Abstract: A first survey of about 100 German chemistry textbooks for middle and high schools (including so called popular ones) and pedagogical journals showed an interest in questions of classification of chemical substances and of the order of teaching. The “methodical textbooks” started with substances which were known by the readers or pupils. The “systematic textbooks” used “artificial” and “natural” classifications.
One should expect a significant change in the favoured classification after 1870 in consequence of the periodic law which was discovered by Dmitrii I. Mendeleev (1834-1907) and Lothar Meyer (1830-1895). But the survey has shown that the periodic table is mentioned rarely. Only in some textbooks it is used for a new arrangement of the chemical knowledge which should be taught. In this case the author has a special connection to the periodic law or to Mendeleev or to Lothar Meyer. Now a number of scientific texts will be included in the survey.
So it will be possible to answer the questions if German scientific journals reflect in any way discussions on the concept of the atom or the element and questions of classification. Special interest will be focused on mentioning the periodic law, its discovery and its discoverers, information of new discovered elements and their arrangement in the periodic system, on discussions of the terms “element” and “atom”.
Furthermore the influence of the scientific networking will be regarded, too. It will be explained how the networking between a number of scientists like Meyer, Mendeleev, Victor von Richter (1841-1891), Friedrich Beilstein (1838-1906), Jacob Volhard (1834-1910) and Paul Walden (1863-1957) influenced the acceptance of the periodic system. It will be also considered if there is a specific influence of the German-Russian relations in the end of the 19th century.
Information on participating / attending:
Einladender: Prof. Dr. Michael Lalk
PD Dr. Heike Kahlert, Vorsitzende des Ortsverbandes der GDCh
Kontakt: Institut für Biochemie
Telefon 03834 86-4452, hkahlert@uni-greifswald.de
Date:
01/26/2015 16:15 - 01/26/2015 17:15
Event venue:
Institut für Biochemie, Großer Hörsaal
Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 4
17489 Greifswald
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Germany
Target group:
Scientists and scholars, Students
Relevance:
transregional, national
Subject areas:
Chemistry
Types of events:
Presentation / colloquium / lecture
Entry:
01/19/2015
Sender/author:
Sabine Köditz
Department:
Presse- und Informationsstelle
Event is free:
no
Language of the text:
German
URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event49700
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