Names_______________________________________________
Go to http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/gas-properties
Click on Run Now! Click OK to allow Java
1.
Familiarize yourself with the controls for the simulation. Use the pump to put a gas into the box. Change from heavy particles to light particles. Use the little guy on the left side to change the pressure. Use the heat or cool control on the bottom.
You can remove the lid, you may have blown it off with some of the other controls. a.
Observe gas particles’ behavior. Pump in some lighter particles and discuss about the similarities and differences that you see between heavy and light particles. b.
Use the simulation to see, and then explain how changing the temperature affects the behavior of the gas particles. c.
Use the simulation to see, and then explain how changing the pressure affects the behavior of the gas particles.
2.
How fast do you think the air particles in this room are moving compared to a car going 50 mph (about 22m/s)? a gas molecule travels _______ as fast as a car
3.
Using the simulation, test your idea from question 2, click on measurement tools, and check species information.

4.
Click on pressure in the constant parameter box in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Pull the little guy to the left of the box back. What happens? Explain why using Boyle’s law.
5.
Click on pressure in the constant parameter box in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Slide the heat control to add and to remove. What happens? Explain why using Charles’ law.
6.
Comparing the rates of effusion. Check the none box in constant parameter. Add heavy and light particles to the simulation. Record the number of each particle in the container. Open the box lid slightly and watch for effusion. Record the number of heavy and light particles left at one minute intervals for 5 minutes.
Time
0 minutes
1 minute
2 minutes
Heavy particles Light Particles
7.
Explain what effusion is, why it is occurring and why the one particle effuses faster than the other.
3 minutes
4 minutes
5 minutes

8.
Turn up the temperature in the box. How does this effect the rate of effusion.
Explain why.
9.
This simulation is missing the outside air. How would that change the effusion?
10.
Buoyancy- add heavy and light particles to the simulation and slide the gravity slider from 0 to lots. What happens? Explain why it is happening.