Adopting the Chemical Potential in the High School Curriculum: Why not?

Abstract

Discussing some examples involving the equilibrium condition in phase transitions and chemical reac- tions, we show how it is possible to introduce the concept of chemical potential (?) even at the beginning of high school. This provides the students with a simple way of conceptualizing and managing quantitatively phenomena which, on the surface, are quite different; and it allows them to do this in a way which is both unifying and coherent.