Blogs

ChemEd X contributors offer their ideas and opinions on a broad spectrum of topics pertaining to chemical education.

Blogs at ChemEd X reflect the opinions of the contributors and are open to comments. Only selected contributors blog at ChemEd X. If you would like to blog regularly at ChemEd X, please use our Contribution form to request an invitation to do so from one of our editors.

by Chad Husting
Mon, 01/24/2022 - 19:07

This is a simple small-scale distillation that can be used several different ways.

Comments: 1
Recent activity: 3 years 3 days ago
by Dean Campbell
Mon, 01/17/2022 - 17:43

This blog post includes short descriptions of demonstrations and props that Dean Campbell has used while teaching his collegiate General Chemistry I course.

Comments: 1
Recent activity: 12 months 3 days ago
by Tom Kuntzleman
Fri, 01/07/2022 - 12:16

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.

Comments: 2
Recent activity: 2 years 3 months ago
by Marianna Marchini
Tue, 12/21/2021 - 10:11

This post focuses on the virtual chemistry laboratory activities created for students pursuing a bachelor of science degree in Primary Teacher Education at the University of Bologna.

Recent activity: 1 year 3 weeks ago
by Dean Campbell
Mon, 12/20/2021 - 12:17

The classic classroom or lab activity using coin flips to illustrate the first order kinetics of radioactive decay is connected to the tragedy of radiation exposure of workers at facilities using radium-containing luminescent paint. Some of the chemistry related to the contamination of these “radium girls” is explored, with connections being made to the Principles of Green Chemistry and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Comments: 1
Recent activity: 7 months 4 weeks ago
by Chad Husting
Wed, 12/15/2021 - 18:58

There are some simple ways to break chemical bonds with microscale techniques.

Recent activity: 1 year 3 weeks ago
by Kristen Drury
Mon, 12/13/2021 - 06:47

A new lesson that uses PES evidence to drive the instruction that would allow the students to identify the limitations of the Bohr model and introduce the Quantum Mechanical Model .

Comments: 2
Recent activity: 1 year 3 weeks ago
by Tom Kuntzleman
Sun, 11/28/2021 - 10:51

Natural food dyes are being sold online and in stores that can be used as acid-base indicators. These dyes open up a host of possibilities for at-home and in-class. For example, these food dyes can be used as indicators in the quantitative titration of the Mg(OH)2 in milk of magnesia.

Comments: 2
Recent activity: 1 year 7 months ago
by Dean Campbell
Sun, 11/21/2021 - 10:55

Thin sheets of polystyrene can be patterned with permanent markers to represent repeating units of the polymer and then shrunk down in size using heat. The shrunken models of the repeating units can be connected with a string and then flipped into positions to demonstrate different types of polymer tacticity.

Recent activity: 1 year 3 weeks ago
by Thomas Shiland
Fri, 11/19/2021 - 18:01

A simple demonstration for high school chemistry students is described which gives a plausible connection between electrons as waves and the shapes of the s and p orbitals. This demonstration may build a transition from electrons as particles to electrons as waves.

Recent activity: 1 year 3 weeks ago