This document is a student assignment for Harvard University’s Global Infectious Diseases and Social Justice course (SCILIVSY 26), centered around a Gizmo simulation focused on phase changes of matter. It requires students to interact with the simulation and answer questions about the relationship between temperature and states of matter – solid, liquid, and gas.
This assignment is designed for students to apply foundational physics concepts to understand how environmental factors, like temperature, influence physical processes. It’s likely used to build a base understanding before exploring more complex topics within the course, potentially linking physical phenomena to the spread or control of infectious diseases.
This assignment does *not* provide a comprehensive lesson on thermodynamics or molecular physics. It assumes prior knowledge of concepts like freezing, melting, and boiling points. It also doesn’t offer detailed explanations of the underlying scientific principles; rather, it’s a tool for students to *observe* and *record* those principles in action.
The full assignment includes prior knowledge questions, guided exploration within the Gizmo simulation (both macro and micro views), data recording prompts, and questions about interpreting graphs of temperature versus time. This preview only provides a glimpse of the questions asked and the topics explored within the Gizmo.
