1. To provide a set of questions that students can use to diagnose what
they know and don't know about Freshman Chemistry.
2. To tie theoretical ideas to practical applications wherever possible.
Example: A question ask the student to define "standard state": the
student answers that "it is the form of an element that is most
stable at a particular temperautre of interest and at standard
atmospheric pressure.
Below the answer there are two short paragraphs (with a disclaiming stating
the student won't need the information for the test--they have
enough to memorize already :) that talk about how an aviation
engineer is concerned with molecular oxygen (O2) dissociating at
the high temperatures of a scramjet operating at speeds of Mach 6
and higher.
3. To insure that every student who goes through my Freshmen Chemistry
course
walks away with an sense of intrigue for Organic Chemistry, Physical
Chemistry, Ceramics, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, and
any other physical science discipline that can be worked into the
format.