Name: ______________________________________ LM: ________________________
Student Exploration: Diffusion
Vocabulary: absolute zero, controlled experiment,
Your textdiffusion,
here 1 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?
it spreads because the popcorn scent has diffusion in it so the scent expands throughout the air
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.
They move in a straight line until they hit something and bounce off.
2. Over time, what is happening?
The particles X and Y are going up and down they keep fluctuating
, 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 gas particles are trying to become dynamic equilibrium but there numbers are
changing from 24 to 27
When the numbers in each region become nearly equal, 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?
That there is 25 particles in region a
Student Exploration: Diffusion
Vocabulary: absolute zero, controlled experiment,
Your textdiffusion,
here 1 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?
it spreads because the popcorn scent has diffusion in it so the scent expands throughout the air
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.
They move in a straight line until they hit something and bounce off.
2. Over time, what is happening?
The particles X and Y are going up and down they keep fluctuating
, 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 gas particles are trying to become dynamic equilibrium but there numbers are
changing from 24 to 27
When the numbers in each region become nearly equal, 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?
That there is 25 particles in region a
