The Nature of Chemistry
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Topic 4 and 14 - Chemical bonding and structure


​Activity 1 - Metallic hydrogen?

Subtopic 4.4 - Metallic bonding
NOS statement 1.4 - Creativity and imagination
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Time: 5 min.
Task: Hydrogen exists as simple covalent molecules. What would need to be done to make hydrogen gas exhibit metallic bonding?

Possible answer: Scientists are investigating a creative yet very simple way of doing so...LINK.

NOS statement 1.7 - Scientists must adopt a skeptical attitude to claims.
Extension: How would you prove that "metallic hydrogen" has been made? The scientific community is currently scrutinising the results. LINK.

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Image - "Nobel Prize Medal"

Activity 2 - The most simple Nobel Prize yet?

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Subtopic 4.3 - Covalent structures
NOS statement 5.6 - Many scientific discoveries have come from speculation or simple curiosity about particular phenomena. 
Time​: 5 min.
Task: Look at the image below. Can you guess what the story of this Nobel prize winning discovery?
​
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Find out about the full story here.
References:
​"Nobel Prize Medal". C2.staticflickr.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

Activity 3 - The 1987 Montreal Protocol

Subtopic 14.1 - Further aspects of covalent bonding
NOS statement 4.3 - Examples of large scale collaboration
Time: 10 min
Task: Watch the video to the right and make a list of possible consequences had the Montreal Protocol not been passed.

Activity 4 - Calming waves on a lake with oil

Subtopic 4.4 - Intermolecular forces
NOS statement 1.9 - Evidence is used to propose hypotheses and make predictions
Time​: 5 min
Task: Use your observations in the GIFs below to propose a hypothesis about the solubility of olive oil in water. Given that water is a polar molecule, predict the polarity and intermolecular forces found in the oil.
Picture
Picture
Extension: Can you explain why this calm the waves on the lake?

Activity 5 - What really causes bonding?

Topic 4 - Chemical bonding and structure 
NOS statement 1.1 - The underlying assumption of science is that the universe has an independent, external reality accessible to human senses and amenable to human reason.
Time​: 5 min.
Task​: Take any type of bonding and begin to ask why it happens. Continue to ask why? until you can go no further.
  • In which field do you end up?
  • What are the origins of our ability to try and explain bonding?
  • Where is the limit to our reason and modelling?
Extension: Where do you go if you keep asking why? How is potential energy explained? Where is the limit to our modelling of the universe?

Activity 6 - 'Negative ions' and pseudoscience

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Topic 4.1 - Ionic bonding and structure
NOS statement 5.4 - Pseudoscience is the term applied to those beliefs and practices which claim to be scientific but do not meet or follow the standards of proper scientific methodologies.
Time​: 10 min.
Task​: A website claims the following about the Lunavit Energy Stick: "Made of pure surgical steel, it contains strong magnets, 99.99% germanium and negative ions. Just press or roll the blood-enhancing Pain Relief Roller over aching points or use it as a beauty improver."
  1. Why might this use of scientific terminology be considered misleading?
  2. Why might its claim that the negative ions improve physical and mental wellbeing be considered pseudoscientific?
  3. How might the placebo effect be related to the use of this product?
  4. How do we take the placebo effect into account in scientific trials?

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  • Home
  • Recent news
  • NOC
    • The scientific method
    • Observation and inference
    • Evidence, modelling and prediction
    • Theories and paradigm shifts
    • Cause and effect
    • Accuracy, validity and reliability
    • Reason and imagination
    • Bias and the role of humans in science
    • Communication of science
    • Contrasting with other areas of knowledge
    • (IB TOK outline)
  • Topics
    • Stoichiometry
    • Atomic structure
    • Periodicity
    • Chemical bonding and structure
    • Energetics
    • Chemical kinetics
    • Equilibrium
    • Acids and bases
    • Redox processes
    • Organic chemistry
    • Measurement and data processing
  • IB Options
    • A - Materials
    • B - Biochemistry
    • C - Energy
    • D - Medicinal chemistry
  • People
  • Answers
    • NOC answers
    • Topics answers