The work investigating bonding and intermolecular forces is built upon the Atomic Interactions simulation develop by PhET Interactive Simulations.
Learning Objectives
Students should be able to:
- Explain how subatomic particles lead to attractions between two atoms
- Use potential energy to explain the energy changes associated with the breaking and forming of covalent bonds and intermolecular forces
- Explain how both strength of interaction and distance between interacting atoms are represented on potential energy well diagrams
Instructional Materials
- PhET Atomic Interactions simulation
- Screencast; enhanced screencast (includes additional content about bond energies)
- Pretest (email to request a copy)
- Simulation assignment
- Screencast assignment
- Enhanced screencast assignment
- Enhanced Screencast as a Google form (this link will make a copy for you)
- Alignment of pretest and assignment/follow-up questions (email to request a copy)
Further information about this simulation/assignment
In depth discussion of this work has been published by the Journal of Chemical Education.
