Where Do My Atoms Come From?
John Dalton and the Textbook Tradition
Dr. George L. Heard
Associate Professor
UNC-Asheville
Meeting Schedule
5:30 p.m. Executive Committee Meeting
6:30 p.m. Dinner
Catering by 12 Bones Steakhouse, Asheville NC
Dinner will be served buffet style
Pulled pork BBQ
Pulled chicken BBQ
Specialty mashed potatoes
Smoked mushroom salad
Buttered green beans
Chocolate Brownie
Sweet and Unsweet Tea
Cost: Members $12 Students $6
7:30 p.m. Recognition of 50 and 60 year members followed by Lecture
Dr. George L. Heard
Associate Professor
UNC-Asheville
Reservations: Reply to Brenda Henderson at UNCA (828-251-6443 )or email bhenders@unca.edu. Please give your full name. Deadline for reservations is Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Please Honor Your Reservations!
Western Carolinas Local Section of the ACS honors our members who have attained recognition by the National American Chemical Society as 50 year and 60 year members. Awards will be presented to these WCACS members at the September meeting which will be held Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at the NC Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center in Fletcher, NC. Below are the names of our members who have achieved this status. Please join in expressing our congratulations to them.
|
50 Year ACS Members
|
60 Year ACS Members
|
|
Dr. Kenneth R. Barton
|
Mrs. Marquerite N. Brooks
|
|
Dr. Carl B. Bishop
|
Dr. Kenneth John Mackenzie
|
|
Dr. Virginia C. Chamberlain
|
Dr. Seymour Meyerson
|
|
Mr. Richard M. Culbertson
|
Mr. Joseph Howard Piatt
|
|
Dr. Roger H. Garst
|
Dr. Charles Nelson Robinson
|
|
Mr. Daniel Post
|
Mr. Stanley E. Ross
|
| open |
Dr. Walter B. Trapp
|
| open |
Mr. Harvey F. Unger
|
ABSTRACT
Where do my atoms come from?
John Dalton and the Textbook Tradition
Dr. George L. Heard
Associate Professor
UNC-Asheville
It is 200 years since the publication of "A New System of Chemical Philosophy, Part 1" by John Dalton ushered in the concept of the atom as the fundamental chemical unit. For the modern chemical educator, there is an attractive and simple story to be told - Dalton came up with the concept of the atom, used the law of multiple proportions to show that compounds were formed from a simple ratios of masses of these atoms, it was widely adopted, and Dalton lives on as the "father of the atom". It is less known that Dalton's 1808 book was 210 pages of thermodynamics, and the concept of particular matter occupies only the final five pages, contains no supporting data and is fundamentally incorrect in its first two assertions. No supporting data for atoms was to be published for another two years. Similarly, the path to the acceptance of Dalton's model of the atom was a nearly 80-year journey - much of the war being waged in textbooks. In this presentation I will elaborate on the differences between the popular conceptions of Dalton's work and the contents of the three-part "New System of Chemical Philosophy" and chart the acceptance of Dalton's atomic theory, and the demise of the opposing fundamental theories, and the view of Dalton himself through a history of textbooks.
This Month's Speaker
Dr. George L. Heard
Associate Professor
UNC-Asheville
George Heard grew up in Australia, obtaining a Bachelors degree in Science from the University of Melbourne and a PhD. from the University of Tasmania. After postdoctoral appointments at Dalhousie University and McMaster University he has been a member of the faculty at UNC-Asheville since 1999. His interest in the History of Chemistry came from working closely with Ronald J. Gillespie at McMaster.
While not doing Chemistry, George is involved in writing and performing. He is one of the head writers for the Asheville-based sketch comedy group "The Feral Chihuahuas", contributes short plays to the North Carolina Stage Company's "No Shame Theatre" and writes regular columns on crossword-solving, and performs stand-up comedy.
The Western Carolinas Section of the American Chemical Society would like to thank all who participated in the 2007 Southeast Regional Meeting in Greenville, SC, October 24-27. Astracts and meeting information can be found on the the meeting website:
http://www.sermacs2007.org/
Western Carolinas Meeting and Speaker Itinerary
Fall 2008
| Date |
Speaker |
Title |
Host
Site |
| September 16 |
George Heard
UNCA
|
Where Do My Atoms Come From?
50 Year Awards |
UNCA |
| October 7 |
David Eagerton,
SC Chief Toxicologist at SLED
|
Challenges in Forensic Toxicology |
Newberry College |
| November 11 |
Angela Peters
Claflin University
|
TBD |
Clemson University |
THE SECTION NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!
The Western Carolinas Section of the American Chemical Society urgently needs the help of each of its members in helping us recruit new Section Affiliate members. We would like to request that each member print out or copy the following invitation and present it to as many persons as possible who have an interest in chemistry:
AN INVITATION
The Chair's Corner.........
High School Chemistry Olympiad Page
|