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Blog posts

Atomic masses change 30 December 2010

It has been known for a long time that the relative atomic mass, Ar, of lead, Pb, changes slightly depending upon the origin of the lead as it is the end product of natural radioactive decay series. If... more

Practical work and assessment 27 December 2010

Probably the most contentious area in the current IB programme is the assessment of practical work. Teachers who have recently retired or moved away from teaching the IB have told me that they only thing... more

World's smallest Periodic Table? 22 December 2010

Two days to go to Christmas. What do you give a chemist for Christmas? Well, although it was for his birthday, not Christmas, Nottingham University’s Dr Mike Fay at the Nanotechnology and Nanoscience... more

Blue light cystoscopy 10 December 2010

Recent research into cancer detection and treatment provides an interesting example of how connections can be made between various parts of the IB syllabus. Specifically porphyrins in hemoglobin (B.9.2),... more

Explosives 1 November 2010

What might be flying with you – or even with your IB exam scripts, extended essays or IA samples for moderation as they are sent round the world as cargo courtesy of DHL? On 29 October 2010 two parcels... more

Sticky tape & a pencil 5 October 2010

So you need fancy electronic data loggers or university analytical machines to do real research these days? Not so – all you need is a pencil and a roll of sellotape® (sticky tape). The Nobel Prize... more

How 'International' is IB Chemistry? 8 September 2010

Is IB Chemistry truly international? When I worked just in the British system teaching A level Chemistry I did not realise at the time how anglocentric my view of Chemistry was. I only used British (as... more

Women in Chemistry 26 August 2010

Two thirds of people living in the UK cannot name a single female scientist either living or historical. For 18-24 year olds this figure rises to 88%. These shocking figures from a recent survey by the... more

Agricultural chemistry - an option? 22 August 2010

In the early 1970s when I first started teaching the 16-19 age range I worked at a comprehensive school in Whitby in Northern England and lived in a small fishing village called Staithes in Yorkshire.... more

Objective 3? 9 August 2010

Consider the following typical IB question for HL Option C: Chemistry in industry and technology.“Discuss the properties needed for a substance to be used in liquid-crystal displays.” more