Ligand binding is generally explained in terms of the equilibrium constant K[subscript d] for the protein-ligand complex dissociation. However, both theoretical considerations and experimental data point to the life span of the protein-ligand complex as an important, but generally overlooked, aspect of ligand binding by macromolecules. Short-lived…

The isotopic distribution in mass spectroscopy is described for identifying pure compounds, being able to distinguish molecular fragments by masses. Punnett squares are familiar, easy to compute, and often graphical which makes helpful to students and the relative distribution of isotopic combination is easily generated for even isotopic…

The debate related to origin of the term "hypervalent" that was first introduced by Jeremy Musher in 1969 to describe compounds and complex ions of the heavier main-block elements in which the use of traditional Lewis 2c-2e covalent bonds requires the additional assumption of "octer expansion" for the central atom is presented. The traditional…

The publicly available free computer program, "SimChemistry," was used as an active learning tool in the chemical engineering curriculum at the University College of Boras, Sweden. The activity involved students writing their own simulation programs on topics in the area of molecular structure and interactions. Evaluation of the learning…

Very often, some type of writing assignment is required in college entry-level Human Anatomy and Physiology courses. This assignment can be anything from an essay to a research paper on the literature, focusing on a faculty-approved topic of interest to the student. As educators who teach Human Anatomy and Physiology at an urban community college,…

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is widely used by chemists. Furthermore, the use of NMR spectroscopy to solve structures of macromolecules or to examine protein-ligand interactions is popular. Yet, few students entering graduate education in biological sciences have been introduced to this method or its utility. Over the last six…

The prototype of a guided practice application was developed to instruct year 13 biology students in the process of DNA replication. The application uses a high degree of interaction to engage the student in a guided exploration and problem solving exercise. An evaluation revealed that the students showed considerable enthusiasm and significant…

Describes the piezoelectric effect in ceramics and presents a quantitative representation of this effect. Explains the processes involved in the manufacture of piezoelectric ceramics, the materials used, and the situations in which they are applied. (GS)

Presented are representative examples of the spectra and the analyses for a linear molecule (HC1), a symmetric top molecule (NH3), and an asymmetric top (H2O). Any combination of these projects could be incorporated in a physical chemistry or molecular spectroscopy laboratory. (RH)

The usefulness of the bond triangle for categorizing compounds of the main-group elements may be extended by the use of weighted average electronegativities to allow distinction between compounds of the same elements with different stoichiometries. In such cases a higher valency for the central atom leads to greater covalent character and the…

A simple algorithm for a complete enumeration of the possible ways a redox reaction (RR) might be uniquely decomposed into half-reactions (HRs) using the response reactions (RERs) formalism is presented. A complete enumeration of the possible ways a RR may be decomposed into HRs is equivalent to a complete enumeration of stoichiometrically…

Valence as a numerical measure of an atom's combining power, expressed by the number of bonds it forms in a molecular formulation of the compound in question, was unable to cope with coordination compounds. The covalence of an atom is the nearest model equivalent, but is subject to ambiguity since it often depends on which bonding model is being…

A series of substituted benzoic acids (SBAs) are prepared by students. The pKa shift, a result of the electron-withdrawing or electron-donating characteristics of the subsistent is examined in reference to the electrophoretic migration behavior of benzoic acid.

A quantitative and qualitative study of the interplay between absorption, fluorescence, and excitation spectra of pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is conducted. The study of five PAH displays the correlation of the above-mentioned properties along with the associated molecular changes.

The increasing use of computational quantum chemistry in the modeling of environmentally important processes is described. The employment of computational quantum mechanics for the prediction of oxidation-reduction potential for solutes in an aqueous medium is discussed.