Laboratory jargon in chemistry – Investigation of scientific literature and survey of lecturers

Abstract

"Sodium chloride consists of sodium and chlorine". This sentence shows a common laboratory jargon statement that experts understand because they know that sodium and chloride ions are meant. Young learners, who learned about sodium and chlorine as dangerous or poisonous substances in their initial lessons, look in vain for gray sodium metal and yellow chlorine gas in common salt: They cannot know what is meant. If we establish on the substance level that sodium and chlorine can be obtained from sodium chloride by melt electrolysis, the statement would be correct. Once ions are known, the correct answer would be on the particle level: "Sodium chloride crystals consist of sodium and chloride ions arranged in an ionic lattice". The article will show more examples of jargon regarding acid-base reactions, will ask professors about using the jargon in their lectures, gives advice for improving Chemistry education.