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Reading Apprenticeship Inspired Assignment or Lesson

Christa Fink, Chemistry Department, Cabrillo College

Molecular Polarity Phet Simulation



Purpose

This activity allows students to explore the concepts of molecular and bond polarity.  The simulation allows students to manipulate the electronegativity of the atoms involved, and observe the corresponding changes in bond and molecular dipole. The activity provides students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how electronegativity of atoms affects the polarity of both individual bonds and molecular polarity, and to connect this knowledge to pre-existing scaffolds.


Context

This activity is performed after the students have been introduced to the idea of electronegativity, and the distinction between polar and nonpolar bonds.

Criteria

Students will complete a worksheet with questions that accompany the simulation, allowing an opportunity for assessment of understanding and providing feedback.

Metacognitive Conversations

This activity involves active learning, surfacing prior knowledge and relating to pre existing schemas.

Details

This activity can be performed individually asynchronously, or in small groups/pairs, synchronously; students can expect to spend somewhere between 30-45 minutes engaging with the simulation and completing the corresponding worksheet.

Text and Materials

 This activity is based on a Phet simulation, found at:


https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/molecule-polarity/latest/molecule-polarity_en.html