Solution to Chemical Mystery #17: Bubble Buster!
Tom Kuntzleman | Wed, 04/29/2020 - 16:45
The solution to Chemical Mystery #17 is presented. Were you able to use your chemical knowledge to explain the results?
equilibrium
A Multi-Colored Equilibrium Experiment
Tom Kuntzleman | Thu, 03/05/2020 - 18:35
Solutions of copper (II) dissolved in acetone are easy to prepare, and can display orange, yellow, green, and blue color depending upon conditions. Such solutions allow for a variety of demonstrations and experiments that illustrate principles of chemical equilibrium.
Why Green Chemistry? Or Better Yet, Why Not Green Chemistry?
Erika Fatura | Mon, 08/05/2019 - 22:50
My top 5 reasons for using Green Chemistry in my classroom along with a few examples of replacement labs that follow Green Chemistry principles.
Equilibrium Snowball Fight
Josh Kenney | Thu, 06/20/2019 - 12:08
This physical analogy relates to dynamic equilibrium and pits students against each other in a classroom-wide “snowball” fight. Not only is this activity great for building students’ conceptualization of dynamic equilibrium, it is also really fun!
Solution to Chemical Mystery #16: A Red, White, and Blue Chemistry Trick for You!
Tom Kuntzleman | Wed, 06/12/2019 - 13:37
The solution to "Chemical Mystery #16: A Red, White, and Blue Chemistry Trick for You!" is presented. How this experiment can be used as a springboard to carry out a simple quantitative analysis of salt solubility is also discussed.
From JCE - A demonstration for challenging students' thinking on acid-base chemistry and equilibrium
Dan Meyers | Tue, 05/01/2018 - 08:29
I was drawn to an article by Eilks, Gulacar, and Sandoval about Acid-Base Chemistry and Chemical Equilibrium in the April 2018 issue of JCE. The title of the article is "Exploring the Mysterious Substances, X and Y: Challenging Students' Thinking on Acid-Base Chemistry and Chemical Equilibrium." The premise of the article is to demonstrate how an instructor may use a group of compounds (zeolites) to "elaborate on the behavior of solid state acids and bases" while revisiting LeChatelier's principle.
Moving Beyond Le Châtelier
Kaleb Underwood | Mon, 12/04/2017 - 11:09
Is it time for us as chemistry teachers to move beyond the Le Châtelier Principle as justification for why disturbances to equilibrium systems cause particular “shifts”? The author shares his new approach to teach equilibrium and provide his students with a more rigorous understanding of the concept.
An Activity to Demonstrate the Principles of Chemical Kinetics and Equilibria
George Parris | Fri, 08/04/2017 - 11:32
A classroom activity to demonstrate the principles of chemical kinetics and equilibria and the utility of the mole concept is described here. The activity involved no hazardous materials or complex equipment and can be enjoyed and appreciated by general studies students as well as chemistry majors.
Chemical Thinking Interactives
Kaleb Underwood | Tue, 07/04/2017 - 15:52
As part of a two-week Chemistry Modeling Workshop™ in Houston, TX, I had the opportunity to read the Journal of Chemical Education article “When Atoms Want” by Vicente Talanquer of the University of Arizona. I researched Dr. Talanquer and discovered he created a collection of simulations called Chemical Thinking Interactives (CTI). These digital tools illustrate many chemistry topics with a focus on the particulate nature of matter.
Big Ideas in AP Chemistry: Connections Among Thermodynamics and Equilibrium
Tracy Schloemer | Sat, 10/08/2016 - 17:52
I have a confession: thermodynamics is not my strong suit. The data set I got from the College Board confirmed my lack of confidence in the summer of 2015. With the hope of improvements, I spent some time revamping my thermo unit and I implemented it near the end of last school year. I will share an activity that I feel was quite formative for students and for me in making connections among thermodynamic principles and equilibrium.