ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on easy equilibrium's (EE) design effectiveness at addressing difficulties in understanding equilibrium for students in UC Berkeley's introductory chemistry course, Chem1A. Equilibrium is a fundamental topic in chemistry, and just as algebra is the gateway to understanding complex mathematics, equilibrium is the gateway to understanding many processes in the natural sciences. The Chem1A curriculum as it stands does not afford novice chemists to explore chemistry in multiple modalities, and without dialogue or a qualitative foundation for understanding equilibrium, students have difficulties in developing a representational understanding for the analytical problems with which they are presented. The EE design illustrated the dynamics of equilibrium by allowing users to visualize the qualitative, quantitative, and quintessential meaning of the ratios K and Q. The EE design presents itself as an alternative method to teach the concept in a more efficient manner by exposing students to many modalities in a progressive format that fosters a phenomenological evolution of thought.
