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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2005  > July  >
Chemical Education Today
Commentary
Conceptual Considerations in Molecular Science
Donald T. Sawyer
Lexington, KY
Cover
July 2005
Vol. 82 No. 7
p. 985
Abstract
The undergraduate curriculum and associated textbooks include several significant misconceptions: (a) The existence of charged atomic centers in condensed phases with ionic interactions (actually uncharged atomic centers with covalent bonds); (b) Most oxidation–reduction reactions occur via electron transfer (actually occur via atom transfer); (c) The Standard Reduction Potentials for multi-electron half-reactions are based on electrochemical electron-transfer measurements (actually are derived from thermo-chemical data for atom-transfer reactions); (d) Dioxygen reacts as an electron-transfer oxidant (actually reacts as a biradical and atom-transfer reagent); (e) Fenton reagents produce a free hydroxyl radical (HO•) (actually produce a nonradical reactive intermediate).
Supplement
Each of these misconceptions and suggested alternatives is summarized.
*  Contents Folder JCE2005p0895W containing JCE2005p0985_1.doc, JCE2005p0985_2.doc, JCE2005p0985_3.doc, JCE2005p0985_4.doc, and JCE2005p0985_5.doc (Microsoft Word).
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*  Citation
 Sawyer, Donald T. J. Chem. Educ. 2005 82 985.
*  Keywords
 Biochemistry; Catalysis; Covalent Bonding; Electrolytic / Galvanic Cells / Potentials; First-Year Undergraduate / General; Inorganic Chemistry; Misconceptions / Discrepant Events; Organic Chemistry; Oxidation / Reduction; Physical Chemistry; Reactions; Reactive Intermediates; Thermodynamics; Upper-Division Undergraduate; Water / Water Chemistry
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 May 31, 2005
June 8, 2005
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