Reports on a survey that focuses on the content coverage of general chemistry courses for science and engineering majors, both in the classroom and in the laboratory, as reported by leading U.S. colleges and universities. Findings indicate relatively minor changes in content since a previous study conducted in 1986. Discusses shifts in content…

Provides a perspective on what it was like in the early days of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and several of the key developments. Focuses on the advances in HPLC generally, and more specifically for the biological sciences, that were necessary for the method to reach the preeminent stage of today. Contains 20 references. (JRH)

Describes a program designed to educate and train selected teachers to utilize hands-on activities, provide inservice workshops for their colleagues, and function as resource persons within their school districts. Discusses participant selection, workshops, and final project overview and evaluation. Concludes that the stated goals of the project…

Describes a joint venture between the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Department of Education in France that was created to allow students to do practical scientific work with the help of a CNRS researcher. Presents two practical projects done by students on organic polymers and on color. Concludes that this increases…

Describes an undergraduate chemistry curriculum, designed to capitalize on the strengths of mechanistic organic chemistry, that enables students to grasp the powerful conceptual unity that allows professional chemists to understand unfamiliar results according to a few well-defined principles. Discusses the philosophy, curriculum, and the nature…

Describes an undergraduate chemistry curriculum that capitalizes on the strengths of mechanistic organic chemistry. Enables students to grasp the conceptual unity that allows professional chemists to understand unfamiliar results according to few well-defined principles. Describes some instructional strategies that evolved from efforts to connect…

Describes a titrator system, constructed from a computer-interfaced pH-meter, that was designed to increase student involvement in the process. Combines automatic data collection with real-time graphical display and interactive controls to focus attention on the process rather than on bits of data. Improves understanding of concepts and…

Discusses the origins of electronegativity as a qualitative concept in the period between 1809 and 1813. Outlines the contributions of Amedeo Avogadro and Jons Jakob Berzelius to the development of this concept. Contains 53 references. (JRH)

Describes how the science fiction novel "Jurassic Park" has been used to provide the focus for summate discussions among gifted high school students participating in a state-sponsored, science-intensive summer program. Discusses adaptations of this approach for use in chemistry classes from the high school to intermediate college level. (JRH)

Gives an overview of the World Wide Web, describes what is required to access it, and highlights some of the features of interest to chemists such as Web-based chemical databases that feature user-interactive molecular structures and chemical movies. Lists Internet chemistry resources designed for Web browsers and locations for obtaining Web…

Discusses an approach to general chemistry used to make chemistry relevant for students in chemical and environmental technician programs using the following ideas: utilizing group project teaching methods, involving local industry in the education process, and assigning oral presentations and written reports to students. (JRH)

Describes a method for flame test demonstrations that provides a way to set up quickly, clean up, and produce a large and very intense flame that can be seen easily in a 300-seat lecture auditorium. (JRH)

Describes a method to compare diffusion rates of selected amines to that of HCl. Provides an opportunity to introduce simple organic compounds early in the general chemistry curriculum and can be used to test Graham's Law for several different molar masses. (JRH)

Describes the working of Final Call, a commercially available breath analyzing device, which uses the chemical reaction involving the reduction of chromium (VI) in the orange dichromate ion to the green chromium (III) ion to detect ethyl alcohol. Presents a demonstration that simulates the use of a Final Call device. (JRH)

Analyzes the faculty rank situation of women at schools with departments approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Reports a leveling off in the proportion of women entering chemistry faculties and that the representation of women at the department head level is not yet in the same proportion as their faculty numbers. (JRH)