The principles of process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) are applied to the analysis of the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen. Over the course of three learning cycles, students construct the hydrogen atom's energy level diagram and assign quantum numbers using their measurements of the Balmer series plus additional information on the…

Pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is used to estimate the size of quantum dots (QDs) produced in a simple, fast, small-scale synthesis. This upper-division laboratory experiment teaches the basics of QD synthesis and pulsed field gradient NMR, a powerful technique for measuring diffusion coefficients in solution. The diffusion…

This article considers to what degree the UK depends on nuclear power for the generation of electricity and examines the problems, environmental and technical, associated with radioactive waste. Historical failings, the waste backlog, classification, modern handling techniques and with decisions about final disposal are outlined to provide an…

Most chemistry students struggle with interpreting and understanding NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra and the general concepts of NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectroscopy seems to be difficult to both teach and learn. Therefore, the corresponding courses should be investigated in more detail. We conducted a survey with N = 39 German university…

This study aimed to uncover the ontological orientations of educators' sense of the atom of Kotebe Metropolitan University (KMU), Ethiopia. Thus, an interpretative case study design was employed, with the analytic approach of grounded theory, due to the importance of atomic ontology as a case and the need for an in-depth analysis of their thinking…

Nanotechnology has been recognized as an important driver of the future economy, and so nanoscience is increasingly being incorporated into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. This experiment includes the chemical synthesis, optical and chemical testing, and microscopic imaging of gold nanoparticles. Since nanoparticles are too small to…

An elementary-level physics approach is used to calculate a number of interesting and useful quantities related to nuclear explosions. The set of eight exercises deals with nuclear fission fragments, the variation of fissile nucleus density in a fissioning nuclear device core with time, and the fireball.

Nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry is a branch of chemistry that has high experimental risks, has high research costs, and is subject to certain prejudices. However, it has an extremely important influence on the development of human life. It is particularly important to emphasize the general education of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry…

This article aims to introduce the actinides and some aspects of nuclear chemistry to teachers and their students. The actinides are a group of f-block elements with atomic numbers from 90 to 103. (The term 'actinoids' encompasses both the actinides and actinium itself). All of the actinides are radioactive but they also have a rich inorganic…

For several years, I taught a general education course on the Manhattan Project for students majoring in the arts and humanities who needed a physical science credit as a condition of their graduation requirements. As might be imagined, the challenge in teaching this course was to find a balance between quantitative and qualitative content. A…

In this paper it is demonstrated how the free, and easily downloadable, software package called SMath Studio can be used to set up a model of alpha-particle scattering. The basic physics of the motion of an alpha-particle in the nuclear coulomb field is used to produce a simple stepwise computer algorithm which, in conjunction with a novel set of…

Clean energy is a topic of increasing political and cultural significance in the age of climate change, and as such can be an interesting topic with which to engage students. One avenue to produce large quantities of power is through harnessing nuclear reactions; however, the social stigma and fear of expanding nuclear power have placed several…

There currently exists a significant deficiency in the nuclear chemistry workforce within the United States, despite its importance in areas of medicine, national security, and energy. Poor coverage of this topic across many chemistry departments at the undergraduate level likely contributes to this shortage. Increasing interest and hands-on…

The logos of many atomic energy regulatory bodies present a paradox in that the depictions of atomic structure that they portray tend to be 'wrong' in relation to the rules that govern pictorial representations of atomic structure that we teach. These logos present chemistry educators with excellent classroom resources to enhance critical thinking…

A little-known type of nuclear reactor called the "molten salt reactor" (MSR), in which nuclear fuel is dissolved in a liquid carrier salt, was proposed in the 1940s and developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the 1960s. Recently, the MSR has generated renewed interest as a remedy for the drawbacks associated with conventional…