ERIC Number: EJ920073
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Sep
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Telling It like It Is: Teaching Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry
Ault, Addison
Journal of Chemical Education, v87 n9 p937-941 Sep 2010
In this article I support and extend the ideas presented by J. Brent Friesen in his article "Saying What You Mean; Teaching Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry" ("JCE" November, 2008). I emphasize "telling the truth" about proton transfers. The truth is that in aqueous acid most reactions are subject to "specific" acid catalysis: the only kinetically significant proton donor is hydronium ion, and the only kinetically significant proton acceptor is water. Similarly, in aqueous base most reactions are subject to "specific" base catalysis: the only kinetically significant proton donor is water, and the only kinetically significant proton acceptor is hydroxide ion. (Contains 2 schemes.)
Descriptors: Organic Chemistry, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, College Science, Molecular Structure, Scientific Principles, Science Laboratories, Kinetics
Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A