isotopes

Ice Cores, Stable Isotopes, Climate Change, and Chemistry: Part 2

Thomas Cox | Tue, 08/25/2020 - 19:35

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Two important types of information obtained from ice cores comes from the bubbles in the glacial ice and the stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes within the frozen water molecules themselves. This post describes how the bubbles (air pocket 'fossils') and stable isotopes are used to determine the concentration of gases in the ancient atmosphere, particularly in relation to past temperatures.

Mass Spectrometer Model

Chad Husting | Wed, 01/17/2018 - 18:01

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My students just finished an activity about isotopes. Each year there is always one or more student who ask about the mass of isotopes. How do scientists solve for that mass experimentally?

An Elemental Understanding of Isotopes

Bernadette Harkness | Sat, 09/30/2017 - 11:08

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In this activity, students can look inside the model that resembles the atom and find information that reinforces what an isotope actually is. Furthermore, the quantitative data forces students to examine beliefs about different types of averages and what the numbers really mean. This takes a bit of effort to set up but is inexpensive and can be used year after year.

Especially JCE: August 2017

Erica Jacobsen | Tue, 08/15/2017 - 12:29

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Erica Jacobsen shares highlights from the August 2017 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education that are of special interest to high school chemistry teachers.

Isotopes, Nuts, Bolts and Eggs

Chad Husting | Mon, 01/02/2017 - 07:22

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This is the first isotope activity I have tried where the students can look inside the model that resembled the atom and find information that reinforced what an isotope actually is. Furthermore, the quantitative data forced them to examine beliefs about different types of averages and what the numbers really mean.

Extension Activity with Isotopes Matter

Michelle Okroy | Sun, 10/09/2016 - 14:33

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After receiving positive feedback from Peter Mahaffy, the IUPAC project co-chair of Isotopes Matter, I decided to add an additional component to the original isotope assignment I posted. The second component of the assignment focuses on the applications of both radioactive and stable isotopes using the interactive IUPAC periodic table.

Using IUPAC's Isotopes Matter as a Digital Learning Tool

Michelle Okroy | Mon, 09/05/2016 - 15:25

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Isotopes Matter is a digital learning tool, developed by IUPAC Isotopic Periodic Table, designed to explain isotopes as well as their importance. This resource incorporates mass spectroscopy data into each of the key ideas as well as provides multiple examples as to how varying isotopes are commonly used.

Building Atoms: One App at a Time

Doug Ragan | Tue, 02/16/2016 - 23:42

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In my high school chemistry class, a unit we cover is that of atomic structure. In particular, given an elements symbol, mass number, atomic number, and charge, the objective would be for the student to determine the atoms number of protons, neutrons, and electrons. I have several apps/program suggestions that can be useful for this purpose.