How can enthalpy changes be measured? | 16–18 years

Example slides, plus pages from teacher notes, student worksheet and technician notes that make up this resource

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry

Introduce your learners to Hess’s Law as a means of measuring enthalpy changes using this lesson plan with simple experiments

In this session, learners carry out two simple practical activities to observe what happens when water is added to anhydrous copper(II) sulfate, and when hydrated copper(II) sulfate is dissolved in water.

The activity is designed to help students recognise that some enthalpy changes cannot be measured directly, and to introduce them to Hess’s Law and its application.

Assessment for learning (formative assessment) provides a structured approach to revealing what your learners understand of the topic.

Full teacher notes, student worksheet, classroom presentation and technician notes provide everything you need for the lesson.

Suitable for learners on A-level and equivalent 16–18 courses.

Thanks for using the RSC’s education resources. You can view one resource per month as a visitor, or two resources per month when you’re logged in with a personal account.

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more: 

unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not a science teacher or technician based in the UK or Ireland? Don’t worry – you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.