ERIC Number: EJ1101513
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-May
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
A Simple Molecular Dynamics Lab to Calculate Viscosity as a Function of Temperature
Eckler, Logan H.; Nee, Matthew J.
Journal of Chemical Education, v93 n5 p927-931 May 2016
A simple molecular dynamics experiment is described to demonstrate transport properties for the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory. The AMBER package is used to monitor self-diffusion in "n"-hexane. Scripts (available in the Supporting Information) make the process considerably easier for students, allowing them to focus on the simulations and their meaning. Mean-squared displacements are determined as a function of simulation time for 250 ps in a small simulation box at a variety of temperatures. From these, the Einstein-Smoluchowski and Stokes-Einstein relationships are used to determine the viscosity, which can be directly compared to literature values. The needed trajectories can be calculated in less than 1 h and analyzed in a second hour, leaving a third hour for further explorations as appropriate.
Descriptors: Molecular Structure, Computation, Measurement Techniques, Undergraduate Students, Chemistry, Laboratory Experiments, Computer Simulation, Courseware, Teaching Methods
Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kentucky
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A