General

Schrödinger’s Chef: Quantum superposition and the result-less-ness of unperformed experiments

A pre-dinner conversation leads to a different way of thinking about quantum superposition.  A meal from an idiosyncratic chef is not defined until “the reveal.”  Discussion of this leads to the statement by Asher Peres that “unperformed experiments have no results.”  Discussion of Peres’ statement, then contrasting versions of resultlessness in both macroscopic and quantum realms, leads to classroom discussion.  This, hopefully, creates an easier and deeper understanding of quantum mechanics.

Not so Green Up Close: a Peek at a dyed Chicago River Sample

Light absorbance and fluorescence were studied for a sample of the Chicago River that had been dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day. The sample had weak green fluorescence, showing that the intense green appearance of the river was in part due to the long path length of light through the water. The ability of the green color to partition into 1-octanol was also explored.

Egg-lectrons and McLewis Structures

Egg cartons and beverage holders can be used as models of atoms, with their dimples representing orbitals. Each dimple can hold up to two objects such as milk jug caps, plastic eggs, and cup pieces to represent electrons in the orbitals. Partially overlapping the trays by stacking the dimples represents chemical bonding and produces molecular models resembling Lewis structures. The models can be easily made from materials that can be readily found grocery stores and fast-food restaurants.

UNO OUT…..Demystifying Stoichiometry

This article describes a game aimed at helping students become comfortable using dimensional analysis. Designed to mimic the popular card game UNO, MOLE-O encourages students to think about how to set up a stoichiometry problem utilizing a deck of UNO-like playing cards.