A convenient approach to obtain Lewis structures for compounds of the type YX[subscript n] involves first constructing a trial structure that satisfies the valence of the outer atoms (e.g.,1 bond for fluorine, 2 bonds for oxygen, and 3 bonds for nitrogen)and placing the molecular charge (if any) on the central atom. The second step involves…

A new teaching resource comprised of raw X-ray diffraction data sets from crystallography experiments has been compiled. The aim of this resource is to provide a tool with which to plug the teaching gap between crystals and chemical structures present at various levels of education, as well as providing examples for early stage researchers and…

Molecular modeling can be used as an excellent teaching method for providing better insight into the mechanism of free radical reactions. Due to its highly visual nature, it can affect and improve students' perception and visualization of chemistry phenomena. The majority of chemistry students will know how to represent a reaction between two free…

We propose an innovative approach to teaching friction. Our approach aims to educate students on its microscopic nature by highlighting its origin in intermolecular interactions. We have designed a teaching sequence (TS) based on a set of experimental investigations of the properties of a gecko-inspired tape at different length scales. The TS has…

The field of biosensors is a burgeoning area of research and employs a large number of chemistry graduates. The impact of strip tests in detecting coronavirus was palpable during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and will further drive the biosensor industry. Despite their common usage, a coherent introduction to the basics of sensing remains missing…

Ludic-didactic material has systematically been proven to be a useful tool that enhances teaching and learning processes, at practically any educational level by reducing the stress level of students and creating a feeling of team spirit and trust. In chemistry courses, significant efforts have been made to improve the learning of intermolecular…

An open-source repository of basic building block models design files for writing chemical formulas, equations, and ionic states are provided. Writing chemical symbols, molecules, and ions in their correct oxidation state or valency in chemical equations is an essential and integral part of learning. For a visually impaired student, it is very…

The molecular structure of living organisms and the complex interactions amongst its components are the basis for the diversity observed at the macroscopic level. Proteins and nucleic acids are some of the major molecular components, and play a key role in several biological functions, such as those of development and evolution. This article…

Identifying students' misconceptions and learning difficulties and finding effective ways of addressing them has been one of the major concerns in chemistry education. However, the chemistry education community has paid little attention to determining discipline-specific aspects of chemistry that can lead to learning difficulties and…

In this exercise, an actual chemical reaction, oxidation of iron in air, is studied along with a related analogue simulation of that reaction. The rusting of steel wool is carried out as a class effort. The parallel simulation is performed by students working in small groups. The analogue for the reacting gas is a countable set of discrete marble…

Paper-based microfluidic devices (µPAD) are a burgeoning platform of microfluidic analysis technology. The method described herein is for use in undergraduate and high school chemistry laboratories. A simple and convenient µPAD was fabricated by easy patterning of filter paper using a permanent marker pen. The usefulness of the device was…

The electronic and molecular structure of the acylium cation ([CH[subscript 3]CO][superscript +], 1) receives varied treatment in undergraduate textbooks and online resources. The overall structure of 1 is typically represented as an equal combination of resonance structures containing C-O triple and double bonds, the latter structure occasionally…

Chunk-based strategy and mnemonics have been developed to write ground state electron configurations of elements, which is a routine exercise for the higher secondary (pre-university) level general chemistry students. To assimilate a better understanding of the nature of chemical reactions, an adequate knowledge of the periodic table of elements…

We introduce various methods which are used to depict three-dimensional objects on two-dimensional surfaces. Many of these are artistic and not conducive to exact interpretation. Instead, the scientific and engineering practices and mathematics of orthographic projection are introduced, and illustrated in an accompanying interactive Excel…

Why is chemistry so difficult? A seminal paper by Johnstone (1982) offered an explanation for why science in general, and chemistry in particular, is so difficult to learn. He proposed that an expert in chemistry thinks at three levels; the macro (referred to as the observational level in this article), the sub-micro (referred to as the molecular…