Teaching Plan

Subject: Physics Form 4

Learning Area: HEAT

Learning Objective: 4.1 Understanding Thermal Equilibrium

Learning Outcome:

A student is able to:

• Explain thermal equilibrium,

• Explain how a liquid-in-glass thermometer works.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

Students know what is heat and temperature

Scientific Skills

Observing, inferring, predicting and communicating

Thinking Skills

Attributing, comparing and contrasting, making conclusions

Moral and Scientific Value

• Being objective and systematic

• Being flexible and open-minded

Preparation

1. Instruct students to go through Activity 4.1 on page 72 of the practical book and read up text book 4.1 on
page 108.
2. Go through the CD-ROM from ppk/other related teaching aids.
3. Prepare power point presentation to be used in classroom teaching.
4. Prepare activity sheets for the lesson.

LESSON x: Understanding thermal Equilibrium

Pedagogy: Activity / Classroom discussion / simulation with LCD presentation

Time: 2 periods
Development of lesson

Learning Content T&L Strategies / Methods

Activities
Introduction • Refresh what students have learnt in the lower form
(5 - 10 minutes) 1. When a bottle of cold milk is put in hot about heat and temperature.
water, the hot water releases heat to the cold
Observe video clips milk. The milk receives heat will warm up and Work sheets are given out to students.
the hot water will cool down.
Listen to instruction Video clips to show a mother putting a bottle of cold
given by teacher 2. There is heat energy transfer from hot milk in hot water. After a while the mother feeds the
region to cold region. baby with the warmed milk.
Write down answer
in the work sheet • Tell students that in today’s lesson they are
supposed to carry out hands-on Activity 4.1 on page
72 of the practical book. Discuss the meaning of
thermal equilibrium.

• Instruct students to do the hands-on activity on page

Development 1 Instructions and questions for discussion are 72 of the practical book. Students are reminded to
(20 - 25 minutes) referred to page 72 in the practical book. follow the instructions given carefully. Students are
given 30 minutes to complete the activity.
Do hands-on The rise and fall of temperature indicate the
Activity in the amount of heat energy received or given out. • Discuss questions inside the hands-on activity.
practical book.
 When a hot object comes in contact with a cold Discuss the meaning of thermal equilibrium.
Development 2 object, heat energy will move from hotter object
(15 – 20 minutes) to colder object. • Show computer simulation – two metal blocks at
different temperature are placed in thermal contact
The hotter object transfers heat energy at a to each other. Show heat energy transfers from
Observe computer faster rate. The colder object transfers heat at hotter block to colder block.
simulation and a slower rate. Therefore there is a net flow of • Discuss the rise and fall of temperature of the two
participate in heat from the hotter object to the colder object blocks in the process of transferring heat energy.
classroom when they are in contact.
discussion. • Explain the rates of heat energy transferred when
As a result, the hotter object cools down and its the two blocks are at the same temperature.
temperature falls; the colder object warms up
and its temperature rises. • Explain the concept thermal equilibrium.

The objects in thermal contact will reach a stage

of no net transfer of heat. The objects are said
to attain thermal equilibrium and will
maintain at same temperature.
Development 3 Temperature is a measure of the degree of Liquid in glass thermometer
(10 – 20 minutes) hotness of an object.
Liquid-in-glass thermometer is made of mercury • Discuss the structure of liquid-in-glass thermometer.
Observe computer or coloured alcohol. The volume of the liquid • Show computer simulation – show a simple
simulation and increases when heat is absorbed. mercury thermometer and it is used to detect
participate in heat change or measure temperature.
classroom When heat is detected, the length of the liquid
discussion. column changes in the capillary tube due to
expansion. The length of the liquid column
indicates the size of the temperature change.

Liquid-in glass thermometer has a lowest fixed

point known as ice-point at 0oC and a highest
fixed point known as steam-point at 100oC.

The measurement of temperature uses the

principle of thermal equilibrium.

When a thermometer is placed into an object,

heat energy is transferred between the
thermometer and the object until thermal
equilibrium occurs. The temperature of the
thermometer is now equal to the temperature of
the object. The reading of the thermometer is
the temperature of the object.
Closure (Answer in the work sheet) • Guide students to summarise the lesson by
(5 to 10 minutes) When two objects are separately in thermal referring to their work sheets.
equilibrium with a third object, they are in • Give homework to students – Mastery practice 4.1
Summarising the equilibrium with each other. (text book page 110)
lesson. Objects in thermal equilibrium have the same
temperature.
Home work