Bringing Together Chemistry Educators
The May 2014 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is available online to subscribers.
Cover
The photochemical decomposition of aryldiazonium salts is the basis of the “diazo printing” technique (or “whiteprint”), used to reproduce technical drawings. In the article, Fear of the Dark: Diazo Printing by Photochemical Decomposition of Aryldiazonium Tetrafluoroborates, Fabio Parmeggiani describes a version of this technique that uses a recent, much less toxic synthetic method to create photosensitive paper that can be printed by exposure to UV light through a suitable template, and developed using ammonia. With the three couplers suggested in the article, it is possible to obtain prints in dark yellow, red, and purple, as shown on the cover.
Editorial
Thomas C. Pentecost and Sherril Soman discuss the upcoming 23rd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education in Chemistry Education and Green Chemistry on the Third Coast .
Commentary
Donald J. Wink provides clarity about the pedagogical and philosophical aspects of constructivism in Constructivist Frameworks in Chemistry Education and the Problem of the “Thumb in the Eye”.
Chemical Education Research
Evaluating the Content and Response Process Validity of Data from the Chemical Concepts Inventory by Paul Schwartz and Jack Barbera.
Measuring Load on Working Memory: The Use of Heart Rate as a Means of Measuring Chemistry Students’ Cognitive Load by Kristen N. Cranford, Jessica M. Tiettmeyer, Bryan C. Chuprinko, Sophia Jordan, and Nathaniel P. Grove.
Improving Students’ Laboratory and Research Skills
Using Structured Chemistry Examinations (SChemEs) As an Assessment Method To Improve Undergraduate Students’ Generic, Practical, and Laboratory-Based Skills by Stewart B. Kirton, Abdullah Al-Ahmad, and Suzanne Fergus
The Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory: A Student Team Approach to the Fourth-Year Research Thesis Project Experience by Paul A. E. Piunno, Cleo Boyd, Virginijus Barzda, Claudiu C. Gradinaru, Ulrich J. Krull, Sasa Stefanovic, and Bryan Stewart
Promoting Undergraduate STEM Education at a Historically Black College and University through Research Experience by Sayo O. Fakayode, Mamudu Yakubu, Olasumbo M. Adeyeye, David A. Pollard, and Abdul K. Mohammed
Aiding Student Understanding Using Technology and Multimedia
Visualizing Dispersion Interactions by Elinor Gottschalk and Bhawani Venkataraman
Using Audience Response Systems during Interactive Lectures To Promote Active Learning and Conceptual Understanding of Stoichiometry by Sandra Cotes and José Cotuá
Use of Screen Capture To Produce Media for Organic Chemistry by John G. D’Angelo
Eliciting Student Explanations of Experimental Results Using an Online Discussion Board by Ginger V. Shultz, Grace A. Winschel, Ronald C. Inglehart, and Brian P. Coppola
An Almost Paperless Organic Chemistry Course with the Use of iPads Aaron W. Amick and Nancy Cross Journal of Chemical Education 2014 91 (5), 753-756
Engaging Student Interest
Using Product Content Labels To Engage Students in Learning Chemical Nomenclature by M. Araceli Calvo Pascual
Observations on Manganese Dioxide As a Catalyst in the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide: A Safer Demonstration by John J. Dolhun
Anodizing and Coloring Aluminum Alloys by Craig J. Donahue and Jennifer A. Exline
Silver on the Nanoscale
Shining Light on Nanochemistry Using Silver Nanoparticle-Enhanced Luminol Chemiluminescence by Guido Panzarasa
From Coinage Metal to Luminescent Nanodots: The Impact of Size on Silver’s Optical Properties by Junhua Yu
Characterization of Micro- and Nanoscale Silver Wires Synthesized Using a Single-Replacement Reaction between Sputtered Copper Metal and Dilute Silver Nitrate Solutions by Wesley C. Sanders and co-workers
Organic and Biochemistry in the Laboratory
Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment To Determine Absolute Configuration Using Thin-Layer Chromatography by Alexander J. Wagner, Shawn M. Miller, Steven Nguyen, Ga Young Lee, Scott D. Rychnovsky, and Renée D. Link
Exploring the Wittig Reaction: A Collaborative Guided-Inquiry Experiment for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory by James A. MacKay and Nicholas R. Wetzel
Characterizing Carbonyls with Infrared Spectroscopy: An Introductory Chemistry Experiment in a Molecular Bioscience Program by James P. McEvoy
Spectroscopic Characterization of Amyloid Fibril Formation by Lysozyme by Jeffrey K. Myers
NMR in the Laboratory
Exploring the Hydrolysis of Sucrose by Invertase Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Flexible Package of Kinetic Experiments by Joanne D. Kehlbeck, Clancy C. Slack, Marilyn T. Turnbull, and Susan J. Kohler
Expansion of the Classic Acetylacetone Physical Chemistry Laboratory NMR Experiment: Correlation of the Enol–Keto Equilibrium Position with the Solvent Dipole Moment by Peter Olaf Sandusky
Proton NMR Analysis of Heat Exchange Fluids Containing Ethylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, and Water: A Real-World Experiment for the Analytical Laboratory by Brian R. Dauner and David L. Pringle
Teaching Electronics by Using Arduino
Construction of a Photometer as an Instructional Tool for Electronics and Instrumentation by Robert L. McClain
Open-Source Electronics As a Technological Aid in Chemical Education by Pawel L. Urban
From the Archives: Teaching with Toys
The May issue contains the article Application of the Second Law of Thermodynamics To Explain the Working of Toys by Erick Castellón. A few of the many articles in past issues of JCE on teaching chemistry using toys include:
Toys in the Classroom by Arlyne. M. (Mickey) Sarquis and Jerry L. Sarquis
JCE Classroom Activity: Memory Metal by JCE staff
Toys in the Chemistry Classroom by Gene R. Ziegler
What's Gluep? Characterizing a Cross-Linked Polymer by JCE staff
Sink or Swim: The Cartesian Diver by K. David Pinkerton
For an extensive list of materials in JCE on teaching with toys, see:
JCE Resources for Chemistry and Toys by Erica K. Jacobsen
What do we seek through thousands of pages of JCE?
With thousands of pages of the Journal of Chemical Education to explore, you will always find something useful—including all of the articles mentioned above, and many more, in the Journal of Chemical Education. Articles that are edited and published online ahead of print (ASAP—As Soon As Publishable) are also available.
The January 2014 issue will be available as a sample issue for the entire year. If you like what you read, subscribe! If you have something to share, write it up!