An Enrichment Program in Chemistry for the Advanced High School Student This program for selected high school students who have completed a year of chemistry was designed t o enrich backgrounds in chemistry, t o increase interest in the science as a professional field, and to prepare them better for collegiate work. I t consists of 8 three-hour lecture-discussiondemonstration sessions and 2 four-hour laboratory sessions (syntheses of aspirin and mthraquinone; determination of the half-life of artificially activated indium), all conduoted on Saturdrtys. The ove-all theme of the program is "the influence of detailed structure on properties," the exact subject coverage having been chosen on the baais of the principal deficiencies in the merage high school and introductory college courses. After considering classical and modern ideas concerning time, position, velocity, and energy, the basic results of quantum mechanics and orbital theory are introduced t o enable a systematic building up of the periodic table. Subsequent discussions of the chemical bond (including r e s nance theory) and crystal structure me concluded by demonstrations of the use of X-ray diffraction equipment and the electron microscope. A limited number of simple organic eompoundshalides, amines, essboxylie %ids, esters, phenols, alcohols, nitro compounds-are considered from the standpoint of function$ group resctions previous to considering modem concepts of %ids and hases. Simple examples of S Nand ~ S N mechanisms ~ and a discussion of elementary protein ohemistry complete the introduction to organic chemistry. The find~sesionis devoted to thenature of the nucleus and radiochemistry. Supplementary reading consists of Gamow's M7.Tompkim in Wmderlad (Macmillm, 1940), Ryschkewitsch's Chemical Bonding and the Gmmtry ojMoleeules (Reinhold, 1Q65),and five reprints from Seiatific Ame7iean. Anyone interested in further details concerning this highly successful program is invited to write the author. GEORGEL. JONES,Jr. CLARKSON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY POTSDAM, NEW YORK
Volume 40, Number 1 1 , November 1963
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