The alternative conceptions that students hold put a brake on subsequent meaningful learning, and therefore, the identification of these wrong ideas is crucial for effective teaching and academic success. Undergraduate STEM students often perceive Chemical Thermodynamics as a difficult subject, in which entropy has been pointed out as a threshold…

In this article, we use a simple lattice model to illustrate the concepts of entropy, free energy, and thermodynamic equilibrium from a microscopic perspective. These physical concepts are based on elementary knowledge of discrete probability distribution and weighted average. Calculations about this model involve basic algebra and counting, which…

We describe an interactive module that can be used to teach basic concepts in electrochemistry and thermodynamics to first year natural science students. The module is used together with an experimental laboratory and improves the students' understanding of thermodynamic quantities such as ?rG, ?rH, and ?rS that are calculated but not directly…

Hydrogen bonds are very important chemical structures that are responsible for many unique and important properties of solvents, such as the solvation power of water. These distinctive features are directly related to the stabilization energy conferred by hydrogen bonds to the solvent. Thus, the characterization of hydrogen bond energetics has…

There is an increasing focus across all educational sectors to ensure that learning objectives are aligned with learning activities and assessments. An attractive approach previously published is that of curriculum alignment projects. This paper discusses the use of the fun and famous "Elephant's Toothpaste" experiment as a customizable…

A single equation of state (EOS) such as the Peng-Robinson (PR) EOS can accurately describe both the liquid and vapor phase. We present several applications of this equation of state, including estimation of pure component properties and computation of the vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) diagram for binary mixtures. We perform high-pressure…

Discusses that aspect of thermodynamics which is particularly important in chemical process design: the calculation of the equilibrium properties of fluid mixtures, especially as required in phase-separation operations. (MLH)

Describes an experiment in which gas viscosity coefficients over a large temperature range are used to determine the parameters of the intermolecular potential energy and other properties such as virial coefficients. (MLH)

Describes a new method for teaching the Second Law by way of the Carnot cycle. The two features of this method are that the isothermal process is considered first to establish some basic concepts, and then the nonisothermal cyclical process is introduced. (CS)

Discusses changes in freezing points and boiling points of solutions using simple concepts of thermodynamics to illustrate colligative properties. (MLH)

Describes an undergraduate physical chemistry experiment in phase equilibria which equilibrates potassium iodide solutions of known concentration with solid iodine. (MLH)

Discusses popular erroneous concepts about the thermodynamic standard state of substances, including the fact that standard state is often confused with the concepts of standard temperature and pressure. (MLH)

Describes the use of ethyl or methyl ethanoate mixed with trichloromethane to illustrate intermolecular forces and deviations from Raoult's Law. (MLH)

Chemical stoichiometry is discussed free from kinetic or thermodynamic considerations. The means for determining the following are presented: the number of stoichiometric degrees of freedom, the number of components, a permissible set of chemical equations, and a permissible set of components, for a closed system undergoing chemical reaction.…