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Topic: Analogs to chemical equlibrium  (Read 8314 times)

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Offline mir

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Analogs to chemical equlibrium
« on: April 02, 2006, 05:11:05 AM »
Someone mentioned for me a closed container with gas, and a small slit dividing the container in two. Gas molecules would be concentrated in one site of the container in time 0, and in time 1 the gas molecules would move to the other side of the container. In time 2 the amount of gasmolecule fluxes between the to parts of the conatiner would be in equlibrium. See the drawing...

Do any one have another good analog to equilibrium?

The analogs are very useful in teaching.
No single thing abides, but all things flow.
Fragment to fragment clings, and thus they grow
Until we know and name them.
Then by degrees they change and are no more
The things we know.
- Titus Lucretius Carus

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Offline lemonoman

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Re:Analogs to chemical equlibrium
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2006, 08:54:16 PM »
How about a dam bursting  :D  All the water which was once concentrated gets spread across the land until it reaches an equilibrium (flood)

Or rain?  Water vapour becomes so concentrated in one spot...that some of it condenses out and falls to the ground as rain (slightly inaccurate, since cloud ar condensed water...but close)

And Finally, heat is a good example.  When something's hot, and it's in contact with something that's colder...the heat transfers...until the temperatures are at equilibrium (the same)

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