Discovering Chemical Aromaticity Using Fragrant Plants

• Tanya L. Schneider ^[1]
  1. [1] Smith College

     Smith College

     City of Northampton, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 87, Nº 8 (August), 2010, págs. 793-795
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Introductory organic chemistry is often perceived as inaccessible by students. This article describes a method used to link organic chemistry to everyday experience, asking students to explore whether fragrant molecules are also aromatic in the chemical sense. Students were engaged in this activity, excited about their results, and performed well on subsequent assignments that required their understanding of the concept of chemical aromaticity. It was clear that this approach promoted interest, not just in deciphering chemical aromaticity, but also more generally in molecules that exist in nature, making the study of organic chemistry more real for the class