Which ones are best? Do they work?
This week, Kristy Turner asked for your favourite chemistry mnemonics. A flurry of nifty aide-memoires were tweeted back. Here are a few crackers for remembering some of the subject’s tricky details.
All at SEA with ionic bonding?
Ok chemistry twitter.... favourite mnemonics to help kids recall things?
— Kristy Turner (@doc_kristy) March 13, 2018
My colleague's SEABOCI "strong, electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions"
Similar to the first one. SEA GIL strong electrostatic attraction, giant ionic lattice.
— Elizabeth Keay (@equet2705) March 13, 2018
Diatomic molecules? You say ’hobrfincl’ and I say ’brinclhof’
I do 'Clevland Brown Has No Friends In Ottawa'.
— Sherry Lynn McGregor (@sherry_mcgregor) March 14, 2018
I Have No BRight Or CLever Friends
— Lindsay Turk (@MsTurk_MCSC) March 14, 2018
Have No Fear Of Ice Cold Beer! (diatomic)
— Chuck Boland (@chuckboland) March 14, 2018
Electrolysis made easy
a colleague of mine uses PPOO (“stuttering poo”) for electrode potentials - Positive Potentials Oxidise Others!
— Peter Hoare (@PHoare1963) March 14, 2018
PANIC
— A-Level Chemistry 🎓 (@ChemistryALevel) March 14, 2018
Positive
Anode
Negative
Is
Cathode
OILRIG Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is again
— Carolyne (@CazGerrard) March 14, 2018
SOAC a GERC (soak a jerk) makes me laugh; Strongest Oxidizing Agent at the Cathode Gains Electrons and is Reduced at the Cathode.
— Amy Szerminska (@szwildcat) March 14, 2018
I prefer LEO goes GER to OIL RIG because it is clear electrons are what is lost/gained.
I also saw "Nick the Camel..." in the replies. ♥️ 👍
Remember your reactivity series
Please. Send. Charlie’s. Monkeys. And. CHEEKY. Zebras. In. HEAVY. Lead. Cages. Securely. Guarded
— Amanda Fleck (@AJTF71) March 13, 2018
Polite spotted leopard can meet affectionate zebra into tender loving care single girls please
— Robert Brooks (@ScienceLP) March 14, 2018
Practice your periodic table
Don't think I've seen this one before: I remember the Al-Si-P-S-Cl row of elements as "Al sips chlorine".
— Scott K. Silverman (@sksilverman) March 14, 2018
Don’t monkey around with naming compounds
Monkeys Eat Pink Bananas. (Methyl Ethyl Propyl Butyl)
— Jason Burch (@DrBanjoCrush) March 14, 2018
Do you get your students to invent Mnemonics?
MASH - Metal + Acid -> Salt + Hydrogen is a fave.
— Chris Bowstead (@BunsenLearner) March 13, 2018
One of my students came up with one to remember the reactivity series that went "Pete Saw Carl's Mum In Lidl Cleaning Some Goo"
Hmmm. 🤔
I think it is better for pupils to make their own mnemonics and many people have replied with mnemonics designed by pupils not themselves. But some will struggle to do that.
— Kristy Turner (@doc_kristy) March 14, 2018
Do mnemonics work?
I think as a prompt they are fine, once pupils become more competent then they will leave them behind or use them as an occasional check. Perhaps there are other benefits in that they encourage a playfulness with the subject.
— Kristy Turner (@doc_kristy) March 14, 2018
Do you think menmonics are effective? Let us know your favourite or tweet @doc_kristy.
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