ThermoElectric Generator for Introductory Chemistry Course (10th Grade)

Students will understand how heat energy can flow from hot to cold while transforming from one form to another. The first and second law of thermodynamics will be taught over a period of 10 days; 2 days for demo and introduction to basic vocabularies/concepts, 6 days of inquiry lab, and 2 days of closure with reflection and discussion on application (specially connecting with Stanford Xlab). Through a captivating demo and follow-up lecture, students will learn the basics of heat energy, electrical energy, and mechanical energy before generating electricity from heat. They will work in groups to study why it happens, use the phenomenon to build their own device, measure the effect, and communicate how they converted heat into electrical energy. This inquiry lab is followed by a lecture on the Seebeck effect along with real-world applications used by scientists in NASA and commercial industries.