Placing Chemistry into a World Context
The April 2018 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: service-learning, safety, investigating student understanding of solutions, environmental chemistry, green chemistry, waste management, acid-base chemistry, natural products, materials science, activities and laboratory investigations, teaching resources, diving into the archives: marine chemistry.
Cover: Service-Learning
Analytical chemistry students participated in service learning by quantifying sucralose and other analytes in water from water-treatment wetlands, as discussed by Emily C. Heider, Domenic Valenti, Ruth L. Long, Amel Garbou, Matthew Rex, and James K. Harper in their article Quantifying Sucralose in a Water-Treatment Wetlands: Service-Learning in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory. Sucralose, an artificial sweetener, is a potential marker of anthropogenic waste in natural waters. The project engaged students using a real-world application and expanded the students’ analytical repertoire to include sampling strategy, standard addition calibration, solid-phase extraction techniques, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry. At the completion of the course, students presented the results in a public seminar. Assessments of the participating students show that they perceived improved self-efficacy while demonstrating comparable content proficiency, relative to students in a conventional analytical chemistry course. For another example of service-learning, see:
A Service-Learning Chemistry Course as a Model To Improve Undergraduate Scientific Communication Skills ~ Stan Najmr, Joanna Chae, Mara L. Greenberg, Cory Bowman, Ira Harkavy, and Jenine R. Maeyer
Editorial
In this month’s Editorial, Thomas Holme and James Hutchison advocate for A Central Learning Outcome for the Central Science. They argue that ”establishing an overarching learning outcome for chemistry courses presents a flexible approach for embracing the challenge posed by our unique history and catalyzing future contributions to society through the students we educate.”
Safety
Revising the Division of Chemical Education Safety Guidelines for Chemical Demonstrations ~ Irene G. Cesa, David C. Finster, Samuella B. Sigmann, and Monique R. Wilhelm
Development of an Undergraduate Course in Chemical Laboratory Safety through an Academic/Industrial Collaboration ~ Ericka M. Huston, John A. Milligan, Jaclyn R. Powell, Ashley M. Smith, David Neal, Keith M. Duval, Mark A. DiNardo, Charles Stoddard, Peter A. Bell, Aric W. Berning, Peter Wipf, and George C. Bandik
Presenting Safety Topics Using a Graphic Novel, Manga, To Effectively Teach Chemical Safety to Students in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand ~ Mieko Kumasaki, Takuro Shoji, Tsung-Chih Wu, Khantong Soontarapa, Mitsuru Arai, Takaaki Mizutani, Ken Okada, Yoshitada Shimizu, and Yasuhiro Sugano
Investigating Student Understanding of Solutions
Dissolving Salts in Water: Students’ Particulate Explanations of Temperature Changes ~ Timothy N. Abell and Stacey Lowery Bretz
Investigation of Undergraduate and Graduate Chemistry Students’ Understanding of Thermodynamic Driving Forces in Chemical Reactions and Dissolution ~ Kinsey Bain and Marcy H. Towns
Environmental Chemistry
Polar Plunge: Semester-Long Snow Chemistry Research in the General Chemistry Laboratory ~ N. W. May, S. M. McNamara, S. Wang, K. R. Kolesar, J. Vernon, J. P. Wolfe, D. Goldberg, and K. A. Pratt
Incorporating a Web-Based Hydraulic Fracturing Module in General Chemistry as a Socio-Scientific Issue That Engages Students ~ Christian Zowada, Ozcan Gulacar, and Ingo Eilks
Demonstrating Clean Burning Future Fuels at a Public Engagement Event ~ Aaron Eveleigh, Paul Hellier, Viktor Kärcher, and Midhat Talibi (available to non-subscribers as part of the ACS AuthorChoice program)
Adapting Three Classic Demonstrations To Teach Radiant Energy Trapping and Transfer As Related to the Greenhouse Effect ~ Dwayne A. Bell and Jesse C. Marcum
Flexible Experiment Introducing Factorial Experimental Design ~ Penny Snetsinger and Eid Alkhatib
Green Chemistry
Graduate Student Designed and Delivered: An Upper-Level Online Course for Undergraduates in Green Chemistry and Sustainability ~ Rebecca A. Haley, Jessica M. Ringo, Heather Hopgood, Kendra Leahy Denlinger, Anushree Das, and Daniel C. Waddell
1-Dimensional Selective Nuclear Overhauser Effect NMR Spectroscopy To Characterize Products from a Two-Step Green Chemistry Synthesis ~ Russell Hopson, Po Yin Bowie Lee, and Kathleen M. Hess
Waste Management
Recovery of Silver Nitrate from Silver Chloride Waste ~ James von Dollen, Sofia Oliva, Sarah Max, and Jennifer Esbenshade
Development of a Waste Management Program in Technical Chemistry Teaching ~ Julia G. Ramm, Gabryel L. Dorscheid, Camila. G. Passos, and Carla Sirtori
Acid–Base Chemistry
Exploring the Mysterious Substances, X and Y: Challenging Students’ Thinking on Acid–Base Chemistry and Chemical Equilibrium ~ Ingo Eilks, Ozcan Gulacar, and Jose Sandoval
Acid–Base Behavior of 100 Element Oxides: Visual and Mathematical Representations ~ Mikhail Kurushkin and Dmitry Kurushkin
Applying Le Châtelier’s Principle To Model Strong Acid–Strong Base Titration ~ Philippe H. Mercier
Natural Products
Hands-On Demonstration of Natural Substance Fluorescence in Simple Tree Extracts: Sycamore ~ Janice Wharton, Isaac Izaguirre, Alayna Surdock, Michael VandenBerg, Shane Bolhuis, Joshua Howard, and Mark Muyskens
Liquid CO2 in Centrifuge Tubes: Separation of Chamazulene from Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum) Oil via Extraction and Thin-Layer Chromatography ~ Bruce W. Baldwin and Thomas S. Kuntzleman
Materials Science
From Eggshells to Quicklime: Using Carbonate Cycle as an Integrating Concept To Introduce Students to Materials Analysis by TGA and FTIR ~ Fernando Luna Vera, Marcelo Guancha Chalapud, Ingrid Castillo Viveros, and Edgar Alexander Vásquez Medina
Fabrication and Characterization of Perovskite Solar Cells: An Integrated Laboratory Experience ~ Vivien L. Cherrette, Connor J. Hutcherson, Jeremy L. Barnett, and Monica C. So
Activities and Laboratory Investigations
Exploring Scientific Ideas in Informal Settings: Activities for Individuals with Visual Impairments ~ Anjli Kumar, Lauren A. McCarthy, Sarah M. Rehn, Dayne F. Swearer, Ryan N. Newell, Sofia Gereta, Eduardo Villarreal, Sadegh Yazdi, and Emilie Ringe
Using Cu Kα1/Kα2 Splitting and a Powder XRD System To Discuss X-ray Generation ~ N. Stojilovic
A Rapid and Straightforward Supramolecular Self-Assembly Experiment To Prepare and Characterize a Triple Helicate Complex ~ Nicholas G. White
Reinforcing Mass Spectrometry Concepts through an Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise Utilizing a Direct Analysis in Real Time Enabled Mass Spectrometer ~ Rachel C. Beck and Mitzy A. Erdmann
Investigating the Phase Inversion of Pickering Emulsions: An Experiment To Explore Colloid and Interface Chemistry Concepts ~ Dezhong Yin, Jinhua Chen, Bin Gu, and Wangchang Geng
Teaching Resources
Web-Based Animated Tutorials Using Screen Capturing Software for Molecular Modeling and Spectroscopic Acquisition and Processing ~ Gemma D. D’Ambruoso, Matthew E. Cremeens, and Brett R. Hendricks
Using Open-Source, 3D Printable Optical Hardware To Enhance Student Learning in the Instrumental Analysis Laboratory ~ Eric J. Davis, Michael Jones, D. Alex Thiel, and Steve Pauls
Comment on “Quirks of Stirling’s Approximation” ~ Yingbin Ge
Diving into the Archives: Marine Chemistry
The ACS annual event in April, Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW), brings international focus to environmental topics, such as clean air, water, and energy, to illustrate the positive role chemistry plays in understanding and preserving the Earth. In honor the CCEW 2018 theme, Dive into Marine Chemistry, the articles, activities, and laboratory experiments listed below provide ideas and suggestions for bringing environmental chemistry to students on exploring marine chemistry, examining seawater and properties of sea salt, and investigating ocean acidification.
Exploring Marine Chemistry
Exploring the Ocean - Stating the Case for Chemistry ~ Paul J. Scheuer
The Role of Water Chemistry in Marine Aquarium Design: A Model System for a General Chemistry Class ~ Jeffrey J. Keaffaber, Ramiro Palma, and Kathryn R. Williams
Extending the Marine Microcosm Laboratory ~ Hal Van Ryswyk, Eric W. Hall, Steven J. Petesch, and Alice E. Wiedeman
An Aquarium as a Means for the Interdisciplinary Teaching of Chemistry ~ F. Calascibetta, L. Campanella, G. Favero, and L. Nicoletti
Examining Seawater and Properties of Sea Salt
The Analysis of Seawater: A Laboratory-Centered Learning Project in General Chemistry ~ Jodye I. Selco, Julian L. Roberts Jr., and Daniel B. Wacks
Using Beads and Divided Containers To Study Kinetic and Equilibrium Isotope Effects in the Laboratory and in the Classroom ~ Dean J. Campbell, Emily R. Brewer, Keri A. Martinez, and Tamara J. Fitzjarrald
Investigating Dissolution and Precipitation Phenomena with a Smartphone Microscope ~ Gregg J. Lumetta and Edgar Arcia
The Dynamic Density Bottle: A Make-and-Take, Guided Inquiry Activity on Density ~ Thomas S. Kuntzleman
Investigating Ocean Acidification
Ocean Acidification: Investigation and Presentation of the Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide Levels on Seawater Chemistry and Calcareous Organisms ~ Jeffrey M. Buth
Laboratory Experiment Investigating the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Calcareous Organisms ~ Alokya P. Perera and A. M. R. P. Bopegedera
A Simplified Model To Predict the Effect of Increasing Atmospheric CO2 on Carbonate Chemistry in the Ocean ~ Brian J. Bozlee, Maria Janebo, and Ginger Jahn
Using the Journal To Place Chemistry in Context
With 95 volumes of the Journal of Chemical Education to examine, you will always find something to explore—including the articles mentioned above, and many more, in the Journal of Chemical Education. Articles that are edited and published online ahead of print (ASAP—As Soon As Publishable) are also available.
Do you have something to share? Write it up for the Journal! For some advice on becoming an author, it’s always very helpful to read Erica Jacobsen’s Commentary. In addition, numerous author resources are available on JCE’s ACS Web site, including recently updated: Author Guidelines and Document Templates.