Instructions: Play the simulation called Atomic Interactions at https://phet.col
ID: 3278984 • Letter: I
Question
Instructions:
Play the simulation called Atomic Interactions at https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/atomic-interactions
Become familiar with the controls to change the types of atoms in the bonded pairs ( Neon, Argon, Oxygen), zooming in and out on the PE plot, adjusting the atom diameter and interaction strength in a Custom Attraction, dragging the atom to different separations from the pinned atom, changing the speed of the simulation, and displaying the Forces.
Reload the page to start with the default setting. Now, select an Argon-Argon pair and show the Total Force (green arrow). Drag the atom on the right slowly to different Distances Between Atoms to see the Total Force on the atom at those locations.
Q1) Where do you drag the atom to see the largest possible Total Force and what is the direction of that force?
Q2) What does the atom do if you release the atom at the location where the Total Force is the largest?
Now change the option to show Attractive and Repulsive Forces instead of Total Force.
Q3) At the location, you found in the first question, which type of force is stronger ( the attractive van der Waals force or the repulsive electron overlap force)?
Now hide forces and Create a Custom Attraction with a large Atom Diameter and a large Interaction Strength. Drag the atom to a large separation near the maximum Distance in the plot and release the atom.
Q4) How does the motion of the atom compare to the motion of a mass on a spring?
Now using the same Custom Attraction as before, now drag the atom to just a tiny distance from its equilibrium position and release the atom.
Q5) How does the motion of the atom compare to the motion of a mass on a spring?
Q6) Explain why the motion of the atom looks different in these two cases.
Please explain these questions with at least two sentences. Thank you.
Explanation / Answer
1] We have to drag left for largest possible total force.
The direction is towards right (repulsive electron overlap)
2] The atom moves rightward and escape to infinity.
3]Repulsive electron overlap is stronger.
4] At large distance force is very less in case of the atom, but more in case of mass on a spring. So it is different.
5] Now it is similar to that of mass on a string.
6] In mass on a string force is maximum at extreme position which was not the case in first case where force decreases with distance, but in second case, force increases with increase in distance from equilibrium position.