Syllabus for HSSP 2009 - Chemistry of the Elements

Hi, and welcome to Chemistry of the Elements. In this class, you'll be learning about different facets of chemistry that usually doesn't get taught in regular chemistry classes. By the end of HSSP, the goal is to get a better appreciation for the role each of the elements plays in our everyday lives.

Lessons plan:
All classes are standalone, meaning that if you miss a class, there's no catchup required.

7/12
Chemistry and the history of mankind - how chemistry has affected and 
guided the development of modern civilization.

7/19
Commodity chemicals - Look around you. There are plastics, metals, processed and refined materials all around you. How does modern chemistry allow these materials to exist?

7/26
From simple ions to polyatomic ions - Simple bonding rules and oxidation states, with deeper consequences

8/2
Intro to transition metals - Just about every industrial process is catalyzed by some sort of transition metal. What are the rules governing the reactions of transition metals?

8/9
Intro to Organic chemistry - My specialty. Find out why organic chemistry isn't really that much more complex than acid-base reactions (despite what you may hear)

8/16
Getting to the pure element - Only a few elements appear in nature in their pure states. For the rest, a bit of chemical trickery is required.

8/23
Atmospheric chemistry - A detailed look into why scientists are panicking, while the rest of us are just slightly oblivious to just how screwed we might be.

8/30
Radioactivity - A look at buildup and decay of atomic nuclei. How to build a nuke 101.

Contact: You can email me at brilee@mit.edu if you have any questions/comments about the class, or any chemistry questions in general.