As the size of a nanoparticle is reduced, the fraction of surface atoms increases. It is interesting to note that various chemical and physical properties depend on the fraction of surface atoms. One of the most obvious questions that arise is how could one possibly estimate the fraction of surface atoms in a nanoparticle? Herein, we discuss…

The present technology report is aimed at demonstrating how the implementation of VR chemistry simulations of atomic structure enhances learning among students. MEL Chemistry VR lessons were incorporated into the classroom for 43 first-year undergraduate ITMO University students. The visualization techniques provided the learners with two…

The tradition of qualitative research drives much of chemistry education research activity. When performing qualitative studies, researchers must demonstrate the trustworthiness of their analysis so researchers and practitioners consuming their work can understand if and how the presented research claims and conclusions might be transferable to…

Dilute guarana´ ("Paullinia cupana") powder aqueous extract is a soft drink that contains three structurally related methylxanthines (MXs), caffeine (CF), theobromine (TB), and theophylline (TP); CF is present in a large excess. Literature data show that values of [lambda][subscript max] and [epsilon][subscript max] of these three MXs…

The atom is science's biggest idea! And now it is known that even children from 4 years of age can grasp it, creating science education's biggest worldwide opportunity. Dr. Jenny Donovan and Dr. Carole Haeusler of the University of Southern Queensland conducted multiple studies to show that primary-age children, mostly aged 7-9 years in their…

In the vicinity of a critical point, the impact of a substance's chemical identity is superseded by universal critical behavior for a number of physical properties, such as visible light scattering. In this classroom demonstration, students observe a single-phase critical mixture of partially miscible isobutyric acid + water (IAW) as the…

Despite extensive conceptualization of ions as hard spheres in most textbooks, solid-state structures are more accurately modeled as overlapping soft spheres that better reflect the size of the ions. The corresponding soft-sphere ionic radii of alkali and halide ions can be empirically established from the partial molar volume of the ions in…

Academic honesty is a fundamental property of character values from an early age. It should be integrated into every learning process in the context of habituation towards continual learning. This study aimed to investigate student's academic honesty through acid-base material in chemistry using contextual-based discovery learning (CDL) model. By…

One particular challenge in chemistry learning is developing students' atomic level understanding of chemical processes. It is necessary to help students learn how to critique atomic models rather than accept them as ''truth.'' In this study, we used a resources-based framework to examine how students made sense of macroscopic level information to…

Using polymerizable cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) paints, we prepare circularly polarized freestanding films that enable students to acquire a basic understanding of circular polarization and molecular chirality. The polymerized helical structures of CLC films can exhibit brilliant structural colors by selective reflection of visible light…

Teaching fluorescence aims to deeply communicate light-matter interactions. The main fluorescence concepts are covered in undergraduate courses and are difficult to comprehend as the proper lighting conditions for seeing it by the naked eye are rarely found in daily life. Here, we present a lab activity to explore fluorescence using homemade…

Over 200 years ago, Alessandro Volta published his observations of a steady voltage when a piece of electrolyte-soaked cardboard was sandwiched between two dissimilar metals. This observation initiated a century of argument as to the origin of voltaic electricity (contact vs chemical) and catalyzed practical advances, such as the first…

The basic SIR (susceptible-infectious-removed) model of epidemiology is presented in chemical kinetic terms with a simple two-reaction mechanism. The conditions for the development of epidemics, the course of a simple closed epidemic, and the bases of several mitigation strategies are described in terms of the underlying first- and second-order…

While several engineering and science disciplines, including biology and environmental science, have greatly benefited from adopting a systems thinking approach, its extension to chemistry education is a much more recent advancement. The initial body of literature in this direction has largely surveyed the feasibility for systems thinking in…

We have updated a version of the coordination geometry table of the d-block elements and their ions that Moore and co-workers presented in 1997. This table is constructed by searching and analyzing the data in the Cambridge Structural Database. In this updated version, we have also analyzed impact of ligands on the coordination geometry and…