GIZMOS Student Exploration Diffusion
Name: Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Student Exploration: Diffusion
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: absolute zero, controlled experiment, diffusion, dynamic equilibrium, Kelvin scale, kinetic energy
Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Have you ever smelled microwave popcorn? The oddly enticing scent can fill a whole house.
How do you think the smell of popcorn spreads through the air?
Through the process of diffusion, the particles of the smell
spreads around the house by bouncing off the walls, traveling
from a high concentration to a low.
Gizmo Warm-up
Smells are carried by tiny particles that move through the air. The
Diffusion Gizmo shows gas particles in a chamber that is divided into
two regions by a partial wall. Click Play ( ) and observe.
1. Describe the motion of the gas particles.
The motion of the gas particles in region A are moving fast and bounce back off the
partial wall until they get into region B. They still continue to bounce back and forth into
region A and B.
2. Over time, what is happening?
The amount of gas particles in each region is starting to balance out with each other
gradually.
This process, in which particles move from an area of high concentration (region A) to an area of low
concentration (region B), is called diffusion.
3. Select the BAR CHART tab, and observe the chart for a few minutes. After the first 30 seconds or so,
how much do the numbers of particles in each region change?
The number of particles in region A is gradually lowering from 50 to 38 in just around 30
seconds. At the 30 seconds mark region A has 38 particles and region B has 12. Just
by this observation, I can tell that around the 60 second mark the number of particles in
region A and B are going to be very similar.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
, When the numbers don’t change much, the particles are said to be in dynamic equilibrium.
4. Click Pause ( ), and select the GRAPH tab. What does the graph tell you about the number of
particles in region A?
When I clicked pause at 30 seconds, I can tell that number of particles in region A is
constantly decreasing for the most part. Throughout the 30 seconds the number of
particles in region A do increase a few times; overall as seconds go by the number of
particles in region A are decreasing.
Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Temperature and ● Click Reset ( ).
diffusion ● Set the Wall t o 100%.
Introduction: In this Gizmo, temperature is measured on the Kelvin scale. On this scale, 0 K represents
absolute zero, the coldest possible temperature. Water freezes at 273.15 K (0 °C), and water boils at 373.15
K (100 °C).
Question: How does temperature affect the rate of diffusion?
1. Observe: Set the temperature (Temp.) to 100 K, and press Play. Observe the motion of particles. Click
Reset. Then set the temperature to 600 K, click Play, and observe.
How does the temperature of the gas relate to the motion of the particles?
When the temp is set to 100k the particles move around slower compared to when I set it to
600k, they move around faster. Therefore the hotter the temp is, the faster the particles
move.
The temperature of a gas is a measure of the average kinetic energy of a set of particles. Kinetic energy
(KE) depends on the velocity and mass of the particles (KE = mv2 / 2).
2. Form hypothesis: How do you think temperature will affect the rate of diffusion?
When the temperature rises, the kinetic energy of the particles increase. The faster motion
of the particles causes them to diffuse at a faster rate. Therefore, when the temperature is
higher, the faster the particles will diffuse compared to a lower temperature.
3. Experiment: Click Reset. Set the Wall to 50%, x in A to 100, y in B to 0, Temp. to 100 K, and Particle
mass to 15 amu (atomic mass units). Select the TABLE tab. Press Play.
Click Pause when x in A first reaches 55% or below. Record this Time to reach equilibrium in the left
table below.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
Name: Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Student Exploration: Diffusion
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: absolute zero, controlled experiment, diffusion, dynamic equilibrium, Kelvin scale, kinetic energy
Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Have you ever smelled microwave popcorn? The oddly enticing scent can fill a whole house.
How do you think the smell of popcorn spreads through the air?
Through the process of diffusion, the particles of the smell
spreads around the house by bouncing off the walls, traveling
from a high concentration to a low.
Gizmo Warm-up
Smells are carried by tiny particles that move through the air. The
Diffusion Gizmo shows gas particles in a chamber that is divided into
two regions by a partial wall. Click Play ( ) and observe.
1. Describe the motion of the gas particles.
The motion of the gas particles in region A are moving fast and bounce back off the
partial wall until they get into region B. They still continue to bounce back and forth into
region A and B.
2. Over time, what is happening?
The amount of gas particles in each region is starting to balance out with each other
gradually.
This process, in which particles move from an area of high concentration (region A) to an area of low
concentration (region B), is called diffusion.
3. Select the BAR CHART tab, and observe the chart for a few minutes. After the first 30 seconds or so,
how much do the numbers of particles in each region change?
The number of particles in region A is gradually lowering from 50 to 38 in just around 30
seconds. At the 30 seconds mark region A has 38 particles and region B has 12. Just
by this observation, I can tell that around the 60 second mark the number of particles in
region A and B are going to be very similar.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
, When the numbers don’t change much, the particles are said to be in dynamic equilibrium.
4. Click Pause ( ), and select the GRAPH tab. What does the graph tell you about the number of
particles in region A?
When I clicked pause at 30 seconds, I can tell that number of particles in region A is
constantly decreasing for the most part. Throughout the 30 seconds the number of
particles in region A do increase a few times; overall as seconds go by the number of
particles in region A are decreasing.
Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Temperature and ● Click Reset ( ).
diffusion ● Set the Wall t o 100%.
Introduction: In this Gizmo, temperature is measured on the Kelvin scale. On this scale, 0 K represents
absolute zero, the coldest possible temperature. Water freezes at 273.15 K (0 °C), and water boils at 373.15
K (100 °C).
Question: How does temperature affect the rate of diffusion?
1. Observe: Set the temperature (Temp.) to 100 K, and press Play. Observe the motion of particles. Click
Reset. Then set the temperature to 600 K, click Play, and observe.
How does the temperature of the gas relate to the motion of the particles?
When the temp is set to 100k the particles move around slower compared to when I set it to
600k, they move around faster. Therefore the hotter the temp is, the faster the particles
move.
The temperature of a gas is a measure of the average kinetic energy of a set of particles. Kinetic energy
(KE) depends on the velocity and mass of the particles (KE = mv2 / 2).
2. Form hypothesis: How do you think temperature will affect the rate of diffusion?
When the temperature rises, the kinetic energy of the particles increase. The faster motion
of the particles causes them to diffuse at a faster rate. Therefore, when the temperature is
higher, the faster the particles will diffuse compared to a lower temperature.
3. Experiment: Click Reset. Set the Wall to 50%, x in A to 100, y in B to 0, Temp. to 100 K, and Particle
mass to 15 amu (atomic mass units). Select the TABLE tab. Press Play.
Click Pause when x in A first reaches 55% or below. Record this Time to reach equilibrium in the left
table below.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
