QUALITATIVE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN THE CHEMISTRY CURRICULUM1 JOHN D. REINHEIMER The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio
JAMES I. A. WEBB Southwestern College, Memphis, Tennessee
THIS report is a condensation of data from responses of student time in colleges and universities can he sumt o a questionnairea dealing with the course in qualita- marized as follows: tive organic analysis as it is offered in the undergraduate For 4 credits: and/or graduate curricula of selected colleges and uni16 per cent of the colleges scheduled one lecture, and an avversities in the United States. The data were colerage of 6.7 hours of lahoratory work per week. lected during the period February-June, 1954. 38 per cent of the colleges scheduled two lectures, and an average of 6.0 hours of lahoratory work per week. The purpose of gathering the current information 9 per cent of the universities scheduled one lecture, and an avwas t o obtain the broad and varied views and experierage of 8.3 hours of lahoratory work per week. ences of many teachers in this field and to pass this in21 per cent 01 the universities scheduled two lectures, and formation on t o others. There was no intention of an average of 6.5 hours of laboratory work per week. using the results of this survey to further any "stand- For 3 credits: ardization" of the teaching of qualitative organic 26 per cent of the colleges aoheduled one lecture, and an avanalysis since this subject lends itself to individual and erage of 6.5 hours of lahoratory work per week. An addifrequently highly personal methods of presentation. tional hour of conference or recitation was scheduled. 19 per cent of the colleges soheduled two lectures, and sn avThe study's additional object was to examine the feelerage of 5.0 hours of lahoratory work per week. ing concerning the relative merits of presenting qual53 per cent of the universities scheduled one lecture, and an itative organic analysis a t the undergraduate or the average of 6.5 hours of lahoratory work per week. graduate level. 15 per cent of the universities scheduled two lectures, and an average of 6.0 hours of laboratory work per week. The questionnaire was sent t o the chairmen of chemistry departments in 340 colleges and universities. The student was permitted by 60 per cent of the These institutions were accredited by either the colleges and universities to work in the laboratory withAmerican Chemical Society or the American Asso- out supervision. Some courses, particularly those for ciation of Universities. Sixty-six per cent of the ques- 3 credits, used one of the laboratory hours as a recitationnaires were returned. The following report is tion or conference rather than as a lecture. This gained based upon the information obtained from these re- some of the advantages of a 4-credit course without the plies. additional credit. A qualitative organic chemistry course was offered The major assignments in the lahoratory work mere by 89 per cent of the institutions. All of the uni- the identification of single unknowns and the separation versities and the A. C. S. accredited colleges offered and identification of the components of one or more this course; 65 per cent of the non-A. C. S. accredited mixtures. Seventy-five per cent of the instructors colleges gave it. Eighty-two per cent of those institu- reported that the laboratory work was performed on a tions in which the course was offered did so once a semimicro scale. The amount of unknown that was vear. issued was 10-12 grams of a solid or a liauid and 50 grams of a mixture. In 81 per cent of the laboratories COURSE ORGANIZATION the student was not expected t o run all the classifica The replies t o the questions dealing with the me- tion tests before he reckived an unknown, hut he was chanics of course organization indicated a strong prefer- expected t o run these tests on a known a t the same ence for allotting three or four credits for the work of time as on his unknown. this course. ~ o h y - s i xper cent of the institutions had The purity of samples, the number of unknowns 3-credit courses, 40 per cent allowed 4 credits, 10 Per issued, and the number of derivatives required for cent gave 2, only 3 per cent favored 5 credits, and less identification were the most important factors deterthan 1 per cent each gave as much as 6 credits or as mining the amount of work expected from a student. little as 1. The comparison of credit and distribution Most instructors used the purest materials available, while a few issued technical or practical grade chem1 presented before the Division of Chemical Education at the icals after the student had identified several U. S. P. 128th Meeting of tho American Chemical Society, Minneapolis, C, P, ~h~ number of unknowns September, 1955. 2 ~ i support~for this ~study came ~ frorn~the Rohert i H. ~varied ~from 1 to 12, but 5 Or 6 was the most frequent assignment. The average number of single unknowns wilson fund of the College of Wooster. 328
VOLUME 33, NO. 7, JULY, 1956
issued to a student in 3- and 4-credit courses was 5.5. The mixtures which were issued generally contained 3 components. Two mixtures were required by 82 instructors, 1 mixture by 38 instructors, more than 2 mixtures by 21 instructors. Only 8 instrnctors issued no mixtures. The number of derivatives required for identification was one or two in amounts described as "enough." Those courses which carried 4 credits generally asked for the larger number of derivatives, but the difference was not great. Seventy-four per cent of all instructors required 2 derivatives for each identified compound. The lecture's chief function was to explain the methods used in the laboratory. This fact was reflected in the relative weight of the laboratory work as 6&65 per cent of the h a 1 grade in the course, while the written work counted only 3 5 4 0 per cent. The topics usually covered in the lecture were physical constants, which was given about 5-10 per cent of the total lecture time; solubility, 15 per cent; classification tests, 25-30 per cent; derivatives, 15 per cent; and problems, 20-25 per cent. Other topics less frequently covered were separations, literature search, and spectra. The topic of reaction mechanisms received little emphasis or was not mentioned a t all by most instructors. RELATIONSHIP OF QUALITATIVE TO OTHER ORGANIC COURSES
Answers to the questions concerning the relationship between qualitative organic analysis and the elementary organic course revealed that most elementary courses introduce, but do not cover exhaustively, the analytical methode. The best-known derivatives and the reactions characteristic of a given functional group are discussed by 86 per cent of the instructors in the elementary course. The complete scheme of qualitative analysis is not presented by 74 per cent. About half, 47 per cent, of the instructors issue unknowns in the elementary organic laboratory which consist of a compound having a given functional group, or a t most one of a limited number of possibilities. Only 14 per cent of the instructors issued unknowns which would require a knowledge of the complete qualitative analysis scheme. Most of the instructors felt that the introduction of unknown identification in the elementary laboratory made the laboratory more interesting,
hut that qualitative analysis as such should be deferred for a more complete treatment in a separate course. The question concerning the place of the qualitative organic chemistry course in the training of a chemist was asked in several ways. The majority of the r e spondents felt that qualitative organic should be an undergraduate course. The large majority of graduate schools, 71 per cent, recommend or require that all graduate students take a qualitative organic course if they have not taken it as undergraduates. Eightyeight per cent of the departments require this course of all students who major in organic chemistry. For the student who has taken the course as an undergraduate, 95 per cent of the graduate schools require no further work in this area. The qualitative organic course is the same for both undergraduate and graduates in 70 per cent of the graduate schools. The other 30 per cent require a "stepped-up" course, distinguished by the number and difficulty of the unknowns. The desirability of qualitative organic as an advanced undergraduate course was revealed by the answers to the question, "Does your department require an advanced course in organic?" Fifty per cent of the departments do require such an advanced course. Qualitative organic was required by 49 per cent, advanced organic by 37 per cent, with organic preparations, organic mechanisms, biochemistry, and natural products being less frequently mentioned as the required course. This preference was confirmed by asking the respondent to list a number of organic courses in order of preference. The final order showed qualitative organic to he first choice by a wide margin, with advanced organic, organic mechanisms, and biochemistry following closely bunched. The following conclusions may be drawn concerning the place of qualitative organic chemistry in the chemical curriculum: (1) Qualitative organic is introduced in the elementary organic course, but it should be taught as a separate course. (2) Qualitative organic is regarded as an undergradnate course by the large majority of the graduate schools. (3) Qualitative organic is a leading contender as the choice for an additional organic course a t the undergraduate level.
MORE MNEMONICS
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For Remembering the Lanthanum Series (Rare Earths): "Let's collect pleasingly novel pansies since every good type does have extra tiny young leaves." The first letter of each word is the f i s t letter of the series: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dyeporeium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. JIM G. MALlK
