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Potential Energy Change

Q.

This is a graph of the potential energy change as two helium atoms approach each other. As the two helium atoms get closer they attract one another and the potential energy decreases as shown by the circled region.

POTENTIAL ENERGY

Please explain why the atoms attract and the process by which it occurs in the box below.

Hint: Think about what’s happening with the electrons.

Audiences:

Undergraduate

Topics:

Chemistry

Background Information

Developed by Melanie's Cooper research group to investigate student understanding of forces.

(see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00455)

Associated Publications

Developing Computer Resources to Automate Analysis of Students' Explanations of London Dispersion Forces

Keenan Noyes, Robert McKay, Matthew Neumann, Kevin Haudek, Melanie Cooper, 2020

Question Instructions

We recommend that you administer these questions as homework and preface the question with these instructions for students:

"For the following question, please respond to the best of your knowledge and using only the information in the question and what you know. Please do not refer to any outside sources (textbooks, notes, internet, etc.). Any reasonable attempt to answer the question will be awarded full credit."

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