Student Submitted - Hund's Rail

Source - C&EN

Today's post was submitted by Katelynn J, one of my AP chemistry students. As a sub assignment after the AP chemistry exam, I had students submit two posts for this blog. I'll be posting them over the next few weeks.

During COVID-19, this cartoon was probably especially relatable, since everyone was trying to stay as far away from each other as possible. Of course, staying healthy and safe is much more important than adhering to the buddy system, but when going into two separate cars, you’re sure to miss your travel companion at least a little.

In this specific comic, however, the problem isn’t social distancing, it’s Hund’s Rule. On the rail, representing the shells of the QMM, electrons after first fill up all empty spaces before being able to double up, since this stabilizes the atom. The two electrons here trying to enter a car together would make the atom unstable, so it’s better they stay apart.

Katelynn added that "I learned that Hund has more than one rule! His rules are best for the ground state of an atom, and all three have to do with electrons," and she found this website helpful for further reading.

Naughty elements

See, it's funny because oxygen has a high electronegativity, meaning it'll 'steal' electrons from other atoms easily.

Santa has promised those 'stealing' elements coal in their stocking, but oxygen wouldn't mind that because coal oxidizes just fine releasing a bunch of energy in the process.

Somehow the personification of oxygen as a seemingly mischievous little red-headed girl seems appropriate.

Thanks, again, to @difluorine for creating and sharing this cartoon. 

An electrolytic cell cartoon from @difluorine

I really like this cartoon.

Big thanks to @difluorine for posting this and giving the world permission to use it in classes.

The cuteness of the big-headed figures and the scientific accuracy of everything just makes me shine with happiness.

And in case I ever need the black and white version...

Models of the Atom

Rollover Text: J.J. Thompson won a Nobel Prize for his work in electricity in gases, but was unfairly passed over for his "An atom is plum pudding, and plum pudding is MADE of atoms! Duuuuude." theory.

See, it's funny because some of those are actual models of the atom...

• 1810 - John Dalton's first experimental atomic model
• 1904 - JJ Thomson's addition of the electron
• 1911 - Ernest Rutherford's nuclear model
• 1913 - Neils Bohr added in energy levels
• 1932 - James Chadwick clarifies the nucleus with neutrons and protons
• Today - quantum mechanical model

...and some totally aren't, but I wish they were...

• 1907 - as far as I and explainxkcd.com can tell, this one's totally made up 
• 1928 - nunchuck model - how awesome would that be?
• 2008 - fivethirtyeight.com is a website that looks at the world through a statistical lens, most famously at the US national elections 

Baking Soda and Vinegar (volcano)

That went really dark really quickly.

The vinegar and baking soda volcano is a pretty standard elementary school science experiment or demonstration or something.

When the volcano becomes some sort of synecdoche for the world around it, that might be outside of the realm of elementary science.

Source: xkcd