Organic Chemistry in "Real Life" : Acids and Bases, They Aren't That Hard

OK, here is one from my own "real life". In class I made a small joke about the fact that you had to wait until first semester organic to find out why acids react with bases. But really, it is a bit ridiculous! When my daughter was in middle school she came home one day and said...

g. "Dad, today we learned about acids and bases!"

i. "Oh yeah, what did you learn?"

g. "We learned that acids are slimy and bases are sour, or is it the other way round?"

i. "Probably the other way round, but what else?"

g. "We learned that acids are in lemons and I can't remember what bases are in"

i. "Hmmmm, did you like learning about acids and bases"?

g. "OK, I suppose"

i. "Well, what is the difference between an acid and a base?"

g. "One is in lemons and the other, I can't remember"

i. "So what is an acid and what is a base?"

g. "I don't know, he didn't tell us that, we just have to know that acids come from lemons and taste bitter and I don't know where bases come from!"

This is certainly not a dig at her science teacher, this is what they are supposed to teach about acids and bases. But surely we can start from a more molecular perspective, the kids have no idea what an acid or a base is, all they really learn is that there are such things and that is about it. Oh yes, and they think that chemistry is about memorizing where acids come form and where bases come from. So, not too pleased with this I tried something different"

i. "Want to know how I think about acids and bases?"

g. "OK"

i. "Stuff is made from molecules, right?"

g. "Yeah"

i. "Molecules are made from atoms, right?"

g. "Yeah"

i. "It's the electrons that make the atoms stick together to form the molecules, that is called making a bond. That's how bigger molecules get made from smaller ones."

g. "OK"

i. "Yeah, and when two atoms stick together in a bond, they need a couple of electrons to do it"

g. "OK"

i. "When two atoms stick together to form a bond, the one that provides the electrons is called the base, the one that agrees to share the electrons is called the acid"

g. "Huh! That makes sense!"

I think that this puts acids and bases in a chemical context, keeps kids thinking about those atoms and molecule things, reduces memorization, and isn't hard to understand at all. She got it quite well when she was 13 although I am sure that she has forgotten it by now, she didn't work enough problems :D