A New Method for Learning Organic Reactions Many students find it difficultto memorize the seemingly endless numbers of reactions which are necessary for an understanding of organic chemistry. Alternative methods in the form of games have been devised for learning chemistrv (1 ), and new names m e constantlv heine exulored and evaluated.
dividual student or groups of students. The game consists of twenty-five cubes' which have either functional groups or reagents written on them. The object is to complete sequences of cubes in such a manner that chemical reactions are described. The game is played in a manner analogous to Scribbage ( 8 ) and the Sentence Cube Game (S), where the cubes me rolled and sequences must be completed in a prescribed time limit. The major problem encountered in the development of this game was the utilizstion of the maximum number of reactants while keeping at a. minimum on a. given cube the number of species which would interact. The twenty-five cubes contain four each of the following species: dkyne, alkene, alkane, primary, secondary, and tertiary bromides, primary, secondary, and tertiary dcohols, formaldehyde, aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, acid chloride, ester, amide, nitrile, rtmine/ammonia, ether, Grignad reagent,%vicinsl dibromide, LiAIH,, Zn, Brl, C02,HBr ROOR, HBr, CN-, N d i H n , PCI,, OH-, H,O+/Ht, BaHs H20. OH-, Os Zn, H J P t . KnCrOl. In addition six blank faces were intro~. dt&'to increase the utilization of units d limitedusesuch as CO1 and Zn.$ A point system which we have found satisfactory is to + C=C + R-C award a number of points equal to square of the number of cubes used in each reaction sequence. An example of a throw of the cnbesmight have enabled aplayer to make the following sequences during his three-minute time limit (see fig. a t right).' The points awarded would have been 5' 3P = 34.
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Literature Cited (1) CA~~DWELG. W. E.,J. CXEM.EDDO.. 12,393 (1935): L o a r s ~ SB. . C., J. CAEY.E D ~ c 20.27 ., (1943); CHEW. P.S.. AND SMITX.R.. J. C ~ E Y Eonc., 21, 74 (1044); D e ~ m n H. . M., J. C x e ~ Enoc., . 25, 458 (1948); M ~ x w e mJ. , A.. J. CneM. Eooc.. 27, 510 (1950): LEOD.. A N D NETTI. F.,J. CHEM. EDDC.,28, 599 (1951); E~LINOTON. G.. and M*XWELL. J. R., EDOC.CREM..8, 142 (1971): KR~BTOI, P Z ~ M U T T EH. % D., Educ. Chsm. 8, 145 (1071): Knraros, D., *No PERLWUTTER. H. D.. Edue. Cham., 8, 176 (1971); "Synch." Bagden and Quipleu. Tarrytown-on-Hudson, N.Y., 1971; HESTEB.R. D.. Amencan Biolooy Teochei. 34, 75 (1972). (2) "Soribhage." E. S. Lowe, New York. 1963. (3) "Sentenoe Cube Gsme." Selchow and Richter. Bay Shore. N. Y., 1971.
' We have found that
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in. cubes can easily be cut from ordinary wood stock. MB
The Grignard reagent appears as: RMgBr. Any bromide may, therefore, be converted directly to the Grignard. A list of suggested allowable reactions is also available. The exact distribution of the groups on the faces of the cubes is available on request from the authors. An inexpensive egg-timer can be used.
Volume 49, Number 12, December 1972
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