Housecroft and Sharpe: Inorganic Chemistry, 3ed

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Wed, 03/26/2008 - 20:01
Description

Housecroft and Sharpe (Inorganic Chemistry, 3ed): This is a comprehensive inorganic textbook designed primarily for students at the Junior/Senior level. P-Chem would not be needed as a prerequisite for this text, but would be helpful. It includes both theoretical and descriptive material along with special topics, enough for a two semester course though it is easily adaptable to a one-semester "advanced inorganic" course by choosing only some topics. It is written in a clear and generally readable style and the full-color graphic contribute to student understanding.

Tetrahedral Tellurate

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Sun, 02/17/2008 - 23:27
Description

This communication describes the first example of a discrete tetrahedral tellurate ion, analogous to sulfate and selenate.  This assignment was used as an introduction to the inorganic literature early in the semester.  Pre-discussion questions were adapted from the "How to Read an Inorganic Paper" learning object by Hilary Eppley.  In class discussion focused on communications vs. full papers, the essentials of X-ray crystallographic information, multinuclear NMR, and the periodic trends discussed in this paper.   

The Lanthanide Contraction

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Fri, 02/08/2008 - 01:20
Description

This recent article discusses a series of isostructural complexes across the lanthanides using a multidentate ligand.  In these structures, the lanthanides are all eight-coordinate, bonded to all oxygen donors.  Copious structural data is presented that provides excellent experimental verification of the lanthanide contraction.  

H atom radial factors

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 17:46
Description

This is an Excel spreadsheet that contains the radial factors of the H-atom wavefunctions for the 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d, and 4s orbitals as a function of multiples of the Bohr radius.  Plots are also included of the radial factors (R) vs. r and the radial probability distribution (4πr2R2) vs. r.  These can be used during lecture to illustrate to students how these plots change for each type of orbital, or for different principal quantum numbers, or for changing effective nuclear charge.

From molecules to solids: Lewis structures

Submitted by Barbara Reisner / James Madison University on Sun, 11/18/2007 - 13:19
Description

I have students construct Lewis structures on the board starting at the noble gases and working backwards to the group 14 elements.  We talk about both second period then heavier elements.  As we move across the period we transition from molecular solids to extended solids.  

This is a nice transition from molecular chemistry to extended compounds.  I use this as a bridge into the solid state portion of the course because it allows me to review Lewis structures, trends in bond energies, and provide some descriptive chemistry information. 

Athletic Periodic Trends Review

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Sat, 11/17/2007 - 18:18
Description

­In this activity, students self-organize according to periodic trends. I print out the attached cards onto card stock (each page will contain two) and hand them out to the students (one to each). Generally, we go outside and I shout out periodic trends (i.e. size, polarizability, ionization energy, Zeff etc.) and the students run to get in line in the correct order.  I have a bell which I ding if correct, and a buzzer that I sound if incorrect. If incorrect, they have to try again.