Gas Laws and how they relate to Scuba Diving

1. Gas Laws and how they relate to Scuba Diving Sheila Christel: Sheilaruns@AOL. COM Cranston West High School, Cranston RI Steve Rubenstein: Rubest@centennialsd.org William Tennent High School, Warminster, PA To be used as a practical introduction to the gas laws.

2. Introduction • These units will cover topics related to Gay Lussac Law, • Boyles’ Law and Charles’ Law. • They will enhance these traditional units through molecular • Simulations. • Students will have the opportunity to observe molecules in • Motion as opposed to conceptualizing this movement. • This simulation applies the practical application of scuba diving • To stimulate student interest in the topic.

3. Intended Audience This unit is intended for students enrolled in College Prep Chemistry or higher. This unit will satisfy many State Standards: 1.Apply concepts of models as a method to predict and understand science and technology. 2. Assess and apply patterns in science and technology. 3. Analyze scale as a way of relating concepts and ideas to one another by some measure. 4. Analyze and use the technological design process to solve problems. 5. Apply concepts about the structure and properties of matter. 6. Apply and analyze energy sources and conversions and their relationship to heat and temperature. 7. Apply the principles of motion and force.

4. While the unit will take additional time, the visualization of • Molecular interactions, the real life application, and the inquiry • Approach all justify the use of extra time. • Adoption of this unit will provide a clear basis for understanding • For all students. • This unit will enhance what is presently done in the classroom and • Is meant to be hands on though, can be adapted for use as an • Instructional tool using a projector. • This unit is intended to peak student interest and curiosity leading to • a better appreciation of nature.

5. Adjustment/Adaptation This introduction could readily be used to introduce the topic higher level students; both they an higher level students will respond to the relevant and interesting nature of the material. If a single computer with linkage to a large format projection Device is available, the simulations could be used. The Students would be able to obtain the data from a single Presentation. Independent research using the web would Distributing hard copies of the articles; alternative Assignments would need to be found for the group Extension research projects using VMDL.

6. Placement in the Curriculum This unit fits very nicely into the larger curriculum of the science Program. It seeks to have students understand nature in a Fundamental way; through the interaction of atoms and molecules. Simulations will explain, at the molecular level, what occurs in Wet labs. This simulation is not meant to replace wet labs. Students should have prior knowledge of matter, elements, compounds, phases of matter and metric units. Since this unit is meant to introduce gas laws, prior experiences should not be needed to use this simulation successfully.

7. Time This introduction could be accomplished in approximately Days depending on the schedule followed in you school. Several of the suggested projects could be eliminated to save Time if that were desired.

8. Resources • High School Text • http://www.howstuffworks.com/question101.htm • http://www.pilkguns.com/scuba.htm • http://www.space.gc.ca/csa_sectors/human_presence/ • astronauts/overview/looking/neemo/youth/gases/nitro • _abs/default.asp • http://gaia.fc.peachnet.edu/tutor/Basics-of-KMT.html

9. Electronic Equipment • 200 Mega hertz processor • 32 migabites or more is preferrable • PC or Mac computer(s) • 1 computer with projector and large screen for instructional • use only or, • 1 computer for every 2-4 students.

10. Goals and Objectives • Students will be able to draw and explain the difference • between the molecules of a solid, a liquid and a gas. • Students will be able to draw the difference between, a gas • dissolved in liquid, at depth, in the ocean vs upon ascent at • lower pressure and relate this to biological processes during • scuba diving. • 3. Students will be able to verbally and in written form, describe • the interactions between pressure, temperature and volume of • a gas.

11. Goals and Objectives 4. Students will demonstrate how a gas comes out of solution when pressure is reduced using a soda bottle. 5. Students will demonstrate a method of collecting air through water displacement to measure the amount of air in one breath and use a formula to calculate the working capacity of their lungs. 6. Students will demonstrate their increased knowledge of scuba diving and its dangers through reading supplementary materials and reporting on their findings. 7. Students will demonstrate their ability to simulate molecular motions and interactions through the use of the VMDL program and use it to make predictions about macroscopic events.

12. Assessment: Embedded assessments: Students will answer a variety of questions as they proceed through the unit. Questions range from description and drawings of observations to hypothesis formation to data analysis. Alternatively, more formal lab write Up could be required for some sections. Printed versions of the questions will facilitate their responses. Homework: Homework will include reading and responding to Questions from their texts, writing up some portions of the lab Work and written responses to supplementary articles that they will Obtain from the internet.

13. Extensions of Learning Students will be demonstrate their understanding of the effects of the solubility principles for gasses by developing programs to illustrate this using alternative VMDL programs or by manipulating data within the program we have suggested. Formal Assesment As this unit is intended as an introduction to the gas laws, formal Testing on the concepts would probably be delayed until the unit is Completed. Brief quizzes should test student knowledge of the unit objectives. Brief research projects from net sources are suggested in the project.