Spot the entropy errors

This resource accompanies the article How to teach entropy at post-16 in Education in Chemistry, where you will find tips, common misconceptions and further ideas for delivering the topic. 

Learners often find thermodynamics difficult to grasp because of the abstract nature of the properties, such as entropy and enthalpy. Use this resource to help your learners develop their metacognitive skills and improve their understanding of the topic.

Learning objectives

1. Identify misconceptions in entropy question responses.
2. Explain why changes in entropy occur.
3. Understand why some reactions are not feasible under standard conditions.

How to use this resource

Introduce the task by explaining that a group of learners have answered some entropy questions. Unfortunately, they are not entirely correct. Your learners need to identify and explain the mistake(s) and provide the corrections. The questions and error-ridden learner answers are available in the student worksheet. They are also included in a PowerPoint presentation to support a teacher-led activity, for example a whole class discussion.

This resource can be used as a standalone homework activity towards the end of the topic too. Alternatively, individual questions can be used during a lesson as formative assessment or to reinforce learning. The activity could also be set as a small group task, which would allow your learners to articulate their ideas about entropy to their peers and support each other with calculations. The mistakes, explanations and correct answers are provided in the teacher notes and can be given to your class if peer or self-assessing.