Surprising version-dependent differences are noted in student performance on certain questions in a standardized general chemistry exam. The exam in question has two versions, on which both questions and answers are ordered differently. For the questions suspected of answer-order bias, the performance is better in ten of twelve cases when students…

The Darboux transformation in quantum mechanics is reviewed at a basic level. Examples of how this transformation leads to exactly solvable potentials related to the "particle in a box" and the harmonic oscillator are shown in detail. The connection between the Darboux transformation and some modern operator based approaches to quantum mechanics…

The purpose of this article is to propose a new design for the presentation of the periodic system of the elements. It is a system that highlights the fundamental importance of elements as basic substances rather than elements as simple substances, a distinction that is explained in the article. The proposed table is a variant of the Janet or…

Field trips can provide excellent real-world learning situations for students in non-science major chemistry courses. The field trips described in this article are accessible, most trips can be completed within a scheduled three-hour laboratory time period, and they can be conducted at minimal cost. These field trips significantly enhanced student…

This article illustrates how faculty and students can use the ACS Journals Search to examine assumptions about writing in chemistry. We examined common writing practices in chemistry including (i) the use of nominalizations, active and passive voice, and personal pronouns, (ii) words to avoid (e.g., researcher, very), (iii) words to use (e.g.,…

Digital ink is a tool that, in conjunction with Microsoft PowerPoint software, allows real-time freehand annotation of presentations. Annotation of slides during class encourages student engagement with the material and problems under discussion. Digital ink annotation is a technique suitable for teaching across many disciplines, but is especially…

Have you ever thought about which pigments are found in tattoos and how laser treatment eliminates the pigmentation? In pursuit of losing weight, have you considered why artificial sweeteners are advertised as low calorie? During a four-week South Carolina Governor's School course, "Got Bio?", high school students were introduced to the…

An illuminating way to learn about protein function is to explore high-resolution protein structures. Analysis of the proteins involved in genetic diseases has been used to introduce students to protein structure and the role that individual mutations can play in the onset of disease. Known mutations can be correlated to changes in protein…

We have designed a new guided-inquiry laboratory for an advanced biochemistry course. This integrated laboratory focuses on the biomolecule tRNA[superscript Phe] and combines elements of bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry with biochemistry. Throughout the semester students work together to study tRNA[superscript Phe] structure and ligand…

This laboratory project is one component of a semester-long advanced biochemistry laboratory course that uses several complementary techniques to study tRNA[superscript Phe] conformational changes induced by ligand binding. In this article we describe a set of experiments in which the thermal unfolding of tRNA[superscript Phe] is studied with…

This laboratory project is one component of a semester-long advanced biochemistry laboratory course that uses several complementary techniques to study tRNA[superscript Phe] conformational changes induced by ligand binding. In this article we describe a set of experiments in which students assay metal-catalyzed hydrolysis of tRNA[superscript Phe]…

This laboratory project is one component of a semester-long advanced biochemistry laboratory course that uses several complementary techniques to study tRNA[superscript Phe] conformational changes induced by ligand binding. In this article we describe a set of experiments in which students use fluorescence spectroscopy to study tRNA[superscript…

This article describes experiments for an undergraduate instrumental analysis laboratory that aim to observe individual double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules using fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). dsDNA molecules are observed under several different conditions to discuss their chemical and physical properties. In…

A simple multiday laboratory exercise suitable for use in a high school or community college chemistry course or a biotechnology advanced placement biology course is described. In this experiment students gain experience in the use of column chromatography as a tool for the separation and characterization of biomolecules, thus expanding their…

A simple commercial blood glucose meter is used to follow the kinetics of mutarotation of D-glucose in aqueous solution. The results may be compared with those obtained using an automatic polarimeter, if this is available This experiment is proposed for use by students in a general chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry…