Describes the working of the Adiabatic Gas Law Apparatus, a useful tool for measuring the pressure, temperature, and volume of a variety of gases undergoing compressions and expansions. Describes the adaptation of this apparatus to perform isothermal measurements and discusses the theory behind the adiabatic and isothermal processes. (JRH)

Kinetic versus thermodynamic control of product formation is discussed in undergraduate textbooks, and journal papers suggest suitable experiments to illustrate this concept. In rationalizing experimental observations, this paper offers a new alternative to that conventionally employed and provides students with an interesting exercise in…

Describes experiments designed to investigate the cooling rate of microwave-boiled water as compared to that of stove-boiled water. Concludes that within experimental limits, microwave-boiled water and stove-boiled water cool at the same rate. (JRH)

Presents a method to measure the mass of a definite amount of a gas that occupies a known volume at a given pressure in order to determine experimentally the root mean square speed of molecules of a gas. (JRH)

Describes a simple manual apparatus designed to serve as an effective demonstration of the differences between isothermal and adiabatic processes for the general or elementary physics student. Enables students to verify Boyle's law for slow processes and identify the departure from this law for rapid processes and can also be used to give a clear…

Describes an undergraduate physical chemistry experiment which demonstrates the principles of solution calorimetry and the entropy titration technique. (CS)

Presents a detailed discussion of the "Drinking Duck" toy and its use to illustrate scientific and technical issues in thermodynamics. Numerous illustrations and equations are included. (MA)

Background information, procedures used, and typical results obtained are provided for an experiment in which gas chromatography is used to prove the application of quantum symmetry restrictions in homonuclear diatomic molecules. Comparisons between experimental results and theoretical computed values show good agreement, within one to two…

Described is a demonstration utilized to measure the heat of vaporization using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Explained is that when measurement is made as part of a demonstration, it raises student's consciousness that chemistry is experimentally based. (Author/DS)

The different approaches to the generation of power from solar energy may be roughly divided into five categories: distributed collectors; central receivers; biomass; ocean thermal energy conversion; and photovoltaic devices. The first approach (distributed collectors) is the subject of this module. The material presented is designed to…

Discusses two different uses of information theory in chemistry to present entropy and chemical structure analysis. (GA)

Procedures for demonstrating thermodynamic changes, kinetics and reaction mechanisms, equilibrium, and LeChatelier's principle are presented. The only materials needed for these demonstrations are beakers, water, assorted wooden blocks of varying thickness, assorted rubber tubing, and a sponge. The concepts illustrated in each demonstration are…

Describes an experiment to measure the thermal conductivity of some gases in an undergraduate physics laboratory using a hot wire method in the pressure range ten to one torr. (HM)

Presents experiments that use the Mattel's Hot Wheels Top Speed toy set to show that work is a measure of energy transferred to or from a system. (JRH)

Describes an organic chemistry laboratory exercise which uses thermochromic compounds to study the thermodynamic effect of temperature on chemical equilbrium. (SL)