Faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Physics at the University of New England (UNE) have recently transformed introductory and advanced chemistry curricula by embedding the high impact practice of undergraduate research. Course Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have provided experiential learning opportunities for over 272…

The radioactive nature of technetium is discussed using a combination of introductory nuclear physics concepts and empirical trends observed in the chart of the nuclides and the periodic table of the elements. Trends such as the enhanced stability of nucleon pairs, magic numbers, and Mattauch's rule are described. The concepts of nuclear binding…

Mass spectrometry is one of the few instrumental analysis techniques that can be relatively well-understood with physics/chemistry knowledge typical of an advanced high school or a beginning undergraduate student. This positions mass spectrometry well to be used as a bridge between abstract concepts typically set as learning goals in courses at…

The advanced interdisciplinary research laboratory (AIRLab) represents a novel, effective, and motivational course designed from the interdisciplinary research interests of chemistry, physics, biology, and education development faculty members as an alternative to the independent thesis project experience. Student teams are assembled to work…

Density functional theory (DFT) is a type of electronic structure calculation that has rapidly gained popularity. In this article, we provide a step-by-step demonstration of a DFT calculation by hand on the helium atom using Slater's X-Alpha exchange functional on a single Gaussian-type orbital to represent the atomic wave function. This DFT…

In this paper, the characteristics of an initial training program for secondary school physics and chemistry teachers are presented. This program is based on the resolution of professional problems, in order to develop preservice teachers' competencies for integrating inquiry-based science education (IBSE) into their future teaching. With this…

A systematic way to understand the intricacies of quantum mechanical computations done by a software package known as "Gaussian" is undertaken via an undergraduate research project. These computations involve the evaluation of key parameters in a fitting procedure to express a Slater-type orbital (STO) function in terms of the linear…

An application for visualizing the dynamic properties of an equimolar binary mixture of isotropic reactive particles is presented. By introducing a user selectable choice for the activation energy, the application is useful to demonstrate qualitatively that the reaction rate depends on the above choice and on temperature. The application is based…

The plan view is used in crystallography and materials science to show the positions of atoms in crystal structures. However, it is not widely used in teaching general chemistry. In this contribution, we introduce the plan view, and show these views for the simple cubic, body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, hexagonal close packed, CsCl, NaCl,…

Reports on a first-year laboratory sequence known as the Interdisciplinary Laboratory (ID Lab) introduced at Harvey Mudd College. The course seeks to illustrate commonality of investigative methods and laboratory techniques in biology, chemistry, and physics and introduce discipline-specific principles. Provides details of the experiments…

The chemistry version of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS-Chem) is a new instrument designed to measure students' (novices') beliefs about chemistry and learning chemistry compared to those of experts (instructors). This survey is intended to measure the effects of students' beliefs on learning, and to understand how…

The present technology report is aimed at demonstrating how the implementation of VR chemistry simulations of atomic structure enhances learning among students. MEL Chemistry VR lessons were incorporated into the classroom for 43 first-year undergraduate ITMO University students. The visualization techniques provided the learners with two…

This article contrasts the normal method for drawing Lewis structures with a two-step systematic approach. The latter approach uses a known molecular connectivity and a knowledge of the number of valence electrons that each atom possesses to visualize bonds that are formed by pairing electrons, one from each atom. This process is repeated until at…

Orbital Battleship, published in 2016 in this "Journal," is a hands-on competitive exercise which has been shown to be an efficient tool to reinforce the knowledge of the atomic structure. We decided to give it a more futuristic look and are presenting VR Orbital Battleship, a completely immersive collaborative experience which, in…

Discusses the implementation and evaluation of the first full year of college freshman integrated natural science curriculum. Identifies separate courses in chemistry and biology as the foundation with physical principles as the unifying theme. Notes all instructors attended all classes. (MVL)