bonding

  Egg-lectrons and McLewis Structures: More Representations of Electron Arrangements in Atoms and Molecules Co-Authored with Ali Patel* *Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois

Would you like to take a walk with me through the chemical winter wonderland of snowflakes? Well, we chemists know that the stunning six-sided symmetry of snowflakes (Figure 1) results from repeated arrangement of water molecules into a hexagonal crystal structure (Figure 2).

In my three decades of teaching, I have found that students understand chemistry much more easily when it is connected to real-world contexts—therefore, I try to drive home the relevance of chemistry by providing examples related to the environment, health and beauty, and the food industry, to name a few.

Sometimes we have a topic that needs a refresh, and I hope when you’re searching for fresh ideas those searches lead you to ChemEd X! What I love doing is taking an activity that is really great, and using it in my own way with a personal twist.

After the 2021 AP Test, I used the movie “Dark Waters” (see video 1) and this PFAS Analysis guided inquiry activity to introduce students to “Forever Chemical” pollutants in the environment (see figure 1).

Hang on to your hats, folks! We are about to enter my longest notebook unit of the year: Bonding. This unit is massive with 6 two page spreads. Read on to see my discussion of pros and cons of splitting it into two units versus keeping it as one big unit.

Co-Authored by Dean J. Campbell*, Marius Stancu*, and Matthew Zhou* *Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois

Structure. Structure. Structure. As we all know as chemistry educators, structure is the 'go to' concept when trying to figure out why molecules do what molecules do.

Introduction: 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.

Chemical bonding is a pivotal topic in chemistry classes that can be overwhelming for students and teachers alike - so much to teach, so many ways that it can be overwhelming! On November 4th, 2021, Nora Walsh shared her unit covering chemical bonding and naming in this ChemBasics Talk.