Bonding

Coulomb’s Law is used to explain several properties in the AP Chemistry CED, and we spent our September meeting examining the different situations where Coulomb’s Law is applicable and sharing strategies for helping students craft appropriate responses.

  Egg-lectrons and McLewis Structures: More Representations of Electron Arrangements in Atoms and Molecules Co-Authored with Ali Patel* *Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois

Hang on to your hats, folks! We are about to enter my longest notebook unit of the year: Bonding. This unit is massive with 6 two page spreads. Read on to see my discussion of pros and cons of splitting it into two units versus keeping it as one big unit.

Structure. Structure. Structure. As we all know as chemistry educators, structure is the 'go to' concept when trying to figure out why molecules do what molecules do.

Introduction: Did you know that sand can be converted into a mixture of gases that spontaneously ignites in air? The procedures involved are relatively simple to perform, spectacular to observe, and relate to a rich assortment of chemical principles.

Chemical bonding is a pivotal topic in chemistry classes that can be overwhelming for students and teachers alike - so much to teach, so many ways that it can be overwhelming! On November 4th, 2021, Nora Walsh shared her unit covering chemical bonding and naming in this ChemBasics Talk.

This year was so atypical for most educators; teaching in different formats, some face to face, some hybrid, some completely virtual. My school typically offers honors, a regular level, and a more supported level chemistry track for students. Due to the constraints of scheduling in a Covid climate, this past year students were all grouped in one class.

I have been working with the Alchemie team -- founded by a former chemistry teacher, Julia Winter -- for a number of years. Trying out their learning tools for chemistry, giving feedback, and generally brainstorming new ideas for chemistry instruction. 

I have just finished teaching bonding to my chemistry classes and was reminded of a brilliant stamp that I have from Russia (technically at the time it was the Soviet Union) that showcases a quadruple bond. Yes you read that right!