CHF Chemistry WebQuest #3
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      Introduction
      Your Task
      The Process and Resources
      Evaluation
      Conclusion
    		  

    Introduction

    Chemistry is the study of matter and the changes it undergoes. This is what we all learn on day one of our first chemistry class. But chemistry is also the study of the energy that matter absorbs or releases when undergoing change. All the energy that we use comes from some sort of change that matter undergoes. It is from chemistry that we get our energy, and only by understanding chemistry will we ever learn to produce energy in a safe, clean, and sustainable manner.

    Your Task

    You and your team members are going to explore one topic concerning energy and chemistry. You will investigate the science involved, the people and stories behind the science, and the impacts (good and bad) of that science on our world.

    The Process and Resources

    You and your team will explore one of the areas of the chemistry of energy listed below. There are links to resources listed beneath each topic, which you may find useful in your investigation.

    1. How do batteries work? Who invented the modern battery? How do the batteries made by this inventor differ from the ones used today?

        How Do Batteries Work?—part of Open2.net, a service of the BBC and The Open University.

        How Batteries Work —from Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works.

    2. What are semiconductors, and how are they used in harnessing solar power?

        About Photovoltaics—from the U.S. Department of Energy Photovoltaics Program.

        Photovoltaics: Unlimited Electrical Energy from the Sun—an in-depth look at photovoltaic cells, reprinted from Physics Today, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Resource Laboratory.

    3. Thomas Midgley and Eugene Houdry were both chemists who found ways to make more powerful gasoline. What were their two methods? How did the methods differ? Which method was safer environmentally?

        Eugene Houdry—this biographical sketch is part of Chemical Achievers from the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

        Thomas Midgely, Jr.—from The Engines of Our Ingenuity, a companion website to the book of the same title by John Lienhard, published by Oxford University Press.

        A History of Lead Poisoning in the World—from Leadpoison.net.

    4. What is the greenhouse effect? What energy-producing chemical reactions might contribute to it? What is the carbon cycle and what does it have to do with energy and the greenhouse effect?

        The Petition: A Global Warming Case Study—from the University at Buffalo and the State University of New York.

        Global Warming—from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

        What's Up With the Weather?—PBS and WGBH Boston present a look at global warming in this NOVA-Frontline joint project.

    5. What is a fuel cell and how does it work? What kinds of fuels are normally used in fuel cells? How are these fuels produced? Which production methods would you say are the safest environmentally?

        Fuel Cells 2000—comprehensive site from Breakthrough Technologies Institute/Fuel Cells 2000.

        Beyond Batteries—from Scientific American.

    6. What are some alternative fuels besides gasoline? What chemical reactions do they undergo when burned? Compare the combustion products of these fuels with those of gasoline in terms of environmental safety.

        Alternative Fuels Data Center—from the Office of Transportation Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy.

        What Types of Alternative Fuels Are Being Explored or Used in Automobiles Today?—from Scientific American.

        American Hydrogen Association

    7. What are nuclear fission and nuclear fusion? How can they provide energy? What are the advantages and drawbacks of each?

        Fusion—from The Science Museum, London.

        Nuclear Reaction: Why Do Americans Fear Nuclear Power?—a Frontline website from PBS and WGBH Boston.

        Atomic Alchemy: Nuclear Processes—an exploration of nuclear chemistry from Thinkquest.

        Fusion Basics—from Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

    8. What is particulate matter and what energy-production methods produce it? Is this matter solid, liquid, or gas? What are the dangers of solid particulate matter?

        Particulate Matter in the Atmosphere—from the Sarnia-Lambton Environmental Association, Sarnia, Ontario.

    In addition, you may find the following site useful for answering the above questions.

      Energy Quest—from the California Energy Commission.

    Evaluation

    Once you have researched your topic, you will prepare a report of what you find. Your teacher may assign the report to be done as a paper, an oral presentation, or as a website that you will create. Or your team may be assigned any combination of the three. To make things fair, everyone's reports will be graded using a standard scorecard.

    Conclusion

    After you have prepared your final report, this activity will conclude with a class discussion on issues relating to chemistry and energy. To prepare for the discussion, you're going to have to do a little more research. Based on the presentations given by the other groups, make lists of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the following alternative energy sources:

      Solar electricity
      Hydrogen fuel cells
      Alcohol fuels
      Nuclear fusion
      Natural gas
      Wind power
      Hydroelectric power
      Geothermal energy

    When listing the advantages and disadvantages of each source of energy, remember to consider the following:

      What sort of waste products does the energy source produce? Are they harmful in any way?

      What other environmental consequences might this energy source have?

      Is the energy source more expensive or less expensive than those already in use?

      Can the energy source be used anywhere anytime or is its use limited to certain places or certain times?

    These are just some of the factors to consider when making your lists. When you have finished making your lists, decide which alternative energy source is your first choice for supplying our energy needs in the future. Come to class prepared to discuss and defend your position with the rest of the class. During the discussion, be sure to follow the rules of conduct below.

    Rules of Behavior for the Class Discussion

    1. Be critical of ideas, not people. Challenge and refute ideas of other participants, but do not indicate any personal rejection.

    2. Encourage everyone to participate and learn as much as possible.

    3. Listen to everyone's ideas, especially the ones you do not agree with.

    4. Try to restate what someone else says if it is not clear.

    5. Bring out all relevant facts that support both sides and then try to put them together in a way that allows everyone to agree.

    6. Try to understand all sides of the issue.

    7. Change your mind when the evidence clearly indicates that you should do so.

    8. Remember that the end result of the activity is to come up with a common solution, not to "win".

    (The rules of behavior were adapted from those originally developed by Dr. Deborah Exton, University of Oregon.)

    This CHF Chemistry WebQuest was created by Mark Michalovic.

    Copyright ©2001 Chemical Heritage Foundation