S. Scott Zirnmerrnanl University of Arkansas at Little Rock 33rd and University Avenue Little ROC^. 72204
I I
Writing for Chemistry Food for thought tnust be appetizing
Chemistry students usually can write acceptable exposition if they know good writing is expected and receive some reminders on how t o d o it. T h i s paper was written t o help you, t h e student, write better. Chemists, biologists, engineers, nurses, and physicians-not just Freshmen in college--need writing skills. No matter what your future career is, you will need t o know how t o write properly. And, more t o t h e present, your grade in this course depends upon your ability t o communicate in writing. Good writing results from (a) having something t o write, (b) writing it, and (c) carefully revising it. Clear scientific exposition derives from clear scientific thinking. Good grammar usually follows naturally. If you can think clearly, you can write effectively. Some students ask, "Why be concerned about how I write a s long a s what I write is correct, especially in a science course?" This is like asking why he concerned about how food tastes a s lone" as what i t contains is nourishine. T h e answer is t h a t unless food tastes good, i t won't he eaten. This doesn't mean t h a t every meal m u s t be a banquet of exotic cuisine. Mashed potatoes and gravy, boiled corn, a n d chuck roast make good eating almost anytime. Likewise, a chemistry laboratory report need not be poetry. Scientists receive their intellectual nourishment from palatable and digestible staples: clear, well-organized exposition. On t h e other hand, unclear, disoraanized scientific writing gives intellectual indigestion. i e t m e give you a n example. T h e following laboratory rep o r t typifies poor student writing. ~~~
~
Using the experimental methodology of a polarimeter, the D-glucase was measured by us in water, We adjusted it as to make it in proper and zeroed. T~~light source for measuring was a sodiumlampsource from whichemitted the N a D line atwavelength 589.3 nm. Measure the value of the optical rotation, which is a,hy transferring the sample by pipet, a D-glucosesolution, into a cell of known length. One places the cell in the polarimeter and measures a , found out to be by us a = +36.Z0. Cell path length = 0.5 dm. From the equations [ a ] =~ alc-1you get the concentration c, where 1is in dm. Switching things around algebraically in the manner which follows: c = al[a]o-I. You look up [aln in CRC and get for D-glucose +57.Z0. The units of c are in glml. c = 36.2/(57.2)(0.50).So our Dglucose is 1.27. The polarimeter was a Kern.
The information is Enough to give you there, b u t in its present form, it's not very appetizing. This student report simply is a first draft, a beginning. It needs careful revision. Now let's see what t h e report might look like after several painstaking revisions. ~~~~~
~
.
.I heconrentrntmn
