Activity Number 310

	Overview and Learning Objectives
	Classroom Practice
	Central Concepts
	Benchmarks and Standards
	Extensions and Connections
	Activity Credits
	Requirements

Atoms and Conservation of Energy (SAM)

Interactive, scaffolded model

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	Overview and Learning Objectives Students explore how the Law of Conservation of Energy (the First Law of Thermodynamics) applies to atoms as well as the implications of heating or cooling a system. This unit focuses on potential energy and kinetic energy as well as energy conservation. The goal is to apply what is learned to both our human scale world and the world of atoms and molecules. Students will be able to: • Differentiate between kinetic and potential energy. • Explain how kinetic energy can be converted to potential energy and vice versa. • Analyze energy graphs and the motion of objects in a system to learn about the Law of Conservation of Energy. • Apply the first Law of Thermodynamics when heating or cooling a system. • Differentiate between energy transfer in an open system and energy conversion. return to top



	Classroom Practice Teacher Guide http://sam.concord.org/publications/teacher-guides/atoms_energy.ver4.pdf return to top



	Central Concepts Key Concept: Additional Related Concepts Physics/Chemistry Energy Energy conservation Energy transfer Kinetic energy Potential energy return to top



	Benchmarks and Standards NSES Physical-Science: Energy Conservation / Entropy - 1 The total energy of the universe is constant (Full Text of Standard) Physical-Science: Energy Conservation / Entropy - 2 All energy can be considered to be either kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion; potential energy, which depends on relative position; or energy contained by a field, such as electromagnetic wave (Full Text of Standard) return to top



	Extensions and Connections Fermi Lab's ARISE shares the following suggestions to enhance the SAM unit: http://www.concord.org/~barbara/SAM/ARISE/ARISE_SAM_atoms_energy.pdf return to top



	Activity Credits Created by CC Project: SAM using Molecular Workbench return to top



	Requirements Java 1.5+ - Java 1.5+ is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X 10.4 and greater. If you are using Mac OS X 10.3, you can download MW Version 1.3 and explore within it instead. return to top

These materials are based upon work supported
by the National Science Foundation under grant numbers
9980620, ESI-0242701, EIA-0219345, DUE-0402553, and 0628181.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the National Science Foundation.

Atoms and Conservation of Energy (SAM)

Overview and Learning Objectives

Classroom Practice

Central Concepts

Additional Related Concepts

Benchmarks and Standards

Extensions and Connections

Activity Credits

Requirements