ChemEd X contributors and staff members are continually coming across items of interest that they feel others may wish to know about. Picks include, but need not be limited to, books, magazines, journals, articles, apps—most anything that has a link to it can qualify.
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Scientists are sitting on top of the world after detecting gravitational waves for the first time. Now what?
Typically we think that the wear and tear of automobiles on the roads causes concrete roads to deteriorate, eventually causing potholes and requiring the use of patching. Regular maintenance, like patching, gets expensive over time. If we were to zoom in on a microscopic level we’d see microscopic cracks that allow in water, salts, and ice. Since ice has the ability to expand, the tiny little cracks will become big noticeable cracks.
f you go to this site on Etsy (Que Intersante. Where Geek Meets Art) you can get a great project for you kids for not too much money. Essentially what this site sells are Crayon labels.
What motivates our students to excel in understanding chemistry? For some students, they would like to pursue a career in a science related field while others are extrinsically motivated for a particular grade or graduation credit.
Rivalries, intrigue, and fraud in the world of stem-cell research. This "inside story" from some of the most prestigious biochemistry laboratories in the world can provide grist for any course on ethics in modern science.
This week I did "The Murky Myster of Matter Measurement" by Chad Bridle. Basically, students are working at making a series of predictions and measurements concerning the mass, volume and ultimately density of two different types of beads.
Flinn Scientific has a great elearning video series. Many of the videos have master teachers demonstrating some great labs and techniques that they do in the classroom.
This year in the midwest United States, winter has been a fickle friend. I haven’t seen the same amount of snow or ice as in recent years, but I still made sure I was prepared for it at our home by stocking up on calcium chloride to use as a de-icer on my driveway and sidewalks.
Over the past few years puzzle apps have been a favorite amongst high school students. Although each vary in degree of difficulty, most involve recognizing patterns in order to advance to the next phase of the game.
Have you ever wondered why so many undergraduate students struggle with their general chemistry courses in college? Various research studies report that a third of college students taking a STEM related course will either fail, with a D or F, or withdraw from the course with the rate increasing if one focuses on general chemistry specific courses.