edited by DOUGLAS D. SMITH Gwlford Hqh Schwl
"The Dancing Wu Li Masters" George W. Stapleton Arcadia High School 180 W. Campus Drive Arcadia. CA 91006 After readine "The Dancine W u Li Masters" b v Gary Zukav. Iam cc~tivincedt h a t the r i g h t person can explain the in a clear, refreshing, and logical manner. most d i f f i c t ~ l ideas t There is something in this overview o f modern physics for the student. the teacher. and the science educatur. T h i s hook might well serve a mndel on h o w n o t t o talk down t o a less informed reader. I t traces the development o f physics from anrlent times through the Renaissance t o the present time in an illuminating, clear, and interesting manner. T h e whole evolution o f quantum relativistic physics w i l l u n f o l d r i g h t Irefure the reader w i t h a clarity seldomseen in w r i t i n g o f this nalllre ~ ~ ~. ... "1 hope that this h m k will be a useful t r a n h t i o n which w i l l help those peuple who d o n o t have a scientific mental set (like me) t o understand the extraordinary process which is occurr i n g i n theoretical physics." T h i s quotation should give y o u some idea o f the humor and wisdom found w i t h i n the pages uf this work. H e makes a case for physics n o t being mathematics, and Ihelieve a similar case could he made for chemistrv not heine mathematics. You will find many useful quot a t h n s w i t h i n the pages of this modern d r a m a o f quantum electrc~dynamics.These f i t beautifully w i t h i n the fabricof the story and add an unforgettahle dimension o f the active partiripatinn of all of the characters. You w i l l find theattributes uf a competent teacher fully expused. This hook really explains i n a lucid manner what physicisb do and do n o t do. T h e philosophical war hetween Neils Hohr and Albert Einstein is woven i n t o every chapter o f the book. One uartirularlv satisfvine . ...Dart o f the book i s a discussion l i g h i as a wave or particle. T h i s is beautifully explained using the famous douhle-slit experiment. T h e particle-wave
duality is handled in a most skillful manner. W h y wasn't Iever told this hefore? You w i l l say this again and again as you read this anatomv of ohvsics. You w i l l realize aeain and aeain how the ideas expressed i n this hook can he applied in your own classroom. You will discover a section on suhatnmic particles which w i l l enahle vou t o see behind resonance in a chemical svstem. though n o t mentioned as such in the text. T h e table dn subatomic particles is w o r t h the rice of the book alone. There is an inthesting sectwn nn quantum ir& versus philosophical Ing~cdonewit h I'olnroid"sheets which might hedone w i t h i n the classroom o r suggested as a home experiment for your students. T h e chapter in the particle zoo contains the most clearly written account of the forces w i t h i n our universe t h a t I have ever read. T h e last chapter is entitled. "The End o f Science." b u t fur me, after reading it. Isee, t h a t it is t r u l y the beginning o f science for me!
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574
Journal of Chemical Education
This bi-monthly feature presents a potpourri of thoughts and items thal high S C chemistry ~ I teachers have found useful In l b i r dassroomr. Summaries and abrtracts at anicles thal have appeared in recent isswS of science journals COm around the w a l d are also hiahliohted in lhis teatwe. Your conlributio< d a; ideas are welcome and encouraged. Doug Smllh received his BS from Wirconsin State University at Plansvllle In 1959. his M5 lrom H e n s e a ( * Polytechnic InniMe in 1965. and his RL) at ohio State university in 1971.boug has been teaching since 1959.
EGC~
september. 197j: when he began editing .'Ideas from Eveywiwe". He is also involved in a nvmbat of olbr activities. inclvjing hi5 active involvement with a "bunch of clowns". JOUINAL
and teacher. A clear, simple, explanatinn for the observatinns is not always a part o f a high school teacher's repert,,ire and many of us would not even know where lo look. A good reference has been found in Ch~rntrch,a magazine you should hecome familiar with, written hy an author you may wish tn become familiar with. Jearl Walker,[ who is becoming my favorite author of the 80's as .lay A. Young was my favorite of the 60's, has compiled the main ideas abnut oscillating reactions into a four-page primer.' He describes how to make several d ' t h e nscillating color reactions and the conditions and cnncentrations that may he changed to determine the reaction's variahles. Among the hints included are the use of Triton X-100 surfactant or "photolab" to reduce surface tensinn, the reason fingers should not be allowed to tnuch the clear glass surfaces nr solotinn (chloride ion can prevent oscillations), and the sources for chemicals. He also discusses the phenomena where chemical waves of color proceed across the solution (chemical waves are different from the water and lieht waves of ohvsics . . as these waves do not reflect from barriers, dn not pass through each other if two waves meet going different directions, and do not have the medium move). He describes the types of patterns observed, wavs to preserve the waves, and the chemistry prohahly invoived. Of course, we know that the article is authoritative and that the author is a man of parts and discernment since he quotes four references from THIS .JOIIRNAI..
' Walker, Jearl, Chemtech. 10 [S] 320-323 (1980)
The School Science Review If you ha\? had a rntlnw t o hwr ;t preirntntion made h any ~t. a plea of the editors of rHls ,101 Ilk:\!., YOU, ni, d < ~ u lreceived for high school t.eachers to hecnme involved in sharing ideas.
Snme nf your colleagues have shared ideas, and we wish to reaffirm t hat your teaching hints are also welcome as well as suggestions i , r material ynu wish to knnw more about. I would like tu include summaries of two articles that appeared in Great Rrilain's Thr Schrrul Scirwrc Kwieu,. These ideas represent twu uf the shm-ter articles which contain good suggestions that can he used immediately in our classrooms and, hopefully, will entnurage you to submit yours. Alka-Seltzer" Jnhn .I. Guy' suggests the use of Alka-Seltzer" in studying the effect of particle size on reactinn rate. As a half tahlet of Alka-Seltzerm will evolve fin rnl of pas in less than 120 sec, it does nnt take long to gather data on a whole piece, a tablet hrnken into smaller pieces, w even a powdered piece. By measuring volumes at ill-ser intervals and consequently plotting a graph, a student should he ahle tn draw conclusions ahout particle size and reaction ra1.e. The portion of the article I wish to follow-up with more study is Guy's comments about the educational benefits from using familiar materials. He suggests that the student can concentrate nn the cnnceptual goals if the student is familiar with the malerials and resultant reaction. Equilibrium ModelZ Add water to the zero mark of a 100-ml huret and to the 50.1111 mark of a .5O ml buret, then clamp the two huretsof 100 ml and 50 ml side hy side with an empty beaker placed under each. Open the larger buret for 15 sec. The water a~llectedis said to represent the amount of reactant forming product. Pour the water from the 100-ml huret into the 50-ml buret. Now, open holh tips fin 15 sec, and then pour the water collected from each l~uretinto the other buret. Keep repeating until the water levels in the huret become constant (i.e., equilibrium). Note. Colored water may make the demonstration more visihle. If the students were asked to keep track of the water level in either hurrette, could they discover if the reaction demonstrated a zero-, first., or second-order reaction?
' Guy. John J..
The School Science Review. 62. 218. p. 106.
Dunn. 8. W.,
The School Science Review. 62. 219, p. 334.
(1980).
(1980).
Volume 58
Number 7
July 1981
575
