Thermal physics and gases
What students will learn
Connect particle motion and gas states with thermal transfer, energy accounting, and the second law.
Before this topic
- Momentum and elastic collisions
- Pressure, kinetic energy, and system boundaries
- Kelvin temperature and proportional graphs
Read and connect
Read: Kinetic Theory of Temperature and Pressure →
Connect microscopic momentum changes with pressure, temperature, and a distribution of speeds.
Read: The Ideal Gas Law →
Use a stated ideal-gas model and controlled variables to relate pressure, volume, amount, and temperature.
Read: Thermal Energy Transfer and Equilibrium →
Distinguish thermal-transfer mechanisms and explain statistical approach to equilibrium.
Read: Specific Heat and Thermal Conductivity →
Separate specific heat from sample heat capacity and thermal conductivity from energy storage.
Read: The First Law of Thermodynamics →
Track heat and work in the first law and interpret complete pressure-volume paths.
Read: Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics →
Apply qualitative entropy reasoning to the isolated whole while allowing subsystem entropy changes.
Check understanding
Use the complete prompt to make student reasoning visible, then consult the separate worked reasoning and criteria. A reading completion tick records reading history.
Test gas-law graphs →
Construct and extrapolate a gas-thermometer graph, then choose controlled-variable plots for compression.
The zero-pressure intercept is an ideal-model extrapolation, not a procedure for cooling a real gas to zero pressure.
Plan and analyze calorimetry →
Design measurements for an unknown specific heat, use supplied data, examine uncertainty and cup heat capacity, and explain equilibration.
This task checks planning and supplied-data reasoning; it does not certify completion of a classroom experiment.
Standards and earlier reading lists
These topic placements organize reading. Edition-qualified Standards mappings and the existing complete unit task sets retain their reviewed scope.