Geographic Perspectives of Chemistry

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Geographic Perspectives of Chemistry

• Luis D. Montes
• Department of Chemistry
• University of Central Oklahoma
• lmontes_at_ucok.edu

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Why Geographies of Chemistry?

• Geography literally means to describe the Earth
• A geographic perspective of chemistry examines
  the ways that the principles and practices of
  chemistry differ from one place to another (place
  matters)
• Analogy the solvent effect

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Why Geographies of Chemistry?

• Although the principles of chemistry are
  placeless, the practice and development of
  chemistry is not.
• Science (and so chemistry), as a body of
  knowledge, is a cultural formation, shaped by
  the local environments in which its practitioners
  carry out their tasks.1
• 1 D.N. Livingstone, Reading the heavens,
  planting the earth cultures of British science,
  History Workshop Journal (2002), 54, 236.

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Why Geographies of Chemistry?

• Chemistry traditionally places an emphasis on
  recognizes spaces and places
• Chemistry creates spaces and places for its
  activities

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Geography in Chemistry

• Names of Substances
• Rochelle Salt (NaKC4H6O6)
• Epsom Salt (MgSO4)
• Sal di Modena (MgSO4)
• Stannum Anglici (tin)
• Spanish Green (CuCO3)
• Cyprian vitriol (CuSO4)

• Names of Elements (26 or 34 place related names)
• Copper (cuprum)
• Americium
• Darmstadium
• Rhenium
• Ruthenium
• Gallium
• Ytterbium
• Magnesium

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Europium
Berkelium
Americium
Californium
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Scandium
Thulium
Polonium
Germanium
Ruthenium
Francium
Gallium
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Holmium
Dubnium
Strontium
Erbium Terbium Ytterbium Yttrium
Hafnium
Rhenium
Darmstadium
Lutetium
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Magnesium Manganese
Cadmium
Copper (cuprum)
Mediterranean Sea
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Where does chemistry take place?Generating
chemical knowledge

• Industrial research laboratories
• Government research laboratories
• Academic research laboratories
• What differences exist in these places?
• How does one gain admittance to each?
• Can people in other places generate chemical
  knowledge?

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Where does chemistry take place? Disseminating
chemical knowledge

• Museums
• Classrooms
• Learning labs
• Conferences

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Where does chemistry take place?Applying
chemical knowledge

• How can chemical knowledge be used to improve our
  surroundings?
• How does the practice of chemistry impact our
  environment?
• Where are samples/ores/minerals/elements obtained?

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Sites of Chemistry Education

• Classroom
• Laboratory
• Field

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The Chemistry Classroom

• What distinguishes a chemistry classroom?
• What can be altered in the classroom environment
  to aid or hinder learning?
• How can a classroom be designed to encourage
  different types of learning?

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The Chemistry Classroom
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The Chemistry Classroom
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The Chemistry Laboratory

• What is present in a chemistry laboratory?
• What is required for a safe laboratory?
• How does the design of a laboratory influence or
  reflect the goals of the laboratory?

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The Chemistry Laboratory
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The Chemistry Laboratory
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The Chemistry Laboratory
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The Chemistry Laboratory
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Chemistry in the Field

• Students can experience chemistry in the world
  around them (field trips)
• Students can use chemistry they learn to interact
  with the world around them (service learning)

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Chemistry in the Field
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Chemistry in the Field
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Further Reading

• Livingstone, David N., Putting Science in its
  Place Geographies of Scientific Knowledge, The
  University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2003.
• Good entry point for studying geographies of
  science includes a bibliographic essay.
• Brit. Jour. Hist. Sci., 38 (1), 2005.
• The entire issue is devoted to geographies of
  science.