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CALCULATING ON THE SIDE OF SUCCESS – Module H(2024): CHEMICAL REACTION STOICHIOMETRY

 H.  CHEMICAL REACTION STOICHIOMETRY

 H1.  STOICHIOMETRY: THE MEANING OF THE WORD – WHAT IS IT ?

Stoichiometry, one of the most important terms in all chemistry, is derived from a pair of Greek words:

stoicheion (“element”) & metron (“measure”). 

Stoichiometry is a theory that enables us to calculate, in principle, the chemical amounts of reactants or/& products that participate in chemical reactions.

Jeremias Benjamin Richter (1762-1807) first laid down the principles of stoichiometry publishing between 1792 & 1794 a three-volume summary of his work on the law of definite proportions.

Jeremias Benjamin Richter (1762-1807)

"Die stöchyometrie (Stöchyometria) ist die Wissenschaft die quantitative oder Massenverhältnisse zu messen, in welchen die chymischen Elemente gegen einander stehen."

Stoichiometry - the science of determining the quantitative proportions or mass ratios in which chemical elements or/& compounds interact as reactants or/& products, whether they be considered molecular, ionic or atomic, etc.

No attempt has been made here to overcrowd this www by tackling stoichiometry also.  That challenging task is delegated to the complementary  STOICHIOMETRY.co.ukbuilt upon similar lines and following seamlessly from AMOUNT of SUBSTANCE.com.  It too uses SI as intended, performing calculations using quantity algebra, where the unit of the answer is calculated algebraically, and rightly considered every bit as important as the numerical value usually obtained by using an electronic calculator.

At this juncture, the attention of teachers, educators and instructors is drawn to the key educational research concerning the teaching and learning of amount of substance, its SI unit mole, and stoichiometry - published over the last 25 years or so - accessible hereOf course, these publications are not intended for pupils at school.  But their findings should certainly not be ignored by professional educators, practising chemists, PGCE Chemistry Tutors and PGCE Science candidates who intend to make a coherent impact.

That the going can tedious at times is not in doubt.  But adopting the approaches advocated here at AMOUNTofSUBSTANCE.com  and its sibling  STOICHIOMETRY.co.uk  largely circumvents large investments of precious time.

As may be required, the URL links to the relevant sites of the important metrology bodies are:  BIPM, IUPAC, NPL(UK), IOP.org, RSC.org & NIST.gov

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