Procedures for demonstrating thermodynamic changes, kinetics and reaction mechanisms, equilibrium, and LeChatelier's principle are presented. The only materials needed for these demonstrations are beakers, water, assorted wooden blocks of varying thickness, assorted rubber tubing, and a sponge. The concepts illustrated in each demonstration are…

Describes an experiment to measure the thermal conductivity of some gases in an undergraduate physics laboratory using a hot wire method in the pressure range ten to one torr. (HM)

Presents experiments that use the Mattel's Hot Wheels Top Speed toy set to show that work is a measure of energy transferred to or from a system. (JRH)

An exercise that gives students a chance to use the equations of state for both an ideal gas and for an adiabatic process in determining the points at which heat flow reverses direction and at which the working substance reaches its maximum temperature is demonstrated. (KR)

An attempt to clarify the teaching of some of the concepts of thermodynamics through the observation of an experiment with an ordinary refrigeration system is presented. The cycle of operation in the refrigeration system and the individual processes in the cycle are described. (KR)

Presents an activity in which students attempt to keep water at a constant temperature. Helps students in grades three to six hone their skills in prediction, observation, measurement, data collection, graphing, data analysis, and communication. (JRH)

Discusses the Peltier, or thermoelectric effect, which provides a way of cooling a system by coupling it thermally to the junction of two materials suitably chosen, shaped, and connected to a d.c. current. Describes an apparatus which simply and inexpensively demonstrates this effect. (MLH)

Describes a series of educational and entertaining demonstrations using liquid nitrogen. (CP)

Describes an organic chemistry laboratory exercise which uses thermochromic compounds to study the thermodynamic effect of temperature on chemical equilbrium. (SL)

An experiment is described in which students in an introductory laboratory can determine all of the relevant energy flows of an ordinary household refrigerator. (Author/CP)

Discusses some of the misconceptions commonly held suggesting that mixing ideal gases causes an increase in entropy. Argues that the combining processes and resulting total pressure have absolutely nothing to do with the mixing itself. (TW)

Discusses the role of semiclassical theory in chemical physics both as a computational method and conceptual framework for interpreting quantum mechanical experiments and calculations. Topics covered include energy wells and eigenvalues, scattering, statistical mechanics and electronically nonadiabiatic processes. (JM)

Described is the use of an interactive terminal-oriented computing system that has access to files of thermodynamics data. (Author/SA)

Describes a typical relaxation kinetic experiment using a sudden increase in the temperature of the system. Time involved is described as minimal and the approach as quicker, more accurate, sensitive, and producing simultaneous determination of several thermodynamic parameters. (Author/SA)

Suggestions for the use of two different conventions in difference and rate terms in thermodynamics are made. It is shown how this approach lends itself to an accurate and concise discussion of function changes for a chemical reaction. (CW)