Unit 8 Plan

Part I: Information about the Lesson

Topic: Gas Laws
Generating Big Ideas
Abstract
I plan to teach the gas laws including Boyles Law, Charles Law, Gay-Lussacs Law, and the Combined Gas Law. As well as the
states of matter and the concept of average kinetic energy.
What are the underlying big ideas?
Gas Laws are important to study because we come across gas laws in action in our everyday life. For example, we notice that in the
winter when the temperature drops our car or bike tires lose pressure in them and we must fill them up. Or we notice if we put hot
food in a Tupperware container, seal it and put it in the fridge when we try to open it later it is hard to pry it open. On a larger scale,
tanker car workers must know the proper way to steam clean their tankers so the tanker doesnt implode. All of these are affected by
the relationship between the gas laws (pressure, volume, and temperature).
Phenomenon:
A phenomenon than can be used in order for students to understand gas laws better is the even of the tanker car crushing. The
scenario is that the tanker car was steam cleaned, all the valves were shut, and was left to sit overnight. The next morning the
workers came back and they watched as the tanker car promptly crushed or imploded. The students would have to use their
evidence and knowledge of the gas laws in order to explain why the tanker car crushed. The students would have to think about what
is happening on the inside and outside of the tanker and what all the factors are that lead to the crushing.
What does success for students look like?
Success for students in this specific scenario should look like the students being able to use the relationship between pressure,
temperature, and volume in order to explain what is happening to the tanker on the inside and the outside that causes it to crush.
They should understand that temperature is changing overnight, which then affects the molecules within the tanker, therefore
affecting the pressure. They should be able to use evidence from labs, activities, and demos seen in class in order to backup their
claims and come to a conclusion for why the tanker imploded. After they are able to come to a conclusion from their scenario, they
should then be able to explain other similar situations. For example, why a pop can crushes when its turned over in cold water after
water inside of it has been boiled or why a bike tire goes flat in the winter.

Objectives for Student Learning

Michigan Objectives
C2.2B: Describe the various states of matter in terms of the motion and arrangement of the molecules
(atoms) making up the substance.
C4.3B: Recognize that solids have a more ordered, regular arrangement of their particles than liquids
and that liquids are more ordered than gases.
C3.3A: Describe how heat is conducted in a solid.
C2.2A: Describe conduction in terms of molecules bumping into each other to transfer energy.Explain why there is
better conduction in solids and liquids than gases.
C2.2f: Compare the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a metal object and a wood object at
room temperature.
C2.2c: Explain changes in pressure, volume, and temperature for gases using the kinetic molecular
model.
C4.5a: Provide macroscopic examples, atomic and molecular explanations, and mathematical
representations (graphs and equations) for the pressure-volume relationship in gases.
C4.5b: Provide macroscopic examples, atomic and molecular explanations, and mathematical
representations (graphs and equations) for the pressure-temperature relationship in gases.
C4.5c: Provide macroscopic examples, atomic and molecular explanations, and mathematical
representations (graphs and equations) for the temperature-volume relationship in gases

NGSS Performance Expectations & Evidence Statements

HS-PS1-5 Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing
the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.

Part III: Fleshed Out Summary Table (This should include materials for each activity/lesson for
example, a copy of the lab, a link to the simulation, the exact pages for the reading, a link to the video, a copy of the
worksheet)

Activity/Lesson

Observations

Why?

Link to Anchoring
Phenomenon: Tanker car

Marshmallow vs. Pebble

As we increased the volume

in the syringe, the
marshmallow got bigger. As
we decreased the volume in
the syringe, the
marshmallow got smaller.
Changing the volume did not
affect the pebble.
Evidence of a change in
pressure is from the
marshmallow getting bigger
or smaller as we changed
the volume.
When volume increases,
pressure decreases.

Pressure decreases when

volume increases because
the is the same number of
molecules in the syringe
(sealed), but the molecules
now have more room to
move around and this
causes less collisions with
the container. Collisions
cause pressure, so with less
collisions, then we have less
pressure. Evidence of this is
seen through the
marshmallow being able to
expand with more volume
because theres less
pressure being put on it.

The tanker car also has the

same number of molecules
throughout the entire
process (sealed). The only
time theres a volume
change is when the tanker is
crushed. Assuming the
tanker is still sealed, the
pressure should be greater
within the tanker than it was
before the change in
volume. Assuming the
tanker is no longer sealed,
the pressure should be the
same on the inside as the
atmospheric pressure.

Expanding Balloon

As we sucked air out of the

flask, the balloon was able
to expand. We removed
molecules from inside the
flask, which caused the
balloon to expand. The
balloon expanding is
evidence that pressure is
changing within the flask,
specifically decreasing.
Therefore, as # of molecules
decreases, the pressure
decreases.

The pressure decreases

with a decrease in number
of molecules because there
are less molecules in the
container therefore less
collisions are able to happen
against the container. With
less collisions, we know that
there has to be less
pressure.

The tanker had the same

number of molecules
throughout the entire
process, but if it didnt, we
could increase or decrease
the pressure inside the
tanker.

Balloon in Flask

As we decreased the
temperature in the flask, the
balloon went into the flask.
As we increased the
temperature in the flask, the
balloon expanded. The
balloon expanding and
deflating is evidence of a
pressure change. Therefore,
as temperature decreases,
pressure decreases.

Pressure decreases with a

decrease in temperature
because molecules move
slower at a lower
temperature. With the
molecules moving slower,
there are less collisions
within the container and
therefore less pressure. If
we increase the
temperature, the molecules
begin to move faster and
therefore create more
collisions, which causes an
increase in pressure.

Part IV: Assessment of Students

Assessment Tasks
Assessment
Task

Description of Assessment (including exact wording where possible)

In the tanker, the pressure

started off high due to the
steam. Therefore, the
molecules were moving
quickly within the tanker,
increasing the number of
collisions and giving the
inside of the tanker a high
pressure. As the
temperature inside the
tanker cooled overnight, the
molecules began to slow
down and less collisions
were made, which then
decreased the pressure in
the tanker. The pressure
outside of the tanker
remained the same though
and therefore was able to
win against the pressure
on the inside therefore
causing the tanker to crush.

PhET
Simulation

Initial Models

1.
2.
3.
4.

What can we conclude about the relationship between volume and pressure? Why?
What can we conclude about the relationship between temperature and pressure? Why?
What can we conclude about the relationship between # molecules and pressure? Why?
What can we conclude about the relationship between volume and temperature? Why?
What causes the tanker car to crush?

Summative Assessments
Assessment
Task

Description of Assessment (including exact wording where possible)

Final Models

What causes the tanker car to crush?

Pop Can
Explanation

What causes the pop can to crush? Give a detailed explanation including all factors that affect the
crushing and provide evidence for each claim you make based on activities and labs we did in class.

Unit Test

__ 1. (1 point) The molecules of a substances are ordered, close together, and vibrating closely. What state of
matter would this substance be in?
a. Solid
c. Gas

b. Liquid
d. Plasma

__ 2. (1 point) The molecules of another substance are close together, moving freely, and disordered. What state
of matter would this substance be in?
a. Solid
c. Gas

b. Liquid
d. Plasma

__3. (3 points). Draw a representation of each phase of matters molecular arrangement. (use circles to
represent molecules) Write the name of each phase of matter in the corresponding spaces below.

Phase of matter: _____________

_____________

_____________

__ 4. (2 points) How is heat conducted in a solid? Be as specific as you can.

__ 5. (1 pt) This graph depicts the relationship in gases between...?
a. P and V
a and c

b. P and T
g. none of these

c. V and T

d. b and c

e. a and b

f.

e. a and b

f.

__ 6. (1 pt) This graph depicts the relationship in gases between...?

a. P and V
a and c

b. P and T
g. none of these

c. V and T

d. b and c

__ 7. (1 point) How would we describe why pressure increases (P) as volume decreases (V), assuming
temperature stays constant?
a. V means less gas per area

b. V means more collisions per smaller area

c. V molecules move more

d. V means gas molecules stop colliding

__ 8. (1 point) How would we describe why volume increases (V) as temperature increases (T), assuming
pressure stays constant?
a. T means greater kinetic energy and less forceful collisions
b. T means the molecules are getting bigger
c. T means the molecules have more kinetic energy, and so are further apart
d. T means there are more molecules
__ 9. (1 point) How would we describe why pressure increases (P) as temperature increases (T), assuming
volume stays constant?
a. T means greater kinetic energy and more forceful collisions in same area
b. T means the molecules are getting bigger in same area
c. T means the molecules have stronger attractive forces
d. T means there are less molecules
__ 10. (2 points) Why is there better conduction in solids than in gases? Be as specific as you can.
__ 11. (2 points) Compare the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a metal object and a wood object both
at room temperature (25 degrees celsius).
__ 12.(3 points) If a 300 ml sample of gas at 6.0 atm decreased in volume to 100 ml, what would be the new
pressure?
(Show your WORK or thinking for FULL credit)

__ 13. (3 points) If a 400 ml sample of gas at 150 K decreased in volume to 200 ml, what would be the new
temperature? (Show your WORK or thinking for FULL credit)
__ 14. (3 points) If a sample of gas at 10 atm and 100 K increased in temperature to 500 K, what would be the

new pressure?

(Show your WORK or thinking for FULL credit)

__ 15. (4 points) A gas in a sealed flexible container has a volume of 6.0 L at 1.0 atm and 900.K What is the gas
pressure after cooling to 300.K in 1.0 L? (Show your WORK or thinking for FULL credit)
__ 16. (4 points) A gas in a sealed flexible container has a volume of 24.0 L at 3.0 atm and 450.K What is the
gas volume when the pressure is increased to 12.0 atm at 150 K? (Show your WORK or thinking for FULL
credit)
FOR EXTRA CREDIT:

Show your WORK for credit.

__ 17. (2 points) Assuming a gas under ideal conditions when PV=nRT, how many moles (n) of gas would be
necessary to fill 111 L, under 2.2 atm, at 555 K? (R=0.082 L atm / mol K)