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The article presents information on how to accomplish a term-paper assignment that will motivate students to practice their writing skills and lead them through the critical data analysis in biochemistry course. The term-paper assignment ranged from 10-35 students of chemistry and biology majors, and its goal was for students to discover experimental method that will support their scientific thesis. The general layout of the term-paper and its three main parts are offered. The format for the introduction, and questions to be answered by the students for each of the experiments are provided. Details related to the design, tables for mini-assignment schedule, and sample topics and thesis statements developed by students are also offered.

The fundamental criteria for chemical reactions to be spontaneous in a given direction are generally incorrectly stated as ΔG < 0 or ΔA < 0 in most introductory chemistry textbooks and even in some more advanced texts. Similarly, the criteria for equilibrium are also misstated as being ΔG = 0 or ΔA = 0. Following a brief review of the thermodynamic equations related to reaction spontaneity and equilibrium in systems involving a single reaction, this paper addresses the nature of these errors by first discussing the conceptual problems thereby introduced. This qualitative discussion is followed by a quantitative treatment of the 2NO2(g) → N2O4(g) reaction conducted both under constant temperature and volume and under constant temperature and pressure conditions. The results provide clear examples of the conceptual problems introduced by using ΔG < 0 or ΔA < 0 as criteria for reaction spontaneity and ΔG = 0 or ΔA = 0 as the corresponding criteria for equilibrium. It is shown that ΔG < 0 or ΔA < 0 are necessary conditions for a transformation from state A to state B to be spontaneous, but they are not sufficient conditions. If ξ denotes the reaction coordinate, the correct criteria for a spontaneous forward reaction are (∂G/∂ξ)T,p < 0 or (∂A/∂ξ)T,V < 0 when the process can be characterized by a single reaction coordinate. The correct criterion for equilibrium is either dG = 0 or dA = 0. The paper concludes with some briefly stated recommendations as to the manner in which textbooks should be altered. The pedagogical problem of presenting the correct criteria for spontaneity and equilibrium to beginning students not versed in calculus and thermodynamics is also addressed, and some recommendations are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interdisciplinary approaches to research in the sciences have become increasingly important in solving a wide range of pressing problems at both global and local levels. It is imperative then that science majors in higher education understand the need for exploring information from a wide array of disciplines. With this in mind, interdisciplinary instruction has the potential to bring new insights and methods to enhance learning and promote critical thinking skills while itself modeling the benefits of interdisciplinary practice in research. This paper explores an interdisciplinary collaboration between a librarian and a chemist seeking to improve student research and critical thinking skills through the utilization of problem-based learning. A module exploring the interdisciplinary nature of science was implemented for an advanced Biochemistry class and delivered in a library setting. Initial findings of this pilot project suggest that the implementation of a carefully constructed, problem-based curriculum has the potential to improve research skills and multidisciplinary thinking as well as engender a more holistic view of chemical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivating students in analytical chemistry can be challenging, in part because of the complexity and breadth of topics involved. Some methods that help encourage students and convey real-world relevancy of the material include incorporating environmental issues, research-based lab experiments, and service learning projects. In this paper, we describe an approach that combines all three of these methods by integrating environmental research-based activities into the second-year undergraduate analytical chemistry course. We discuss the development, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of the research-based labs employed during the new summer analytical chemistry course. Students perform environmental investigations of sites on Beaver Island, Michigan, and prepare reports to contribute to an ongoing research project analyzing these locations that began in the 1970s. Preliminary impacts on analytical students were examined using pre- and postsurveys, including the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire, and a new survey and questionnaires developed for this work. Responses and grades were compared across three summers, and to those from students in the traditional analytical course. Results suggest that the research-based activities positively impacted aspects of student attitudes, their perceptions of how chemistry knowledge influences understanding of environment issues, and their perceptions of how analytical techniques are applied in the real-world. Students indicated that the new labs provided real-world applications of class content, helped them learn new concepts and gain skills working with others, and helped them feel more confident conducting chemistry-related experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thematic course called "Climate Change: Chemistry and Controversy" was developed for upper-level non-STEM students. This course used the socioscientific context of climate change to teach chemical principles and the nature of science. Students used principles of agnotology (direct study of misinformation) to debunk climate change misconceptions commonly encountered in the media and politics. The culmination of the course was a service-learning project to create training documents for staff at a local science center that explained common climate misconceptions. In the process of completing this project, students gained a greater appreciation for the nature of science and learned chemical principles of electromagnetic radiation, atomic structure (isotopes), molecular structure (Lewis structures, VESPR, and polarity) spectroscopy, and stoichiometry. This paper summarizes the outcomes of the course, teaching strategies used to reach the outcomes, and strategies for incorporating agnotology and socioscientific study in science courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the acid-base indicators which comprises acid fuchsin, alizarin yellow, bromocresol green, indigo carmine, methyl violet, and neutral red. It is said that these indicators are complex molecules that several chemistry students encounter. It is also stated that these indicators are used to make the demonstration more graphic and an appropriate topic for student presentations in a physical chemistry. It is also noted that indicators are utilized to respond to changes in hydrogen ion concentration.