Letters to the editor

I agree with the exam writing advice presented by the authors: simply diving into multiple-choice questions may not be the best course of action. My students experience greater success by reading all of the short answer and lab-based questions before they begin the multiple choice.

---

Category: From our readers Letters to the Editor

Sodium and potassium reacting with water, in the absence of air

As the piece of metal skitters across the surface of the water in a beaker and — particularly in the case of potassium — it appears to catch fire, it is not obvious that the explanation for both phenomena lies in the production of hydrogen gas. There is a simple and safe way to demonstrate the reaction.

---

Category: Feature Student challenges Magazine puzzles

What’s your (chemistry) fantasy?

When I’m on a plane, or at a party, or when I don’t know how to keep a conversation going, here’s a question I like to ask: “What’s your rock and roll fantasy?” You get one shot. One night; the crowd could be 50 or 50,000.

---

Category: Pedagogy, opinion and advice Editorials

Bismuth in pharmaceuticals: more than Pepto-Bismol

Consulting the print edition of the Canadian Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties1 (CPS) for the product monograph of the drug Bisoprolol, my attention strayed to the immediately preceding entry Bismutal...

---

Category: Chemistry