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Teacher Information for Phase Diagram Constructor
| Objective: |
Students will be able to construct a phase diagram and
understand the following concepts:
vaporization
condensation
melting
freezing
sublimation
deposition
triple point
critical point.
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| Indiana State Standards |
For physics, the supported standard is
 | P.1.3 Describe and apply the kinetic molecular theory
to the states of matter. |
This applet also supports the Chemistry Standard
| C.1.26 Describe physical changes and properties of
matter through sketches and descriptions of the involved materials. |
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| Pedagogical Value |
Students are often presented with a phase diagram and
then expected to be able to interpret it and explain all the concepts
embodied within it. Given time, however, students can use this
applet to help them construct a phase diagram, and in the process of
making the diagram many of the desired learning outcomes will be
discovered by the student. This is a constructivist approach will
allows the students to build their own knowledge and still achieves the
same learning objectives. |
| Suggested Activities |
- Click here to download a
blank graph to be used for this activity.
- Provide the student with a general overview:
basically that we are going to make a plot of the temperature (x-axis)
and the pressure (y-axis), and for each coordinate on the graph, we are
going to use the simulator to find out if the substance is a solid,
liquid or a gas at that pressure and temperature. Students can use
a color-code, such as blue for solid, green for liquid and red for gas,
and then proceed to determine the state of the substance for each point
on the entire graph.
- After they have been working a while - many will be
plotting random points - suggest that they start at a fixed pressure and
then change the temperature from 0 to 500, noting where the phase
changes. This will allow them to then 'color in' their graph much faster
because they will see that until some temperature T the substance is
always a solid, then it changes to a liquid. During this
process, they will begin to realize that the temperature T at which the
substance changes from solid to liquid is not the same; it changes as
the pressure changes.
- Provide them definitions for the following features
of the graph, or allow them to search for them on the internet to
discern their meaning. Have them then label their phase diagrams,
showing where each feature is located and possibly explaining what it
means.
vaporization
condensation
melting
freezing
sublimation
deposition
triple point
critical point.
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