Learn how to generate and interpret the heating curves of ethanol and water. Discover how to relate heating curve data to the recorded observations of the substance on heating and determine the physical properties from the generated curve.
University / College
High School
This short, targeted simulation is adapted from the full-length “Matter and Phase Changes: Distil ethanol” simulation.
Heating curves aren’t like any other graphs, they have a story to tell about a substance. In this simulation, you will be generating the heating curve for water and ethanol through a small experiment of your own. You will observe the substance upon heating and correlate these observations to the data recorded on the heat curve. Will you be able to identify the physical properties of ethanol and water from the heating curve?
Get familiar with the three states of matter
Look closely at three examples of elements each in a different state of matter: solid, liquid or gas. Familiarise yourself with the difference between the three through these physical examples before moving on to examining the physical changes of a substance from one state of matter to another.
Generate heating curves
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you are ready to learn about additional aspects of phase changes: Specific heat, latent heat, and pressure. You will utilize a temperature probe and a heat plate to generate a heating curve and then compare the heating curve of water, ethanol, and metal. By doing so, you will be able to decode the meaning of each line of the heating curves.
Examine the heating curve closely through our interactive screen activity where you will get tested on each section of curve and what information this provides on the physical properties of the substance.
Learn about phase changes
Did you know that heating curves and phase changes are related? Learn how to identify the phase changes of each substance through the physical property observations and understand the science behind the phase change from solid to liquid and a liquid to a gas.
Discover how heating curves indicate the temperatures at which these phase changes occur.
Will you be able to generate the heating curve of a substance with the understanding of how this relates to the occurring phase changes?
Length:
15
mins
Accessibility mode:
Available
Languages:
English (United States)
At the end of this simulation, you will be able to:
Explain solid, liquid, and gas states in terms of particle interaction and bonding energy
Describe and explain the characteristics of a phase change
Read a phase diagram and explain each region
Interpret a heating curve of a given substance
Explain the difference between a heating curve and a phase diagram, and the difference between specific heat and latent heat
At the end of this simulation, you will be able to:
University
NGSS
IB
AP
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