Interactive

Charged and Neutral Atoms

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Do charged and neutral particles behave differently as they undergo phase changes? Science sleuths examine two types of attractive forces using an informative interactive. Pupils can vary the amount of Van der Waals attraction present between particles, as well as model the melting point and boiling point of these same particles in a charged state.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Make the interactive a part of a Coulomb's Law lesson to tackle the physical aspects of the law
  • Ask students to create a graph that illustrates temperature versus Van der Waals attraction for both neutral and charged particles
Classroom Considerations
  • Preface the activity by pointing out that the substance exists as a solid at the initial conditions
Pros
  • You can pause the interactive for closer examination
  • Users manipulate a sliding scale to make changes to the Van der Waals attraction within the substance, which allows them to observe a wider range of conditions
Cons
  • None