Torsional effects influence kinetic selectivity in a wide range of organic transformations. As such, textbooks commonly use Newman projections to illustrate the torsional effects that arise in their transition states. Unfortunately, these representations fall short when the reaction occurs "within a ring." In many cases, the torsional…

This teaching brief describes an engaging, in-class exercise that introduces genetic algorithms as well as advanced Excel functions and capabilities by modeling the familiar Sudoku puzzle. Student groups are first asked to manually solve a given puzzle and then translate that solution methodology to a spreadsheet model. This exercise can be used…

Many teachers have had students ask the proverbial question, "When will I ever use this in my life?" In the sciences, especially physics, teachers seem to battle this torrent of indifference continually. Although many areas of our students' lives can distract them from their academic pursuits, we as teachers must be introspective in…

Developing simpler, more accessible, and more affordable methods for the determination of the boiling point of microscale amounts of liquid may lead to increased utilization in research and teaching laboratories as an analytical technique. Our efforts toward that goal have revealed that digital hot plates can be used as the heat source. One option…

Popular demonstrations commonly use stretched spandex fabric to illustrate the way in which curved spacetime mimics the force of gravity in general relativity. There are significant potential conceptual pitfalls to such an approach. In particular, it obscures the fact that most of what we ordinarily feel as gravity is due to the warping of time…

This work outlines the inadequacies of the "ions in a sea of electrons" model. Some general properties of metals are stated. A different "soft/flexible" sphere model is described. The benefits of using this other model to account for metallic properties are discussed. Equations based on the soft sphere model are used to…

An understanding of buffers is important in a variety of chemistry subdisciplines, with relevant applications to the life sciences and health profession-related fields. Here, we describe the development and implementation of a lab that involves creating a buffer solution using baby wipes and deionized water. The goal of this lab was to emphasize a…

The students in our physical chemistry course pointed out an interesting trend in the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of successive homolytic cleavages of hydrogens from methane and water. Namely, while there is an increase in BDE from CH[subscript 4] to CH[subscript 3], there is a decrease in BDE from H[subscript 2]O to OH. In order to explain…

Preceding even the Hartree-Fock method, molecular integrals are the very foundation upon which quantum chemical molecular modeling depends. Discussions of molecular integrals are normally found only in advanced and technical texts or articles. The objective of the present article is to provide less experienced readers, or students in a…

The Pauli exclusion principle is a key postulate of the quantum theory and informs much of what we know about matter. In terms of electronic structure, the lone, deceptively simple mathematical requirement is that the total wave function be antisymmetric with respect to the exchange of any two electrons. However, visualizing the effect on the…

Open-ended problems are a very effective tool for engaging student interest. In this paper, we report a physics activity that provides insight into the lifestyle of theropod dinosaurs. This activity generates great enthusiasm among the students since virtually everyone is interested in dinosaurs. In the spirit of the "spherical cow"…

The acceleration of a vehicle or a bicycle is commonly used in elementary physics courses to illustrate problems concerning Newton's laws of motion when friction forces are involved. The maximum possible acceleration is rarely discussed, although it is of interest to consumers and racing car enthusiasts, and it is sometimes questioned by students.…

Research shows that energy is a concept that is difficult to understand despite different teaching approaches existing. One of the problems is seen in its rather abstract definition. In contrast, we present an approach that activates students' everyday life experiences and uses these to develop a scientific understanding by introducing energy as a…

Recently, many scientists and science advocates have taken the responsibility to mobilize for the sake of science. With fake news or "alternative facts" on the rise, many scientists and science supporters are determined to protect the credibility of science and promote evidence-based policy-making. At the core of these mobilization…

Conducting scientific inquiry is expected to help students make informed decisions; however, how exactly it can help is rarely explained in science education standards. According to classroom studies, inquiry that students conduct in science classes seems to have little effect on their decision-making. Predetermined values play a large role in…