Chemical Education Today
Sherlock Holmes Goes Virtual by Erica K. Jacobsen The Dalles, Oregon 97058, United States
[email protected] Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Dr. Watson are the central figures of dozens of stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. His stories, written from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, follow these two now famous characters as they travel the streets of London and beyond, solving any mysteries that cross their paths. (Figure 1 shows Sherlock Holmes using chemical analysis to solve a case.) These characters have also been brought to life on the pages of the Journal of Chemical Education ( JCE). Beginning in 1989, two chemistry professors from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Thomas G. Waddell and Thomas R. Rybolt, added a twist: their adventures of Sherlock Holmes bring chemistry into every single mystery. The tales eventually became known as “The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”. The two shared their final story in 2004, and Waddell has since retired, but their collection of 15 mysteries continues to find use in chemistry classrooms and beyond. Additionally, in 2008 and 2009, Ken Shaw, a secondary school chemistry teacher at The Waterford School in Utah, published two chemical adventures. Shaw's are particularly appropriate for use with high school students. Several years ago, the Journal gathered the 15 stories that had then been published into a single volume. At that time, the formatting was standardized so that there was consistency among all stories, making it easier for educators to make photocopies for students that included only the stories and not the solutions. The paper volume also had a spiral binding for convenient photocopying. Volumes were sold separately from a Journal subscription. With the continuing move toward digital publishing, along with the copublishing partnership JCE now has with ACS Publications, the time has arrived for Sherlock Holmes to “go virtual”. One of the tools offered by ACS Publications is the ability to publish a virtual issue. For example, other ACS journals have produced virtual issues such as Materials in the Space Environment, Polymers from Renewable Resources, and more. To see these examples and to locate The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes virtual issue, go to http://pubs.acs.org/page/ pr/thematic.html (accessed Jan 2011). A virtual issue can conveniently bring together content along a particular theme, even if the content was published over a period of many years. The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes seemed a natural first virtual issue for JCE, in that the stories all relate to a central theme, Sherlock Holmes, and there were a manageable number of stories to include as we learn the ropes. In addition, as we discontinue offering the paper volume that collected the first 15 stories, this virtual issue will be a readily available resource for all Journal subscribers to easily access and use. Offering the collection virtually also allows us to include the two new stories written by Shaw. The virtual issue will also include this article as an 368
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Figure 1. A eureka moment for Sherlock Holmes illustrated by George Hutchinson for Arthur Conan Doyle's first novel, A Study in Scarlet, published by Ward, Lock & Bowden in 1887. See Lucy, C. A. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 459-470; DOI: 10.1021/ed077p459.
introduction, together with a history of the series by Waddell and Rybolt, which also appears in this print issue (1). We are also adding a new online supplement to each of Waddell and Rybolt's original 15 stories. Each story will have a PDF file that shows the story as it appeared in the spiral paper volume described above. This will allow educators to again have standardized copies that separate the story and solution, making it easy to use the stories in the classroom. The 17 stories illustrate a wide range of chemistry. For example, the first story, “Sherlock Holmes and the Yellow Prisms” (2), provides a problem in organic and inorganic qualitative analysis, while the final story to appear, Shaw's “Mrs. Hudson's Golden Brooch” (3), emphasizes qualitative analysis, metallurgy, and gravimetric analysis. Table 1 lists the chemical themes of each of the stories together with citations and publication information, including links. As the editor of this virtual issue, I hope that readers will find this a useful collection, for its educational as well as its entertainment value. Teachers, students, and chemistry aficionados alike will enjoy working through these mysteries. Each can
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Vol. 88 No. 4 April 2011 pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc r 2011 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc. 10.1021/ed200021z Published on Web 02/14/2011
Chemical Education Today Table 1. Titles from The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Published in the Journal of Chemical Education Story Title
Chemical Topics Explored
Publication Information and Links
1
Sherlock Holmes and the Yellow Prisms
Organic and inorganic qualitative chemical analysis
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1989, 66, 981-982; DOI: 10.1021/ed066p981.
2
Sherlock Holmes and the Fraudulent Ketone
Laboratory and scientific practices
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1990, 67, 1006-1008; DOI: 10.1021/ed067p1006.
3
A Christmas Story
Qualitative chemical analysis
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1991, 68, 1023-1024; DOI: 10.1021/ed068p1023.
4
The Case of the Screaming Stepfather
Qualitative chemical analysis
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1992, 69, 999-1001; DOI: 10.1021/ed069p999.
5
The Case of the Stoichiometric Solution
Stoichiometry calculations
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1993, 70, 1003-1005; DOI: 10.1021/ed070p1003.
6
The Hound of Henry Armitage
Physical properties and balancing reaction equations
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1994, 71, 1049-1051; DOI: 10.1021/ed071p1049.
7
The Problem of Woolthshrap Prison
Scientific observations and the criminal use of a classic reaction of chemistry
Rybolt, T. R.; Waddell, T. G. J. Chem. Educ. 1995, 72, 1090-1092; DOI: 10.1021/ed072p1090.
8
Sherlock Holmes and the Nebulous Nitro
Organic chemistry, scientific observation, and reasoning skills
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 1157-1159; DOI: 10.1021/ed073p1157.
9
The Baker Street Burning
Forensic chemistry, physical properties, and qualitative organic analysis
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1998, 75, 484-486; DOI: 10.1021/ed075p484.
10
The Death Puzzle at 221B Baker Street
Medicinal chemistry and qualitative analysis
Rybolt, T. R.; Waddell, T. G. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 489-493; DOI: 10.1021/ed076p489.
11
The Ghost of Gordon Square
Chemical “magic”
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 471-474; DOI: 10.1021/ed077p471.
12
The Shroud of Spartacus
Blood test, qualitative analysis, and the properties of biological substances
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78, 470-474; DOI: 10.1021/ed078p470.
13
The Case of Three
Physical properties and chemical characterization of metals
Rybolt, T. R.; Waddell, T. G. J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79, 448-453; DOI: 10.1021/ed079p448.
14
The Blackwater Escape
Inorganic qualitative analysis, laboratory observations, and oxidation-reduction processes
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80, 401-406; DOI: 10.1021/ed080p401.
15
Autopsy in Blue
Inorganic qualitative analysis, forensic chemistry, and medicinal substances
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81, 497-501; DOI: 10.1021/ed081p497.
16
The Serpentine Remains
Qualitative analysis, descriptive chemistry, and forensics
Shaw, K. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 507-513; DOI: 10.1021/ed085p507.
17
Mrs. Hudson's Golden Brooch
Qualitative analysis, metallurgy, and gravimetric analysis
Shaw, K. J. Chem. Educ. 2009, 86, 443-448; DOI: 10.1021/ed086p443.
Prologue to The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Prologue to the virtual issue
Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88; DOI: 10.1021/ed101190d.
Sherlock Holmes Goes Virtual
Introduction to the virtual issue
Jacobsen, E. K. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88; this paper.
function as an enrichment activity for students, a mind-bender for weary heads before a school vacation, an application of a recent unit's concepts in a challenging mystery, or simply a fun evening for a teacher while unwinding from correcting a stack of lab notebooks. Whatever the use, join Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they travel the streets of London solving their varied chemical adventures. The game is afoot!
r 2011 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
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Literature Cited 1. Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88; DOI: 10.1021/ed101190d. 2. Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1989, 66, 981-982; DOI: 10.1021/ed066p981. 3. Shaw, K. J. Chem. Educ. 2009, 86, 443-448; DOI: 10.1021/ ed086p443.
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