
energy. Explain why there
is better conduction in
solids and liquids than
gases.
C2.2c: Explain changes in
pressure, volume, and
temperature for gases
using the kinetic molecular
model.

Which state of
matter transfers
heat (conducts) the
fastest? Why?

Journal #1: Pressure,

Volume, Temperature

Think back to when

you and your
classmates were
particles. Compare the
amount of space you
occupied as
particles when you
were a solid, liquid, or
gas (A corner of the
classroom? The whole
classroom?)

Thinking back to the

crushing of the pop
can yesterday, what
were the major
factors that caused

the crushing? How

did these factors
affect the crushing?
How do we define
these factors?
Do any of these
factors seem to be
linked together?
Does one thing
happening seem to
cause another thing
to happen?
Pressure

Ellen video

High heels vs. flat

shoes

Food Dye Demo

Food dye in cold water

vs. hot water

Heat

What is pressure?
When have you
experienced
pressure?
Why can Ellen lay on
a bed of nails but a
balloon or apple
cannot?
Have you ever been
stepped on by a
high heel? How
badly does it hurt?
Does it hurt as bad
as being stepped on
by a boot? Why or
why not?
Predict: If I put food
dye in cold water
and hot water will it
diffuse at the same
rate? Why or why
not?
What did you
observe?
What explanation
can we give for our
observations?
Which particles were
moving faster?
What is heat?

Average Kinetic Energy

Examples:
Wood vs. Metal
Food dye

Notes:

What does heat do

to particles?
What is cold? What
does cold do to
particles?
What is kinetic
energy?
What is average
kinetic energy?
What is it dependent
on?
Which molecules
have a greater
average kinetic
energy, molecules at
a high temperature
or a low
temperature?
Which has the
greater average
kinetic energy at the
temperatures given?

C2.2f: Compare the

average kinetic energy of
the molecules in a metal
object and a wood object
at room temperature.