Purpose: To understand the physical states or phases of matter and intermolecular forces (especially hydrogen bonding).
Point of View: A water molecule.
Audience: Other water molecules
Scenario: You are a single water molecule among many in a hot water heater. All of a sudden, you are released from the water heater tank and violently expelled through the nozzle of a showerhead. Before you recover, however, you are alone for a period of time, until you meet a group of your water molecule friends on the surface of a bathroom mirror.
Writing Assignment: On the surface of the mirror, you and your friends all share similar stories. Since you are the most scientifically inclined of the group, you are assigned to write a short report, based on sound fundamental molecular reasoning, explaining what happened to you all. Your report to the group should include a discussion of the forces that kept you all together and then reunited you. You should also explain why you each found yourselves alone for a period of time and how you ended up together again on the surface of the mirror. A couple of good paragraphs should suffice.
Focusing Questions: You will need to formulate these as a part of the prewriting analysis. Be sure to point out the inner-relationship between the physical states of matter and intermolecular forces, giving special attention to hydrogen bonding.
*Steve Wood, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BYU.