Students undertaking courses in the field of chemistry need to integrate their spatial skills and conceptual knowledge. However, model perception along with the understanding of spatial processes and spatial structures of molecules has been a cause of difficulty for students as conventional teaching methods cannot fully aid student comprehension.…

This work describes the use of a single chemical reaction to teach and connect a number of standard general chemistry course topics while also introducing students to polymer concepts. Through the study of the reaction that converts spiropyran into merocyanine, we are able to present and connect molecular orbital theory, quantum mechanics,…

Novel carbon nanomaterials such as reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and graphene oxide (GO) can be easily incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum to discuss basic chemistry and nanotechnology concepts. This paper describes a laboratory experiment designed to study the differences between GO and rGO regarding their physicochemical properties…

Experiments are described that involve undergraduates learning concepts of nanoscience and chemistry. Students prepare nanopatterns of organosilane films using protocols of particle lithography. A few basic techniques are needed to prepare samples, such as centrifuging, mixing, heating, and drying. Students obtain hands-on skills with nanoscale…

The application of the Reaction Monte Carlo (RxMC) algorithm to standard textbook problems in chemical reaction equilibria is discussed. The RxMC method is a molecular simulation algorithm for studying the equilibrium properties of reactive systems, and therefore provides the opportunity to develop computer-based "experiments" for the…

Context-based learning (CBL) is advocated as beneficial to learners, but more needs to be understood about how different contexts used in courses influence student outcomes. Gilbert defined several models of context that appear to be used in chemistry. In one model that achieves many criteria of student meaning-making, the context is provided by…

In science education, representations are necessary inter alia for the understanding of relationships between structures and systems. However, several studies have identified difficulties of students when working with representations. In the present study, we investigated students' responses (regarding their preference, test performance, mental…

We developed a computerised simulation that utilises embodied modelling by letting students play the role of particles in a liquid. We compared the learning of two eight-grade classrooms that used the embodied modelling simulation during a weeklong learning module on phase change, with a comparison group that used an ordinary simulation with no…

Given that students are constantly communicating and documenting special experiences in their social and private lives with digital devices, we suggest that this behavior could be used to record and deepen learning experiences-such as visualizing reactions at the molecular level-in a chemistry class. An example would be the creation of stop-motion…

Understanding the relationship between molecular structure and function represents an important goal of undergraduate life sciences. Although evidence suggests that handling physical models supports gains in student understanding of structure-function relationships, such models have not been widely implemented in biochemistry classrooms.…

A simple molecular dynamics experiment is described to demonstrate transport properties for the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory. The AMBER package is used to monitor self-diffusion in "n"-hexane. Scripts (available in the Supporting Information) make the process considerably easier for students, allowing them to focus on the…

Many introductory and nanotechnology textbooks discuss the operation of various microscopes including atomic force (AFM), scanning tunneling (STM), and scanning electron microscopes (SEM). In a nanotechnology laboratory class, students frequently utilize microscopes to obtain data without a thought about the detailed operation of the tool itself.…

This article is a response to a commentary entitled "Comment on 'Rabbit-Ears Hybrids, VSEPR Sterics, and Other Orbital Anachronisms': A Reply to a Criticism," which focuses on the fundamental question of whether there exists a unique set of supposedly "real," or "best," orbitals for a given molecule. The authors of…

Only diazotrophic bacteria, called "Rizhobia," living as symbionts in the root nodules of leguminous plants and certain free-living prokaryotic cells can fix atmospheric N[subscript 2]. In these microorganisms, nitrogen fixation is carried out by the nitrogenase protein complex. However, the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia has an…

A two-week experiment is presented in which students can observe the impact of nanoparticles on the concentration of chlorophyll in plants. First-year students in an introductory nanotechnology laboratory course and a general chemistry laboratory course synthesized silver nanoparticles and then exposed stalks of "Egeria densa" ("E.…