 | | | Subject: A87762171 - Atoms and Isotopes: Pre-university Level
Posted Jun 20, 2012 by  Dmitri Gheorgheni
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  | | I am very much in favour of Guide Entries that help the physics and chemistry handicapped. I say this in all sincerity, as one who has PTSD from university. The mere mention of 'the dipole nature of water' will send me into shell-shock. So if you're explaining this stuff, bless you, you're a benefactor to the human race.
Here are some queries of mine, based on reading this as if I didn't know anything at all - which isn't hard, believe me. (Just ask Profs Kaufmann, Levine, Cohen, and any number of terrified teaching assistants.)
'The excepted model' - unless I'm *really* confused (possible), isn't this 'accepted'?
'This is known as the atomic number and given the symbol z.' - I have no idea what this means. What is given the symbol z? Carbon?
'Note: this is NOT the same for ions.' - What's an ion? Please explain here.
'The atom is too small to weigh...' - Why is the atom too small to weigh? Are there no instruments for this? No tiny scales?
'The number of atoms in a mole of a substance is known as Avogadro’s Number.' - How about a footnote on who Avogadro was, and why he's entitled to his own number?
'Measuring relative atomic mass' - As this is potentially an exciting process (yeah, I know it's not, I've stood around watching it, but let's pretend), how about an introductory statement as to why you might want to measure this, and how interesting the proceses will be? Opportunity for humour here.)
'The problem with relative molecular mass is for giant ionic structures such as SiO2...' This is cool, but could you tell us what SiO2 is when it's at home? Is it good for something awesome? Any reason why you picked silicon dioxide, anyway?
How about a summary at the end of this, telling us lab rats what we're supposed to have learned?
A link or two for further reading would be much appreciated. By now, there *has* to be an online version of 'Chemistry for Dummiers'.
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| | | Subject: A87762171 - Atoms and Isotopes: Pre-university Level
Posted Jun 21, 2012 by Lanzababy - Guide Editor
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| | Mikey
Thanks so much for rescuing this Entry. We really appreciate Flea Market rescues.
I've got a feeling that the title was altered previously. I'll give it some thought and come up with some alternatives for you to think about. The title has to be something that someone using a search engine will recognise as being 'what they are looking for' so the suggestion by Julez didn't give me that sense of immediacy that the words 'Atoms and Isotopes' do.
You might consider having a title - simple and direct explanation of the focus of this Entry - shorter is better to be honest. If you can crystallise the whole of the Entry into less than six or so words you're onto a winner.
A sub title - ie a phrase at the very top of the Entry itself is also a means to encouraging readers that they have arrived at the very article that is going to help them. I know that nicki wrote a series of Entries to help students with their A-levels ( UK Centric) which is why the pre-university part of the title crept in.
Anyway, I am encouraged to see this here! Well done so far.
 
Lanzababy
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