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Thermal Energy

Lesson 3.3: Temperature Change and Equilibrium

Lesson purpose: for students to see that because the total energy of a system doesn’t change, the equilibrium temperature of a system is defined by both its total kinetic energy (thermal energy) and its number of molecules

Please refer to this lesson’s Materials & Preparation section in the digital Teacher’s Guide or the print Teacher’s Guide for information about preparing to teach this lesson, including any applicable safety notes. Below are links to the resources used in this lesson.

Thermal Energy Simulation

Dumpling Dilemma: Oil or Water?

Printable article: “Dumpling Dilemma: Oil or Water?”

Whiteboard Reference for Demo

Planning and Conducting Investigations of Thermal Energy Transfer copymaster

Rubrics for Assessing Students’ Investigations of Thermal Energy Transfer

Thermal Energy Investigation Notebook, pages 76–82

Thermal Energy Glossary

Thermal Energy Multi-Language Glossary

Note: These materials are made available exclusively for use by students and teachers for whom the corresponding materials have been purchased or licensed from Amplify. Any alterations you make should only be shared within your own school or district. Any other distribution or reproduction of these materials is forbidden without written permission from Amplify.

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Agree or disagree?

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Activity 1

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

These demonstration materials match the ones in the Warm-Up diagram.

I’ll put samples of hot water into containers filled with cold water.

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Activity 1

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

We’ll learn what determines how much something will change temperature.

What do you think will happen during the demo? Discuss your predictions from the Warm-Up.

👉Teacher action:

Allow a few minutes for partners to discuss.

� On-the-Fly Assessment 10: �Predicting Stability and Change in Systems with Different-Sized Samples�Look for: As students discuss their Warm-Up predictions, listen for students to accurately predict how the samples in the two systems will change and when they will reach equilibrium. Students can demonstrate their understanding of the crosscutting concept of Stability and Change by making the claim that these systems both reach a stable state. Students show this by agreeing with Statements 1 and 2, that the cup in each system will reach the same temperature as the bowl in the system. Students with an incomplete understanding of the crosscutting concept may say that stability is reached when the objects in each system still have different temperatures, or that energy transfer will continue past the equilibrium point.

Look for students to show their understanding of Level 3 content by making predictions that recognize the point at which the system reaches a stable state depends on the number of molecules that make up each object in the system. Students may demonstrate this by disagreeing with and refuting Statement 3, that all the samples in both systems will reach the same temperature. Students who discuss this show their facility with the crosscutting concept by noting that one system will undergo more change than the other due to the size difference of the components of the system. This reflects Level 3 knowledge that the variable of the number of molecules affects the degree of change of each sample as kinetic energy transfers. Students will accurately demonstrate knowledge of Level 3 concepts by predicting that the equilibrium temperature of System Y will be higher than that of System X. Students might also say that both of the samples will continue to change until they eventually reach equilibrium at room temperature; that is also an acceptable answer that demonstrates an understanding of stability. Students who do not understand the concepts of stability, change, and equilibrium may answer that the samples will keep changing or that the samples will stop changing at different temperatures. A common alternate conception students may hold is that energy will continue to transfer until each of the two objects has the same total thermal energy as the other. Students should acknowledge that total thermal energy affects the equilibrium point, but the system reaches a stable state when the objects have the same average kinetic energy (temperature).

�Now what? Take note of any students who seem to hold alternate conceptions when making their predictions. Have several students, including ones who hold alternate conceptions, share their predictions with the whole class. Do not correct students at this time. Allow them to compare their predictions to their results later in the lesson. Before moving on to the next activity, reinforce the crosscutting concepts by reviewing with students how they will be able to tell that the system has reached a stable state. As students progress through the demo and the Sim activities, have students compare their original predictions to the results, and explain to their partners whether their predictions were correct or not, and why.

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

In the Sim, you’ll model the Thermal Energy and Size Demo by running two tests, each representing one of the systems in the demonstration.

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

You’ll measure the starting and ending temperature and the starting and ending thermal energy for both samples and systems and record it in these data tables.

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Thermal Energy Sim

Open the:

10 MIN

Thermal Energy: Lesson 1.3

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In both systems, how did the starting thermal energy compare to the ending thermal energy of the system?

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Which system reached a higher equilibrium temperature?

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Why do you think this system reached equilibrium at a higher temperature?

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

Let’s see what happens with the temperature of the water in the two systems.

SAFETY NOTE:�Hot water should not exceed 48ºC due to burn risk and the possibility of the plastic cup melting.

👉Teacher action:

Gather your materials and conduct the Thermal Energy and Size Demo:

If students are assisting you, call them up now. Make sure students read the thermometers correctly each time they check temperatures throughout the demo.
Take the temperature of the cold water and record it in the Starting Temperature column for Container X and Container Y.
Fill each container with 100 ml of the cold water, using a graduated cylinder to measure the water.
Take the temperature of the hot water and record it in the Starting Temperature column for Cup X and Cup Y.
Fill Cup X with 100 ml of hot water and Cup Y with 300 ml of hot water.
Place Cup X in Container X and Cup Y in Container Y.
Place a thermometer in each cup and one in each container.
Set a timer for 5 minutes.
Inform students that you will continue to check and record the temperatures of the systems every five minutes until the systems come to equilibrium. If you are using student assistants, let them know that when the timer goes off they should read the thermometers and fill out the class data table on the board.
Use the next slide to have pairs briefly discuss their predictions.

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

What do you think will happen with the two systems during the next five minutes?

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

We’ll record the results of the Thermal Energy and Size Demo in this data table.

	Starting Temperature	Temperature (5 min)	Temperature �(10 min)	Temperature �(15 min)
Cup X
Container X
Cup Y
Container Y

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

You’ll now use the Sim to gather more evidence to answer our question:

Investigation Question:�What determines how much something will change temperature?

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

Why did Cup Y and Container Y end with a higher equilibrium temperature than Cup X and Container X?

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Energy and Matter

Key Concept

Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

6.

(Revised) Energy isn’t created or destroyed. Therefore, as energy transfers, it increases in one part of the system as it decreases in another part of the system. The total energy of a system doesn’t change.

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

What might explain the differences between the demo results and the Sim results?

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

Now, let’s try to answer our question based on evidence from the demo and the Sim.

Investigation Question:�What determines how much something will change temperature?

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

Let’s think about how the amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a sample could depend on the environment.

How might the results of the demo be different if it were conducted in the refrigerator?

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Activity 2

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

Now, let’s think about how the results of the demo would be different if different materials were used.

What would we have observed if foam cups were used instead of plastic cups?

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Activity 3

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

We’ve been working toward figuring out which heating system will warm the air in the school more.

You’re now ready to receive a piece of evidence that will help you answer this question. Let’s look at some evidence about the size of the water tanks.

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Activity 3

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

In the Sim, we can test how much the water heater system and the groundwater system will warm the school since a large sample has three times as many molecules as a small sample.

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Activity 3

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

Which system do you think will warm the school more?

Consider the differences in temperature and tank size.

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Activity 3

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

You know the temperature of the school, the temperature of the water used by both systems, and the relative size of the tanks used by each system.

You can use the Sim to set up tests using these values.

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Activity 3

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

You’ll run two separate tests, one for each system, and then record your results in the data table.

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Based on your findings in the Sim, which system will warm the school more during the winter? Why will this heating system warm the school more?

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Activity 3

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

Let’s eliminate one of the systems.

Based on these findings, explain which system you would recommend to the principal and why.

🍐 This is a Pear Deck Text Slide
🍐 To edit the type of question, go back to the "Ask Students a Question" in the Pear Deck sidebar.
🙋Students may respond:
The groundwater system will warm the school more because it is able to transfer more total kinetic energy. It is able to transfer more total kinetic energy because it has more total kinetic energy to transfer. This is because it is made up of more molecules, and each additional molecule increases the total kinetic energy of the system.
👉Teacher action:
Eliminate the water heater system as an option for warming the school. Clarify that the groundwater system is the better heating option. Refer to students’ Sim results and the demonstration as needed to clarify questions that students still have.
💬Suggested teacher talk:
In the next lesson, you’ll write your recommendation to the principal, explaining why he should choose the groundwater heating system. You will need to use all of the evidence you’ve gathered so far to make your reasoning clear and persuasive.
👉Teacher action (to introduce the homework):�If needed, make additional time to go over the homework. If students do not have access to Amplify Science at home, provide them with the print resources listed below.
Revisiting the Anticipation Guide activity: Investigation Notebook page 81
Reading “Dumpling Dilemma: Oil or Water?” activity: Investigation Notebook page 82 and the ““Dumpling Dilemma: Oil or Water?” article

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Activity 4 - Screen 1

Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

For this activity, you will:

revisit the Anticipation Guide�
read an article about thermal energy transfer

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“Dumpling Dilemma: Oil or Water?”

Open the article:

Thermal Energy: Lesson 1.3

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What are two reasons why dumplings cook faster in oil than in water?

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What is something new you learned about temperature and thermal energy from reading this article?

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Thermal Energy: Lesson 3.3

End of Lesson

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