Computational Work with Natural Products

This exercises aims to familiarize students with chemical structures of natural products. Students will also use computational methods to learn about trends or the lack thereof in natural products.

A Periodic Puzzle

This is a Sudoku type exercise that focuses on periodic trends and elemental symbols. It does require access to an interactive periodic table. It is difficult!

Electronic Qualitative Analysis Schemes

This exercises aims to teach a number of chemical and physical properties for approximately 98 elements, to teach a range of periodic trends and to advance a students use of Excel and its logic commands.

Constructing and Visualizing Some Common Materials

In this exercise, students will learn how to use a modeling program to build a lattice structure. It will teach students how to construct a sheeted material such as graphite, how to construct an intercalated compound, how to construct a fullerene (buckyball, C60) and a aza-fullerene (C48N12), and how to construct a carbon nanotube from chains of carbon molecules. It aims to improve a student’s ability to visualize 3D structures.

The Single Molecule Magnets Mn12 and Fe8

In this exercise students will review a number of fundamental concepts including molecular geometry, electron configurations, magnetism, metal-ligand interactions, and material science. Students will use molecular modelling software to build, visualize and study a cutting edge material (single molecule magnet).

Demonstrating Bonds and Forces: From Nitrogen to Nanotubes

In this exercise students will study chemical forces such as covalent bonds, ionic bonds, ion-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonds.

Titration Involving a Strong Base and Weak Acid

In this exercise students will learn about the reactions between a strong base and weak, as well as a weak base and a strong acid. Students will simulate a titration curve that would be obtained if a strong acid and a weak base were reacted, and they will advance their knowledge of using a spreadsheet in chemistry related exercises.