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1. "Apparent Charge" ? Briley, Emmely 08-09-2006 11:33

I like Paul's idea of explaining oxidation numbers as "apparent charge," in which the atom gets its oxidation
number from the charge it would have if all if its shared electrons are assigned to the most electronegative atom,
but I have a question. How can we present this without our students getting confused and thinking that
covalently bonded atoms have a charge or by conflating the idea with the rules of "formal charge" for deciding
best resonance structures? I'd love to hear your good ideas!

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2. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Engstrom, Harold 08-11-2006 12:47

It is (my copy) a 4 volume set, with 11 sections. 1. Thermochemistry 2. Chemiluminescence 3. Polymers 4.
Color and Equilibria of Metal ion Precipitates and Complexes 5. Physical Behavior of Gases 6. Chemical
Behavior of Gases 7. Oscillating Chemical Reactions 8. Acids and Bases 9. Liquids, Solutions and Colloids 10.
Clock Reactions 11. Electrochemistry: Batteries, Electrolytic Cells, and Plating I put them all down just to
remind myself. Paul included a link

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3. Burning Mg Lab St Clair, Robert 08-11-2006 18:31

Our local university uses a burning Mg lab to deermine oxidation number. I do not have a copy of the lab but
have helped several former studesnts with the calculation. I suppose I need to go to the campus bookstore and
pick up a few lab books.

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4. Cell Lab? Koch, Brennan 08-10-2006 09:40

Somewhere in my stack of book I remember coming across a lab that describes how to make a a cell with
alternating metal plates with soaked blotter paper between. Anyone tried a basic lab like this? Is it worth finding
again?

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5. D Brooks web site Engstrom, Harold 08-10-2006 21:53

http://dwb.unl.edu/ David W. Brooks If you've been too busy to try some of the external links, this is a good
one. The video clips are wonderful. Exponential numbers of clips. The hydrogen and 50% hydrogen and 50%
oxygen one is fun.

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6. Demo links St Clair, Robert 08-11-2006 18:29

I was just looking for a lab and found this page: http://www.chemistrycoach.com/Links%20to
%20chemistry_experiments.htm

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7. Demos, labs, Cu and nitric acid Harley, David 08-09-2006 09:13

I think that oxidation-reduction concepts have the best demos and labs we get to do in chemistry. Kids really
love seeing these done and being able to repeat them for themsleves at some time - how many times have you
had a student ask about potato clocks or lemon batteries? There are a lot of great resources out their and Paul
has given us some of the best. With regard to the HNO3 and copper idea - I do this the first day of class and
while I am performing it, I have a student read the "transcript" from Ira Remsen's investigation (it is toward the
bottom of the page): http://www.angelo.edu/faculty/kboudrea/demos/copper_HNO3/Cu_HNO3.htm David

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8. Electrolysis Lab Duchesne, Derek 08-07-2006 15:24

This is a great lab I've used the last two years after getting it from Cheri Smith. It takes awhile for the
students to appreciate the color changing hints.

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9. Electrolytic versus galvanic cells... Huebner, Verena 08-09-2006 14:12

My students tend to get very confused at the nomenclature used in these two types of cells. The idea that
galvanic cells run spontaneously, and electrolytic cells need an external source to run in the opposite direction
they understand... but they seem to get confused by what happens at the anodes and cathodes in each case. The
anode of the galvanic cell is the cathode of the corresponding electrolytic cell. Any hints or ideas on how to
make this clearer to the students?

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10. Electroplating with Cu Asbury, Felicia 08-09-2006 20:57

This is fun lab activity. I usually do it after the AP exam, but last year I did it during senior ditch day for extra
credit. All of the knuckle heads were gone and it was great! I also have students bring in other items to
electroplate and they get to take it home for a souvenir. Felicia

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11. HOLIDAY Bronk, Tina 08-08-2006 06:40

I usually do an element ball before the holiday break which is so boring to me. I love the two new holiday
labs. I'm going to have my general chemistry class and my AP class do these. Does anyone have any other
holiday activity's or demo's to share?

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12. Labettes and other resources Raines, Butler 08-09-2006 08:38

I love the idea of labettes. I guess I actually use them myself but never had a clever name for them. Most of
the echem labs shown there can be bought from flinn. Is has been my experiece that if you look at the picture
and google the name of the lab you can find most of the information about the labs flinn provides. I know once,
I bought a standing wave generator package from them and after seeing it built 5 more with spare parts in my
room. One thing I am weary off and it really stood out in echem (maybe because i studied under an
electrochemist) is that learning proper lab setups and techniques. I think it is a good idea for students to become
used to proper lab technique and equipment. I note many flinn labs use the plastic cups and pencil electrodes
when this would be a fine opportunity to set up an actual cell. But at the same time I do like the McGuyver
aspect of it. the Burning or Mg is cool. I do a Sulfur one but dang if i an think of it right now. that is a little less
elaborate to set up. But i have found a lot of these reactions and the Carbon dioxide one already posted can be
found as movies on the net. the kids still get excited to see a big bang on the smart board.

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13. Little Willie the Chemist Engstrom, Harold 08-10-2006 19:52

 Just because my students are always amazed at my lack of embarassment: A Poem Little Willie was a
chemist. But little Willie is no more, for what Little Willie thought was HtwoO, was really HtwoSOfour. (can
we really not use subscripts?)

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14. Mg and Dry Ice Duchesne, Derek 08-07-2006 15:33

THis is one of the students' favorite demos of the year. Hollow out a block of dry ice, fill with magnesium
turnings, ignite the turnings and place another block of dry ice on top. Massive amounts of light and smoke are
produced as CO2 oxidizes the Mg. Upon completion the students can see white MgO and a big chunk of C.
There are a number of safety hazards to consider. I do it in my fumehood and pull the sash down. Flinn has this
demo under the name "Hunka Hunka Burnin' Ice." That's their name, not mine.

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15. Ox/Redox and Electrochemistry Mccabe, Ann 08-12-2006 10:35

It looks like I am definitely going to have to get some 9-volt batteries (or I could "borrow" them from the
Physics teachers). I have covered (briefly) and have a good grasp of the oxidation stuff. Its the electrochemistry
stuff that I really need to brush up on. I have never taught it before and it has been over 15 years since I think I
learned it in college chemistry. On the AP test they always give the whole page of half potentials so you know
they will come up. Is there ALWAYS an electrochemical question? What are the odds you will see one on the
test? Also, I think this is a good "chemistry from real life" subject, because of all the students with their jewelry.
Electroplating is how they get those silver and gold necklaces, etc. that they all wear. There are two
electroplating places near my school, I would love to go on a field trip or maybe contact them about coming to
my school. But considering there are hazard signs all over the front of the building, maybe it would be too
dangerous. It could be an oppurtunity to "lose" some of the slackers. Okay, that's awful.

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16. Re: "Apparent Charge" ? Huebner, Verena 08-09-2006 13:47

good point... I don't have any answers, but my students tended to get confused with this as well!

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17. Re: "Apparent Charge" ? Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 05:59

Oxidation numbers are an invention and if applied consistently will be useful, even though the number
doesn't have a physical meaning. An ion with a 1+ charge DOES have a +1 oxidation number, but nitrogen in
N2O has no charge, but we assign in a +1 oxidation number simply because we assign oxygen a -2 oxidation
number. This discussion probably didn't help answer your question at all. Oxidation numbers are based on
assigning shared electron pairs to the more electronegative atom. Formal charges are based on sharing electrons
evenly between atoms.

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18. Re: "Apparent Charge" ? Mccabe, Ann 08-12-2006 10:15

I try to emphasize that oxidation numbers are "apparent charge" but charges (like you use to put ions together
in compounds) is actually electrons. I think it seperates the concept (oxidation) with the physical thing (the
actual electrons).

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19. Re: Burning Mg Lab Mccabe, Ann 08-12-2006 10:17
If I am remembering correctly, we use burning Mg in labs to illustrate chemical changes and as a synthesis
reaction with calculations. I could use it once again to illustrate oxidation.

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20. Re: Cell Lab? Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 09:47

You are describing a voltaic pile, but I have never done a lab based on this idea. Sounds interesting. --Paul

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21. Re: Demo links Roamos Quevedo, Lourdes 08-13-2006 12:46

Thanks for the link

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22. Re: Demos, labs, Cu and nitric acid Briley, Emmely 08-09-2006 11:20
Thanks. I put your link in my week 5 resources.

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23. Re: Demos, labs, Cu and nitric acid Huebner, Verena 08-09-2006 13:36
We do a multi-day Copper lab in first year chemistry, starting with the reactions shown, with several
additional conversions, ending up with solid copper again at the end. The students love it - especially the first
day, when they (I) add the nitric acid to their copper wire (in the hood) and they watch it react!

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24. Re: Demos, labs, Cu and nitric acid Raines, Butler 08-10-2006 11:14
there is a trick you can do with the lab and it makes it a little safer.... stop the neck of the erlyenmeyer that has
the nitric and copper. Use the outlet of the neck and connect tubing that goes into an another flask filled about
1/3 with water. As the NO goes into the water it becomes nitric acid. Now here is the trick. As the reaction
precedes , the pressure will cause the acidic solutino in flask 2 to shoot back to flask one and quench the
reaction. it is very fast and really scares the students if you talk up how dangerous the gas is and how you dont'
know how to stop the reaction. you can also use indicators in flask 2 for effect sorry if this is bad description,
sort of in a hurry....ill try to find the write up later...

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25. Re: Demos, labs, Cu and nitric acid Engstrom, Harold 08-10-2006 20:06
I put everyones in mine.

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26. Re: Demos, labs, Cu and nitric acid St Clair, Robert 08-11-2006 08:59
I should be a little embarrassed but I was doing chemistry. Last year I came across an old lab on activity
series of metals from the previous chemistry teacher who I replaced after a 35 year career. In the lab it called for
nitric acid to clean some reason. I couldn't find exactly why but thought that it could be used to clean the metals
(Al, Zn, Cu). In my small prep room i put some dirty copper in the nitric acid. Well after it about knocked me
out I did get it to the safety hood and get the reaction neutralized. No student we in the room and I learned a
lesson much the same way as we all have. I will do this demo for the students but use the stoppered flask.
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27. Re: Electrolysis Lab Briley, Emmely 08-09-2006 10:51

It seems like they'd need some experience and competence with indicators to be able to fully think through it.
I want to use the tips I've picked up in this course to give my students more time with it in the lab.

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28. Re: Electrolysis Lab Huebner, Verena 08-09-2006 13:26

I have a demonstration version of this lab which uses an flat-bed electophoresis gel box (which I get from the
biotechnology teacher) and a power supply. The electrophoresis is clear on the bottom, so you can place it on an
overhead projector. 1) first add distilled water to the gel box, hook up the power supply, and observe (nothing!)
2) add some salt to the distilled water, repeat, and you begin to see gases form at the anode and cathode. You
can use this to help come up with the equations for what you think is going on at the electrodes... 3) Turn off the
power supply, mix the solution, add a bit of phenol red (or other indicator) and repeat. You should see red on the
half of the gel box next to the anode, where the OH-/H2(g) is being produced. You get a very dramatic change
of in the middle of the gel box - which shows up pretty well on an overhead projector. Then you can discuss
how this fits in with your predictions of the chemistry that is taking place at the electrodes... You could extend
this by adding some buffer...and let the students guess what would happen...

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29. Re: Electrolysis Lab Engstrom, Harold 08-09-2006 15:51

Another stolen lab. I copied your procedure and named it after you.

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30. Re: Electrolysis Lab Lebental, Dana 08-11-2006 11:06

you have a biotechnology teacher? Thats impressive, we are still looking for a physics teacher! --Dana
Thanks for the new demo!

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31. Re: Electrolysis Lab Mccabe, Ann 08-12-2006 10:08

This seems like a good use of the overhead projector that just sits in my room. I am pretty sure the Biology
teacher has a gel box. She does alot of DNA stuff in AP Bio.

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32. Re: Electrolytic versus galvanic cells... Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 06:18
What is always true is that oxidation occurs at the anode and reduction occurs at the cathode. Also, the
cations always flow toward the cathode and anions always flow toward the anode. However, you need to look
closely at the two electrodes to see why. In electolytic cells, everything is driven by the charges on the two
electrodes (provided by some outside source pumping electrons out of one piece of metal [+] and into the other
piece [-]). In a galvanic cell, everything is driven by the reaction at the surface of the electrode. Get students to
look closely at what is going on and practice writing the reactions in each situation to pull this all together
without confusion. I don't know of any shortcuts. I use my worksheets and the online tutorials to help. I would
tell students that the anode of the galvanic cell IS CONNECTED TO the cathode of the electrolytic cell... not IS
THE cathode. --Paul
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33. Re: HOLIDAY Raines, Butler 08-09-2006 08:15

you could always do the snowy christmas tree..... Cu wire twirled to look like a tree and place in some time
up silver solution......

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34. Re: HOLIDAY Harley, David 08-09-2006 09:01

It can get kind of expensive depending on your resources, but I have had students take sheet Zn and Cu and
make ornaments by sketching,tracing, whatever - right on the metal and trim/cut accordingly. Buff off the sharp
edges and corners, make a hanger and you are set. Then you can put it on your chemis-tree. I have wanted to do
this with test tubes, beakers, etc, - but then you are really getting spendy. David

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35. Re: HOLIDAY Briley, Emmely 08-09-2006 11:13

The day before break is a short day for us, so we spend our twenty minute classes chemistry caroling around
the school. Here's a nice link for chemistry carols. http://www.delta.edu/slime/chemsongs.html Also attached is
a chromatography lab that might be fun for first years that I found just by googling "Christmas Chemistry."

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36. Re: HOLIDAY Briley, Emmely 08-09-2006 11:16

Attached is another cute one. Borax Snowflake.

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37. Re: HOLIDAY Mccabe, Ann 08-12-2006 10:12

I hate to be so PC, but maybe we could come up with some holiday experiments or demonstrations that do
not focus on Christmas per se?

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38. Re: HOLIDAY Groves, Paul 08-12-2006 11:27

I do the silver tree and simply refer to the pine tree as a symbol of Winter. We also make ornaments which are
mostly non-holiday oriented, however, for students who have not ideas, there are a lot of simple holiday shapes
that they can use. I talk about Father Chemistry who comes around to help students during Holiday time. Being
PC is just one of the realities of our diverse student population. --Paul

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39. Re: HOLIDAY pine cone spectroscopy Engstrom, Harold 08-09-2006 19:12
I copied this one from the newspaper. Melt wax, add saw dust and various non toxic salts. Pour over pine
cones, cool. Take home and burn in the fireplace for nice spectra (colors for the rest of the family).

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40. Re: Labettes and other resources Engstrom, Harold 08-09-2006 19:14
Thanks for the techniques to steal labs by Googling. This is why Paul has us discuss, I guess.
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41. Re: Little H2O Engstrom, Harold 08-11-2006 13:12

H2O got it. Thanks.

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42. Re: Little Willie the Chemist Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 06:01
You CAN use subscripts by adding in HTML tags such as and Water is H2O. --Paul

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43. Re: Little Willie the Chemist Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 06:04
I have seen a second verse... Johnny was a chemist, but Johnny is no more, Cuz what he thought was H2O
was H2SO4. Johnny, as we heard before, drank some H2SO4. Johnny's mother, an M.D., gave him CaCO3.
Now he's neutralized, it's true, but he's full of CO2! --Paul

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44. Re: Little Willie the Chemist Engstrom, Harold 08-11-2006 13:07
My students would find you as amazing. Did you make that up? I found mine in Boys Life magazine in 1958.
That could have been a sign about my future.

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45. Re: Little Willie the Chemist Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 15:07
Boys Life 1958! Cool. I think a student showed me that second stanza of the poem and forgot it. I found it
again on the internet and adapted it. The actual poem began: Johnny, finding life a bore, drank some H2SO4. I
didn't like the reference to suicide. --Paul

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46. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Groves, Paul 08-07-2006 18:20

I do this on the morning of the AP exam (I give my students breakfast and give each of them a lucky pen and
pencil, too.) I do it behind a safety shield. I have heard of it exploding once at a science teacher meeting. It was
being performed by a very experienced demonstrator and it knocked him on the floor unconscious. It is the only
time I ever heard of that happening. There might have been something mixed in his Mg turnings. --Paul

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47. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Bronk, Tina 08-08-2006 06:28

This demo sounds great. My students love explosions and bright lights. I may use it during my Halloween
demo/story.

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48. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Groves, Paul 08-08-2006 07:58

If you email Flinn Scientific, they would probably be very willing to send you a copy of the FlinnFax that
describes this demonstration. It would have all the safety information, too. --Paul

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49. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Balan, Irina 08-08-2006 11:28
Thanks for sharing that - sounds like fun - I mean anything that explodes or goes BOOM as some of my
students like to say will definitely get their attention. Irina

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50. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Harley, David 08-09-2006 09:02

This is awesome - kids absolutely love it. David

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51. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Briley, Emmely 08-09-2006 10:59

Will you please describe how you "hollow out" the dry ice?

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52. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Engstrom, Harold 08-09-2006 18:57

I love the test day ritual. I also love that you know about Shakhashiri. His Chemical Demonstrations Volume
4 part 11 has 33 electrochemistry demos.

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53. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Duchesne, Derek 08-10-2006 17:23

To hollow out the dry ice I use, I forgot the name, but it's a small spoon with a long handle used to carry
about reactions in large containers. I heat it up with a bunsen burner until it's red hot and place in on the dry ice.
It takes awhile to do this.

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54. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 05:45

deflagrating spoon? I scoop out the dry ice with a metal spatula, but it is tough. A chisel might be good, but
you don't want to break the ice. --Paul

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55. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 05:48

Here is a web site from Wales showing the demo. I have had sparks fly out of the middle, so I always use a
safety shield now. --Paul http://www.chem.unsw.edu.au/highschool/scientia/demogallery.html

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56. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Lebental, Dana 08-11-2006 11:25

What is the name of Shakhashiri's book with the demos? --Dana

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57. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 11:45

It is called the Handbook of Chemical Demonstrations. He talks about it a little on his web site. This might be
a good thing to add to your Christmas List. http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/demoser.html --Paul
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58. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Engstrom, Harold 08-11-2006 12:52

I explored the site a bit. ( It is amazing how much easier this is not travelling the world) The chemical waves
section was interesting. You see the same effect in petrology but I can't remember the name they use. You get
very beautiful rocks formed.

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59. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Mccabe, Ann 08-12-2006 10:10

I would love to do this but I do not have a safety sheild. How long does it take to emit sparks? Enough time
to close the window on a fume hood?

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60. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Groves, Paul 08-12-2006 11:23

The sparks I got were not really dangerous if the students are some distance away. Mine were sitting within 4
feet. I think you would have plenty of time to close the window. --Paul

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61. Re: Mg and Dry Ice Roamos Quevedo, Lourdes 08-13-2006 12:18
Thanks for the amazing info. Looks like you inspired all of us to try it.

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62. Re: Ox/Redox and Electrochemistry Groves, Paul 08-12-2006 11:31

Certainly redox shows up every year on the AP exam. Electrochemistry shows up in portions of questions
very often and will certainly appear somewhere on the exam... whether on the Free Response or Multiple
Choice, who knows. A couple of years ago was the first time that an electrochemistry question showed up as a
required question. Several students wrote that their teachers told them that Electrochemistry was always in a
choice question and so they didn't teach it. I believe this might be one of the reasons that choices were
eliminated. Mostly, they were eliminated, however, because they will make the reading easier. --Paul

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63. Re: Redox time frame Groves, Paul 08-07-2006 18:16

I try to "preview" ideas throughout the year. We preview redox at winter break time with our ornament lab
and silver tree. When we get to electrochemistry chapter (ours is near the end) it is partially a review. However,
I still get to this several weeks before I begin to review for the AP exam. Students need time to absorb all of
this. --Paul

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64. Re: Redox time frame Raines, Butler 08-09-2006 08:26

this sort of applies globally to all areas but this brought it to mind. how much time should the classes below
AP spend on things like redox and echem. currently we have 2 feed classes, reg chem and accelerated
chem.....accelerated barely gets to it if at all.... should we push to have this included in the less advanced
curriculum
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65. Re: Redox time frame Koch, Brennan 08-09-2006 08:39

I, too, spend very little time on it in general chemistry. Last year was my first year teaching general chem,
and electro was definitely an afterthought. I am definitely going to have to work my AP students through it.

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66. Re: Redox time frame Briley, Emmely 08-09-2006 10:56

I have been leaving redox out of my first-year feeder classes, but this is something I would like to change. I
think I can do it when we talk about the different types of reactions (single replacement, etc.) by including a
demo and discussing Paul's concept of reaction categories. As far as redox goes for our AP class, we do
oxidation numbers and balancing redox at the beginning of the year and review it at the end of the year as we
start our electrochemistry unit.

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67. Re: Redox time frame Asbury, Felicia 08-09-2006 12:23

I make sure I teach electrochem in my regular classes because I want my honors and regular chem students to
be on the same playing field when they join AP.

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68. Re: Redox time frame Huebner, Verena 08-09-2006 13:29

Its nice to see that I'm not the only one who doesn't seem to get to electrochemistry in the first year! I did it in
a week (which is to say - I barely covered it!). I think I'm going to need to spend a fair amount of time on it in
AP, although I know that the Honors chem teacher (where the majority of my students were last year) spent
significantly more time on it...

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69. Re: Redox time frame Mccabe, Ann 08-10-2006 07:38

We do not cover it at all in my regular chem classes. Last year, I did it a bit in my honors class but I do not
think the other teacher did. We basically just did recognizing which elements were oxidized and reduced and
then labeling reactions. I am definetly going to do it in AP.

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70. Re: Redox time frame Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 05:44

In my regular chemistry classes, we teach about oxidation-reduction, but only mention electrochemistry. It
would be fun to at least build a simple electrochemical cell to demonstrate a concept that is definitely part of
every student's everyday life. --Paul

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71. Re: Redox time frame St Clair, Robert 08-11-2006 08:34

Redox and electrochemistry is covered in our second year class. I spend a large amount of time going over
the rules for balancing redox equations and give them lots of examples. I only have students in each chemistry
class for a semester. I suppose I could mention and cover some of the simpler redox problems in Chemistry 1
and the ideas of oxidation and reduction. Also redox is one of the last chapters covered in our text books.
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72. Re: Redox time frame Balan, Irina 08-11-2006 10:07

In my regular Chem classes I don't even mention redox or electrochemistry - the curriculum is dense as it is,
but I would try to include the redox part with balancing equations and predicting reactions since there are a lot
of commonalities. Then ... I'll have to wait and see how much time I will have left for electrochemistry when I
start the AP program next year - hopefully more than 1 week. Irina

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73. Re: Redox time frame Lebental, Dana 08-11-2006 11:08

Last year in regualr chem I also didn't mention redox or electro. I just didn't get to it. --Dana

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74. Re: Resources for Redox and more Huebner, Verena 08-09-2006 16:36
I got that series too, but forgot about it (it's sitting in my classroom - not here at home). Thanks for reminding
me!

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75. Re: Resources for Redox and more Asbury, Felicia 08-09-2006 20:52
I believe I have that one, but haven't used it. I have the majority of the series and think they are vary valuable.
I get extremely busy during the school year and don't have much time to try new labs.

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76. Re: Resources for Redox and more Engstrom, Harold 08-10-2006 19:59
Tell me about it. Next year I teach 4 chemistry classes a physics class and an AP chemistry, with no prep
period. What was I thinking.

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77. Re: Resources for Redox and more Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 06:24
I know what you are talking about... the Topic books that take one topic, discuss the background ideas, then
provide several demos, labs, teaching ideas, and worksheets. It is kind of like what would be provided in a
workshop like this. I believe that Flinn commissioned high school teachers to write them. All you need is a
workshop to force you to go through them. As always, students can provide the link to getting things done. They
could read one of the topic books and put together a lab for you to try... this would be a good project or an extra
credit assignment. --Paul

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78. Re: Resources galore Engstrom, Harold 08-10-2006 21:57

Why don't I get to go to such a work shop? Thanks for the book titles which are now in my resource
document.

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79. Re: Resources galore Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 06:10

 Great workshops are run during the summer by Flinn. They are put on my great high school chemistry
teachers. Another place you should really check out is the summer workshops at ChemEd 2007 (on odd years)
and the BCCE (on even years)... The Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE) is a little more
geared to college while ChemEd is more high school, but both have MORE ideas and workshops in 5 days than
you could possibly take in. They are wonderful. The Biennial just finished at Purdue. ChemEd 2007 is in Texas.
(Google ChemEd 2007 for info) --Paul

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80. Re: WEEK 5 Groves, Paul 08-10-2006 16:14

The charts and tables have been very stable over the past years. If you look at OLD exams, you will see that
the reduction potential table used to be listed from most negative to most positive voltages... odd. --Paul

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81. Re: couple of websites Roamos Quevedo, Lourdes 08-09-2006 20:54

Correction: Paul's website is number 4. I must of glossed over it as I looked at the various listings.

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82. Re: couple of websites Engstrom, Harold 08-10-2006 19:55

Thank you. I plan on having my students use his site a lot. Why should I reinvent the wheel?

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83. Re: couple of websites Groves, Paul 08-11-2006 06:26

ChemTeam has a very cool collection of pictures of scientists. Also he has some transcripts of original
documents like Arrhenius' paper on solutions, etc. --Paul

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84. Redox time frame Duchesne, Derek 08-07-2006 15:26

For me, Redox is the last topic before we review for the AP exam and usually gets paid the least amount of
attention. I spend a week on the topic, is this consistent with other AP programs?

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85. Redox time frame Roamos Quevedo, Lourdes 08-13-2006 12:10

Being that I only teach regular and honors chem now, I don't get to redox reactions either. I touched upon it in
my regular chem class last year because we were working on a coin design project and my students were
determining the best metal for their coin so we had to get into metal reactivity and I touched upon redox
reactions. otherwise, i think I would've skipped it all together.

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86. Resources for Redox and more Engstrom, Harold 08-09-2006 15:34
I put this in another discussion but will include it here too. Has anyone used the 18 (not 15 as I said
previously) volume set from Flinn? I got them free for spending a lot of money for supplies but haven't really
explored them. They have volume 17 Electrochemistry. It has 6 demonstrations and 4 experiments, each comes
with all the paper work you need: prelab questions, lab procedures, data sheets, etc.
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87. Resources galore Harley, David 08-09-2006 12:07

With this class I have been "reacquainted" with three of my books that had been rarely used in recent years,
and they have a ton of stuff, especially for redox this week: Chemical Actvities, by Christie Borgford and Lee
Summerlin Chemical Demonstrations, Vols. 1 & 2 by Lee Summerlin, Christie Borgford, Julie Ealy, and James
Ealy. More stuff than we could ever use. I had the opportunity one time to attend a 4 week workshop using these
books and it was taught by Christie Borgford who happened to be living nearby at the time. David

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88. Traffic Light Demo Asbury, Felicia 08-09-2006 12:30

I like the Traffic Light demo from Flinn. Students are just amazed that the solution changes color when you
shake it. Then they are even more amazed that it eventually changes back to it's original color when you let it sit
for awhile. Felicia

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89. WEEK 5 Balan, Irina 08-10-2006 09:55

I really liked the pencils as electrodes electrolysis. It looks easy to do and fun at the same time. Also, I
definitely think we should have our students familiarize themselves with the reduction potential chart from the
AP exam (I;m guessing the list doesnt change from year to year) as well with all the rest of the reference info
periodic table, formulas constants etc. I dont think Physics is a prerequisite for AP Chem at our school so this is
why I see the measurement units as a challenging aspect of this chapter I only realized this when I tried this
weeks assigned problems. Its interesting I never thought of the burning of magnesium as being a good demo
for this chapter maybe because I have never had to teach Redox reactions as part of the Chem curriculum but I
will definitely include this demo I know students like it. Then as usually I found the handouts /worksheets as
being very comprehensive and extremely useful I will definitely use them.

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90. couple of websites Roamos Quevedo, Lourdes 08-09-2006 20:53

I found a few websites that might be of interest...
http://www.chemistrycoach.com/home.htm#ChemistryCoach Wilton High School offers worksheets, tutorials,
and pedagogical information on running a science class (ie. Open lab concept...)
http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/ChemTeamIndex.html This is another website with numerous resources
for regular and AP chem. A little treasure: If you scroll down to the bottom of the first page underneath the
copyright info it says "click here." The link takes you to a listing of thirty plus AP websites from teachers
actually teaching the course. I couldn't find Paul's on there.

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