Chemical energy in an introductory physics course for the life sciences

TL;DR

This paper proposes a curricular sequence integrating chemical energy concepts into an introductory physics course tailored for life sciences students, aiming to enhance interdisciplinary understanding across physics, chemistry, and biology.

Contribution

It introduces a novel curricular thread that connects energy concepts from multiple disciplines, improving interdisciplinary coherence for life sciences students.

Findings

Students showed improved understanding of chemical energy concepts.

Curriculum materials facilitated interdisciplinary connections.

Student data indicated increased engagement with energy topics.

Abstract

Energy is a complex idea that cuts across scientific disciplines. For life science students, an approach to energy that incorporates chemical bonds and chemical reactions is better equipped to meet the needs of life sciences students than a traditional introductory physics approach that focuses primarily on mechanical energy. We present a curricular sequence, or thread, designed to build up students' understanding of chemical energy in an introductory physics course for the life sciences. This thread is designed to connect ideas about energy from physics, biology, and chemistry. We describe the kinds of connections among energetic concepts that we intended to develop to build interdisciplinary coherence, and present some examples of curriculum materials and student data that illustrate our approach.