Physical Chemistry in Context: Using Quantum Mechanics to Understand the Greenhouse Effect

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 1333 - 1342
• Main Authors: Hall, W. Paige, Gunning, Lily
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 14.03.2023; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Air pollution; Anthropogenic factors; Atmospheric models; Behavioral Objectives; Black body radiation; Chemistry; Climate; Climate change; Climate science; Context; Environmental policy; Global warming; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Learning; Molecular chemistry; Molecular properties; Physical chemistry; Polls & surveys; Quantum mechanics; Quantum physics; Radiation; Upper-Division Undergraduate; Misconceptions; Quantum Chemistry; Laboratory Instruction; Physical Chemistry; IR Spectroscopy; Inquiry-Based/Discovery; Environmental Chemistry; Computational Chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00550

The concepts taught in an undergraduate physical chemistry course are directly related to the molecular processes governing climate change, yet the connections between quantum mechanical molecular properties and global warming are rarely made explicit. To improve student knowledge about climate change, we developed a three-part activity that computationally and experimentally explores blackbody radiation, the greenhouse effect, and the relationship between IR absorption properties and global warming potentials for the anthropogenic greenhouse gases defined in the Paris Agreement. The activities addressed the traditional learning objectives of a quantum-focused physical chemistry course by exploring topics such as the quantized nature of energy in Planck’s Law, the selection rules for rovibrational transitions, and discrepancies between theoretical models and observed experimental results. However, our approach was unique in that each concept was addressed within the context of the atmospheric phenomena related to climate change. A previously published climate science survey instrument was administered pre- and postactivity to assess student learning gains. The average percent of correct responses on this survey increased from 44% to 68% as a result of completing the activities.