Teaching energy and change post-16

In everyday life, we use the term energy to describe how active someone is, as well as resources such as electricity and oil. The scientific concept is much more precise though, which presents problems for learners studying chemistry post-16. This article by a former head of chemistry will help you secure your students’ understanding of energy transfer, enthalpy change, exothermic and endothermic reactions, heat and thermal energy. It discusses misconceptions, shares ways to check for understanding and suggests classroom activities.