Recently, the Atoms First approach has gained popularity, resulting in a revamped syllabus for general chemistry. However, current implementations of the approach largely fail to reflect the mature state of knowledge on the topics of atoms, bonding, and molecules from the perspective of modern quantum chemistry. The primary emphasis of this symposium is on updating the fundamental science covered by the Atoms First approach to better reflect a rigorous understanding of the quantum chemical principles that describe atoms, molecules and bonding. The objective is to convey difficult concepts at a level appropriate for general chemistry students without sacrificing rigor, as traditional approaches such as Lewis structures, the octet rule, and VSEPR often do. While the principal emphasis of the symposium is on getting the fundamental science right, presentations that bring to light weaknesses in the existing curriculum or characterize students’ misconceptions are also appropriate.
Presider: Tyler Y. Takeshita, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Related Papers Introduction (2:00 pm to 2:05 pm)
P557: 2D and 3D representations of atoms and molecules based on rigorous quantum chemistry: models suitable for general chemistry and advanced courses (2:05 pm to 2:25 pm)
P558: NBO methods: Finding atoms and orbitals in molecules (2:25 pm to 2:45 pm)
P559: Lewis-like structures: Consistent starting points for describing electronic structures across the periodic table (2:45 pm to 3:05 pm)
P560: Construction of valence virtual orbitals (3:05 pm to 3:25 pm)
Break (3:25 pm to 3:40 pm)
P561: Uses for valence virtual orbitals (3:40 pm to 4:00 pm)
P562: Insights into hypervalency from general valence bond theory: The recoupled pair bond model (4:00 pm to 4:20 pm)
P563: Vertex or edge inversion? Understanding NH3, NF3, PH3 and PF3 inversion with recoupled pair bonding model (4:20 pm to 4:40 pm)
Panel (4:40 pm to 5:00 pm)
