Connecting microscopic physics with the macroscopic properties of materials in introductory physics courses

Abstract

An elementary understanding of the relevant length, mass and energy scales at the molecular level can be used to explain the order of magnitude of material properties such as mass density, latent heat, surface tension, elastic moduli and beyond in an introductory physics course. These order of magnitude estimates are remarkably easy to derive, and in many instances are the same for many different liquids and solids. This helps students to understand the origin of the zoo of material properties, and to connect molecular physics to the physics of familiar materials like water, metals and plastics. We also note some simple mechanisms by which material properties can easily vary over many orders of magnitude.