AACT Phase Changes and Heat Transfer Updated

As chemistry teachers around the country are planning activities for both distant and face-to-face learning, AACT will be highlighting resources from our high school resource library that can be used to reinforce topics in different units throughout the school year. We recently updated our Gas Laws unit and we are now moving on to resources that can be used to support a Phase Changes and Heat Transfer unit.

We have added a new multimedia resource related to this topic to the high school library, which is highlighted below. We have also updated our unit plan to help you teach an introductory unit on phase changes and heat transfer. In the sidebar of this page, we have included links to resources that are appropriate for virtual learning.

Specific Heat Capacity

In the Specific Heat Capacity simulation, students play the role of an engineer, deciding which materials are the best candidates for a building project. They calculate the specific heat capacity of various building to determine which ones meet the criteria for building an energy-efficient home. They then do a cost analysis to determine which material should be used for their project. The simulation includes a teacher guide, student activity sheet, and an answer key.

We hope that these resources can help you to reinforce several of the topics covered in a unit about phase changes and heat capacity. Most of these lessons were made possible by great teachers who shared their own resources. We need your help to keep the collection growing. Do you have a great demonstration, activity, or lesson related to this topic that you would like to share with the community? Please send it along for consideration.