Cooling curve: practical
I can conduct an investigation to create and analyse cooling curves and identify where state changes are happening on temperature vs time graphs.
Cooling curve: practical
I can conduct an investigation to create and analyse cooling curves and identify where state changes are happening on temperature vs time graphs.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- State changes are visible as plateaus on cooling curves.
- As it cools, a substance transfers energy into the surroundings by heating and it may condense or freeze.
- Energy is released to the surroundings as a substance cools and this is observed as a decrease in substance temperature.
- Graphs provide a visual representation of data for easier analysis and help identify trends/patterns.
Common misconception
All substances freeze when really cold, like water.
Show state changes using particle diagrams / kinetic energy model. Challenge pupils to identify state given real world temperature data.
Keywords
Plateau - A plateau is a section of a graph that does not change value (stays at the same level for a period of time).
Melting point - The melting point of a substance is the temperature at which it changes from solid state to a liquid state.
Freezing - Freezing is the process of a substance changing from a liquid state to a solid state.
Temperature - Measured using a thermometer (commonly in °C). Temperature is an indirect measure of the energy of the particles in a substance.
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - equipment
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
particles have the strongest forces of attraction
particles have some (weakened) forces of attraction
particles have fully overcome forces of attraction