Take it easy on the equations. Let me explain …

In physical chemistry, we tend to focus on the symbolic level. We get students to perform calculations that underpin chemical phenomena in thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibria and electrochemistry. These subjects have become increasingly mathematical, and the ability to solve complex equations is the key required skill. We rarely ask students to make the jump between a calculated value and an explanation of what that means in sub-microscopic terms. The current approach of focusing on the links between macroscopic and symbolic isn’t working if a student can complete a calculation without ever really understanding what it is that calculation represents. Somewhere along the way, we lost the chemistry. Michael Seery makes some suggestions