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Wöhler's Synthesis of Urea: How Do the Textbooks Report It?

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Paul S. Cohen

Chemistry Department, Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ 08650-4700

Stephen M. Cohen

Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, PO Box 939, Piscataway, NJ 08855-0939

J. Chem. Educ., 1996, 73 (9), p 883

DOI: 10.1021/ed073p883

Publication Date (Web): September 1, 1996

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Most general chemistry and organic chemistry textbooks describe Friedrich Wöhler's synthesis of urea as the moment when modern organic chemistry was born. We surveyed 35 modern and classic texts to learn what each noted of Wöhler's work. These books do not agree about the exact nature of Wöhler's experiment and its significance.

Keywords (Audience):

First-Year Undergraduate / General

Keywords (Domain):

Organic Chemistry

Keywords (Feature):

Textbook Forum

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Textbooks / Reference Books

Keywords (Subject):

Synthesis

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