Understanding Unoccupied (or empty) Space in Solid Structures
Description
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DePauw University
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Electron Counting
Description
I use these two handouts early in my inorganic course to outline how to count electrons and assign ligand types in a metal complex. I introduce it early so that I can use the terms "X" and "L" in class. I come back to it and hit it again when I do my unit on organometallics. The "ligands" handout is my interpretation of the MLH Green paper from 1995 (Green, M. L. H., J. Organometal.
Molecular Origami: Precision Scale Models from Paper, by Robert M. Hanson
Description
This book called to me given my fascination with both origami and molecular model kits. While not a textbook in the true sense, the content of the book is pertinent to topics of molecular structure and symmetry and is therefore potentially valuable in both general and inorganic chemistry courses. In addition to the plans for constructing all the models (~125), there is a small amount of background information. Granted, many of these models could more easily be made using traditional model kits, but I had fun building them from paper.
Google Docs for Summer Research
Description
I am using Google Docs in my research lab for a variety of purposes, and I thought it might be helpful to share how I am using them. Google docs allows simulataneous editing by multiple people, and everyone needs a Google ID to do that. My research group and I are using one document to write up research results in paper format, one document to keep track of weekly goals, one document for general instrumentation and experimental technique trouble-shooting, and one to keep track of any work that occurs after hours when I am not around.
Battery in class activity
Description
This is an in-class exercise to be used at the end of General Chemistry (II). I use it as a capstone exercise at the end of my second semester genchem course, but it would also make an excellent introductory review exercise at the beginning of a junior level inorganic course. It provides an excellent review of topics from the entire semester (electrochemistry, acid-base, thermodynamics, colligative properties, solution chemistry and calculations) and shows how they are inter-related in a real world application (a car battery).
ACS Meeting Content- Slides and Audio
Description
The ACS has posted slides and audio for selected talks from recent national meetings. Students have the opportunity to listen to talks by research leaders whose work may relate to a topic discussed in class or to an undergraduate research project. This will also be a great resource for students who are gathering information about potential graduate research groups.
Introduction to the Synthesis and Properties of Nanoparticles
Description
This activity leads students through the synthesis of compound nanoparticles and examines how key physical properties such as band gap vary with particle size. Prior to doing this, students should have some exposure to the structure of solids, band theory, and band gap as a periodic property (see, for example, Lisensky, et al. J Chem.
The Chemmies: A Descriptive Chemistry Audio/Video Research Project
Description
This project was initiated as a way to enhance the descriptive inorganic chemistry unit presented in our General Chemistry II curriculum. As the time available in the term prohibited the amount of lecture time needed to cover this vast array of material, the idea of a research project allowed for students to investigate an inorganic chemistry topic of keen interest to them over the course of the semester. A previous term's attempt using a research paper project was quite unpopular, so the idea of a multimedia presentation was devised as an alternative to achieve similar learning goals. S
Viewing Molecular Orbital Calculations with GaussView: a Lab for First or Second Year Undergraduate Students.
Description
This laboratory exercise was developed to compliment several weeks of freshmen or sophomore level quantum chemistry lecture material at our institution. The students meet in a computer lab on campus and use the software package known as GaussView.
The Berry Pseudorotation in PF5
Description
This activity makes use of Jmol animations created by Prof. Marion Cass at Carleton College to illustrate the Berry Pseudorotation in trigonal bipyramidal molecules such as PF5. Students explore the animations and answer a series of questions that lead to a description of this intramolecular motion that exchanges equatorial and axial atoms in trigonal bipyramidal molecules.