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Piltdown Man: Combining the Instruction of Scientific Ethics and Qualitative Analysis

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John B. Vincent

Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0336

J. Chem. Educ., 1999, 76 (11), p 1501

DOI: 10.1021/ed076p1501

Publication Date (Web): November 1, 1999

Abstract

In combination with lectures on scientific method and the problems of scientific misconduct in a freshman chemistry course at The University of Alabama, a laboratory experiment was developed to allow students to feel some of the sense of scientific discovery associated with the exposure of the Piltdown Man fraud. This is accomplished by modifying a commonly performed freshman chemistry laboratory experiment, qualitative analysis of group III metal ions. Pieces of chalk are treated with chromium, manganese, and iron to simulate the treatment used to forge the Piltdown "fossils"; students can use techniques in qualitative analysis schemes for the group III ions to determine whether the samples are "forgeries" and if so which metal ion(s) were used.

Keywords (Audience):

First-Year Undergraduate / General

Keywords (Domain):

Laboratory Instruction

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Ethics

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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).

Integrating Ethics in Science into a Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Amy M. Shachter
Journal of Chemical Education2003 80 (5), 507
- Integrating Ethics in Science into a Summer Undergraduate Research Program
  Amy M. Shachter
  Journal of Chemical Education2003 80 (5), 507
  We describe the development, implementation, and assessment of an Ethics in Science program as a component of a summer undergraduate research site. The goals and course content of the program overlap with those outlined in the proposed Office of Research ...
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