Familiarity and Prior Knowledge: I have a good understanding of batteries in everyday life. I know they are portable power sources used in various devices like phones, laptops, and cars.

Everyday Meaning:

• A device that stores and delivers electricity.
• Often disposable and replaced when empty.
• Example: “My phone battery is dead, I need to charge it.”

Technical Meaning:

• An electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy into electrical energy.
• Consists of an anode, cathode, and electrolyte that facilitate electron flow.
• Can be rechargeable or non-rechargeable.

Relation to Thermodynamics:

Batteries involve spontaneous redox reactions, where energy is released (exergonic). Thermodynamics helps predict the feasibility and direction of these reactions based on factors like enthalpy and entropy.

Similarities and Differences:

• Both recognize batteries as electricity storage devices.
• Everyday use focuses on function, while technical meaning delves into the underlying chemical processes.

Impact on Learning:

The everyday understanding provides a foundation, but the technical details will be crucial to grasp how batteries work at a deeper level, connecting them to the laws of thermodynamics governing energy transfer.

Term 2: Electrolysis

Familiarity and Prior Knowledge: I have some basic knowledge of electrolysis. I’ve encountered it in science experiments where electricity is used to break down water.

Everyday Meaning:

• Using electricity to separate a substance into its component parts.
• Often associated with water electrolysis (splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen).

Technical Meaning:

• A non-spontaneous redox reaction driven by an external electrical energy source.
• Electrodes (anode and cathode) facilitate the separation of ions in a molten salt or aqueous solution.

Relation to Thermodynamics:

Electrolysis is a non-spontaneous process (endergonic) requiring an external energy input to overcome the system’s natural tendency towards disorder (increasing entropy).

Similarities and Differences:

• Both acknowledge electrolysis as a process using electricity to cause a chemical reaction.
• Everyday meaning focuses on the practical application, while the technical definition emphasizes the non-spontaneous nature and the role of electrodes.

Impact on Learning:

The everyday understanding is a starting point, but the technical details will be essential to understand the energy requirements and the role of electrodes in electrolysis, which connects to the principles of thermodynamics governing energy flow and spontaneity.