This LibreTexts module by Dr. Tom Neils and Dr. Stephanie Schaertel provides a clear and thorough explanation of why some biochemistry and organic chemistry textbooks get the pKa of water wrong. The pKa of water at 25 ºC is 14.0 and not 15.7. This module describes the derivation of the correct value and describes why the value of 15.7 should not be used.
This website displays interactive models of the unit cell contents of simple cubic, body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, and hexagonal close-packed structures, in addition to several simple ionic compounds. Relationships between the close-packed atomic layers, the unit cell contents, and the structures of related ionic materials are highlighted.
In this assignment students search for and choose an inorganic chemistry related research article. After reading, students write an analysis of their article, explaining the background, experimental data, and conclusions to their classmates.
Drs. Lori Watson (Earlham), Adam Johnson (Harvey Mudd), and Kyle Grice (DePaul) discuss how they have incorporated computational methods into their teaching and research, how to get started with computations, and some useful resources. The link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E36Mg0OKFKU
Inspired by
As with chemistry, mental health is something we learn more about every day. The major focus of this SLiThEr is depression and anxiety in students, which are more prevalent in these COVID-impacted times. The material presented in this SLiThEr describes the best practices at the time it was recorded, and these practices may change in the future. While this recording is intended to be a resource for faculty, we would strongly encourage future viewers to seek out the latest research or contact a mental health professional for more information on these topics and current best practices.
SLiThEr #25 was recorded on Aug 19, 2021.
The link to the video is found below in the "Web Resources"
This SLiThEr was broadcast from our summer 2021 workshop! More info on the workshop can be found here: https://www.ionicviper.org/2021-viper-summer-workshop
The YouTube recording is below under "Web Resources"
See the SLiThEr Collection for links to the other SLiThErs!
Inspired by several of the great lab safety activities on VIPEr, I modified Karen McFarland's activity (linked below) to specifically adapt to the ACS RAMP (Recognize hazards, Assess risks, Minimize risks, Prepare for emergencies) approach.
The assignment asks each student to identify three potential hazards from the first experiment they will be performing in inorganic lab: one chemical, one equipment, and one procedural hazard. For each hazard, they then complete a RAMP risk assessment.
This is a set of PowerPoint slides I put together for a brief presentation and discussion with summer research students in our department about good record keeping and data management practices.