Examinations physical chemistry class

These iV — 1 degrees of freedom were illustrated once in a physical chemistry class that included one student who did not want the other students to know her score on an examination. The other students took their scores and the announced mean score and calculated the score of the first student. 

One year, the author s physical chemistry class showed up for their final examination wearing identical T-shirts. On the T-shirts were written The top 10 things I learned in p-chem. One of the statements was 12 is equal to 35, but only to 12 significant digits. ... 

As one might expect, the setting up and operation of the committees presented the problem of distribution of power between the committees and the Academy. The committees, each with its five members, were anxious to keep as much power as possible regarding prize decisions on the other hand, the physics and chemistry classes of the Academy were required by statutory rules to examine and write a statement about the suggestions from the respective committees. Finally, it was the Academy in plenum who made the actual decision of which person or persons should be awarded the Nobel prize. 

Older tutors in chemistry had some difficulties in maintaining the vaunted advantages of the tutorial system. At Queen s Chattaway did not spoon-feed his pupils and made no attempt to transform second-class men into examination firsts. But his bibliographies were out-of-date and as a preparative organic chemist, he could not cope with physical chemistry which his pupils studied... 

Mendeleev studied mathematics, physics, and chemistry at the Institute. Shortly after he was admitted, his mother died. A year later his sister Liza, who had accompanied them to St. Petersburg, died also. But Mendeleev continued to work hard at his studies, graduated first in his class in 1855, and was awarded a gold medal. However, as was the custom, the examiners praised not Mendeleev but his chemistry professor A. A.Voskresenski, for having produced such a fine pupil. 

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