Safety boundary
Use virtual calorimetry or teacher-supervised water-based calorimetry only. No unsupervised flames, reactive chemicals, or improvised heat sources.
Explicit chemistry instruction
A complete thermochemistry explanation links observed temperature change to heat transfer and then to the system’s enthalpy change.
The sign convention, system boundary, units, and ideal-calorimeter assumptions must remain explicit.
A strong claim is proportional to the data and uncertainty.
Vocabulary: energy accounting; enthalpy; calorimetry; uncertainty; model scope.
Worked example
Observed water warming supports an exothermic-system claim only after identifying the water as surroundings and accounting for sign reversal.
Guided question
Write a CER for a supplied calorimetry dataset including one limitation.
Independent work
- Submit one complete calorimetry calculation.
- Interpret one reaction-energy diagram.
- Write one evidence-based enthalpy claim.
- Record one corrected misconception.
Spiral retrieval bridge
- From Week 22: identify what a rate law measures versus what equilibrium measures.
- From Week 21: distinguish activation energy from overall reaction energy.
- From Week 15: convert between moles and mass before doing energy-per-mole work.
Misconception check
Temperature rise alone does not identify the reacting system unless the system boundary is defined.
Formative check
What makes a thermochemistry claim reproducible?
Reveal response
Raw data, boundary, equation, units, sign convention, and uncertainty.
Mentor evidence conference
Ask Archaemenes to audit signs, units, system boundaries, and whether the evidence supports the energy claim.
Teacher guidance
Foundation: Use a CER frame.
Core: Integrate data and energy models.
Extended: Evaluate how model assumptions affect ΔH estimates.