ASPIRE: Gas Particles in Motion
From the Physical Science Resource Center, this set of three online labs allows the student to perform virtual experiments and thereby investigate the relationships between volume, temperature, and pressure of a contained gas. This resource is most appropriate for freshmen physics. Lesson plans and ssessment ideas included. To begin to understand thermodynamics, the student must understand the behavior of an ideal gas under conditions of changing volume, pressure, and temperature. The relationship between temperature and internal energy is an especially important concept. Experimentation with a container of ideal gas, particularly one in which the student can "see" the molecular motion, can help the student develop a conceptual understanding of gas behavior and its relationship to measurable quantities such as pressure, volume, and temperature.
