Understanding the general ideas and methods of detecting molecular structures is essential in high school chemistry. However, there is a need for more practical activities in teaching. A hands-on activity was designed in this study, which uses flexible foam balls and long sticks such as knitting needles to imitate how scientists construct the 3D…

This investigation of student and instructor representations of molecular orbitals (MOs) uses the knowledge from a community of practice to build collective pedagogical content knowledge of student understanding of molecular orbital representations in the foundation-level inorganic chemistry course. Participants were asked to sketch the bonding…

This article presents computational chemistry exercises that are designed to be incorporated into an undergraduate physical chemistry course. This activity teaches computational chemistry as it is performed in higher-level research (in a command-line environment and executed on a high-performance computing cluster) to provide students with a…

The basic knowledge of chemical formula writing is fundamental for chemistry students, yet many still struggle to learn it. To provide a more interactive and engaging approach that facilitates and reinforces student understanding of chemical formulas and stoichiometry of chemical reactions, we have designed a chemical jigsaw puzzle. Only eight…

A language is a system of communication, consisting of a set of sounds or written symbols that enable people to communicate. In chemistry, a particular language is required in order to represent the phenomenological world by means of symbols. Choosing the right words and knowing the precise definitions for chemical concepts is needed for avoiding…

Nanoscience and technology research offer exciting avenues to modernize undergraduate-level General Chemistry curricula. In particular, spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanoconjugates, which behave as "programmable atom equivalents" (PAEs) in the context of colloidal crystals, are one system that one can use to reinforce foundational…

Atoms may repel or attract each other, but bound systems get virtually all of the attention in the classroom. To address the imbalance, instructors can explore the basis of repulsion in a few simple systems and highlight the important role played by the Pauli principle. A good example is the first triplet excited state of H[subscript 2] wherein…

A straightforward protocol for the preparation of the colorful and air-stable diphenyl ditelluride is described. In one laboratory session, students isolate their product and characterize it via melting point determination, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy ([superscript 1]H, [superscript 13]C­{[superscript 1]H}, and [superscript…

The introduction of Computational Chemistry via "Molecular Modelling and Drug Design" course at undergraduate level has opened wide possibilities for students to expand their knowledge of quantum chemistry, organic reaction mechanisms, protein-ligand interactions, drug design, and probable "in vivo" behavior of drug candidates.…

This review describes a computational chemistry exercise aimed at enhancing the understanding of upper-division undergraduates in organic chemistry and physical chemistry regarding the structures and aromaticities of cyclobutadiene and cyclooctatetraene. This exercise exposes students to chemical problems that require computational methods as a…

The concepts taught in an undergraduate physical chemistry course are directly related to the molecular processes governing climate change, yet the connections between quantum mechanical molecular properties and global warming are rarely made explicit. To improve student knowledge about climate change, we developed a three-part activity that…

Chemistry undergraduate curricula typically place Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) lectures under either Organic Chemistry or Spectroscopy courses, aiming for students to acquire basic knowledge for the determination of the structure of simple organic compounds. On the other hand, regarding laboratory practice, NMR is frequently disregarded by…

The classic silver mirror reaction at room temperature in textbooks usually used glucose to react with silver nitrate and ammonium nitrate with the presence of caustic alkalis. But the aldehydes such as acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde were difficult to react under the same condition. In this paper, Na[subscript 2]CO[subscript 3] was used to…

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…

The crystalline sponge method allows for direct and precise molecular structure determination of liquid and gaseous targets and thus has been recognized as a revolutionary breakthrough in crystallography. To expose undergraduates to this cutting-edge technique, we have developed a comprehensive laboratory experiment with reaction conditions and…