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Moderator'A' & 'O' Levels Chemistry & Biology Ex-MOE Teacher Tutor
641 posts since May '05-
Dear Chemistry students,
Spot the Chemistry Errors in this YouTube Video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX0zWvYWBaIIf there is interest in this thread, I’ll post about one obvious chemistry glaring error in the video (there are several, but one is so obvious that even an ‘O’ level student should be able to spot it).
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Moderator'A' & 'O' Levels Chemistry & Biology Ex-MOE Teacher Tutor
641 posts since May '05
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Yes, both of you are right.
If anyone watching the video failed their high school chemistry and thinks its for real and makes the stuff and snorts/inhales it… if they survive, they probably wished they’d paid more attention during their high school chemistry classes.
The most obviously glaring error, of course, is the one Moderator DarknessHacker noted with a smiley :
In one instance, a supposed gas is identified as NaOH5(g). As a Chemistry teacher, I’d suggest to my students to note the following :
1) Sodium has an invariable oxidation state or ionic charge in its compounds. That is to say, the cation is identified, and hence so is the charge on the anion.
2) Being in period 2, oxygen has no empty d orbitals. Hence, is it able to expand its valence octet? (count the number of lone pairs and bond pairs of oxygen in the supposed compound)
3) Is it possible for the compound or the anion to be a coordination compound or complex ion? If so, what are the ligands and what is the central metal atom/ion? Can it exist?
4) Attempt to draw the Kekule structure of the anion in the supposed gaseous compound. Is it possible, keeping in mind points #1 to #3 above? Is it possible?
5) Additionally, should NaOH5 (if it exists) be a giant ionic, or covalent (either simple/discrete molecular or giant molecular) compound under room temperature and pressure? As such, what are its possible state symbols it can exist as? (g) or (aq) or (s) or (l)? What did the video purport its state symbol to be?
Moral of the Story : Know your Chemistry well. It could one day save your life (alternatively, don’t believe everything you watch on YouTube).
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Originally posted by UltimaOnline:
Yes, both of you are right.
If anyone watching the video failed their high school chemistry and thinks its for real and makes the stuff and snorts/inhales it… if they survive, they probably wished they’d paid more attention during their high school chemistry classes.
The most obviously glaring error, of course, is the one Moderator DarknessHacker noted with a smiley :
In one instance, a supposed gas is identified as NaOH5(g). As a Chemistry teacher, I’d suggest to my students to note the following :
1) Sodium has an invariable oxidation state or ionic charge in its compounds. That is to say, the cation is identified, and hence so is the charge on the anion.
2) Being in period 2, oxygen has no empty d orbitals. Hence, is it able to expand its valence octet? (count the number of lone pairs and bond pairs of oxygen in the supposed compound)
3) Is it possible for the compound or the anion to be a coordination compound or complex ion? If so, what are the ligands and what is the central metal atom/ion? Can it exist?
4) Attempt to draw the Kekule structure of the anion in the supposed gaseous compound. Is it possible, keeping in mind points #1 to #3 above? Is it possible?
5) Additionally, should NaOH5 (if it exists) be a giant ionic, or covalent (either simple/discrete molecular or giant molecular) compound under room temperature and pressure? As such, what are its possible state symbols it can exist as? (g) or (aq) or (s) or (l)? What did the video purport its state symbol to be?
Moral of the Story : Know your Chemistry well. It could one day save your life (alternatively, don’t believe everything you watch on YouTube).
Analytical skill.
NaOH5.. In Singapore, an O level student can't tell/analyze using Atomic Obital, Kekule structure etc. Those were only taught in A levels.
By the way, I'm taking a module on Applied Chemistry in a polytechnic.
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Moderator'A' & 'O' Levels Chemistry & Biology Ex-MOE Teacher Tutor
641 posts since May '05
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Kam sia, Moderator DarknessHacker.
I'm a Chemistry teacher (ex-MOE) and private tutor.
Applied Chemistry
, that certainly sounds interesting, useful
and practical. I guess the course focuses on industrial
applications, as well as inter-disciplinary research and
development involving physics, biology (life sciences) and
engineering. That's always excitingly productive, hopefully
eventually culminating in progressing the quality of life on
earth for all humanity, eg. medical breakthroughs.The course isn't about teaching students "how to make meth" and to post project findings on YouTube, I hope?
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