The Mnemonics Page

by Dean Campbell, Bradley University Chemistry Department

My intention is to create an informal repository of useful mnemonics on a variety of topics, especially chemistry. Please contact me at campbell@bumail.bradley.edu if you have suggestions for the page. The people mentioned are my sources for these mnemonics, not necessarily the originators for the mnemonic.

Chemistry

LEO says GER - in redox reactions, the Loss of Electrons is Oxidation and the Gain of Electrons is Reduction - ???

OIL RIG - in redox reactions, Oxidation Is Loss (of electrons) and Reduction Is Gain (of electrons) - ???

I Bring Clay For Our New House; Have No Fear Of Ice Cold Beer; BrINClHOF; HOFBrINCl - the symbols of elements which tend to occur as diatomic molecules: Iodine, Bromine, Chlorine, Fluorine, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen - Delvis Dore, Robert Gayhart, Delvis Dore, Dan Szymkowiak, and others

Goldfish are heck without tartar sauce - thermodynamics: delta G = delta H - T x delta S - Bob Gayhart

T = Kim (constant * van't Hoff factor * molality) - boiling-point elevation and freezing-point depression - Dan Szymkowiak

P = TRiM (Absolute temp * gas constant * van't Hoff factor * molarity) - osmotic pressure - Dan Szymkowiak

The Periodic Table (contributors include Bob Gayhart and Dean Campbell)

Group 1A (H Li Na K Rb Cs Fr):
-Highly Nasty Kids Rub Cats Fur
-Hans liebt Natuerliche Kaese reibt (ueber) (c)zentralsued Frankreich. (!)
Group 2A (Be Mg Ca Sr Ba Ra):
-Bearded Muggers Came Straight Back Rapidly.
-Beer Mugs Can Serve Bar Rats.
Group 3 (B Al Ga In Tl):
-Big Al Garner's In Trouble.
-Big Al Gave In Tulsa.
-Big Al Gave Incomplete Totals.
-Big Al Gave Innocent Toys.
-Bob Allen Gave Indians Tennis Lessons.
-Bears Always Give Indians Trouble.

Group 4A (C Si Ge Sn Pb):
-Can Silly Germans Snatch Lead?
-Conniving Sisters Get Snotty Playboys.
-Can Si Get Snuckered at the Pub?

Group 5 (N P As Sb Bi):

-New Popes Assign Subordinate Bishops.
-Never Put Arsenic in Silver-bullet Beer.

Group 6A (O S Se Te Po):
-Oil is Slicker with STP.
-Old Soldiers Seem Terribly Polluted.
-Oversized Sailors Sell and Tell about Polo cologne.

-Oh, She Sells The Poles.

Group 7A (F Cl Br I At):
-Frank Cleverly Brought Indian Attire.
-Fairy Clowns Broil Innocent Ants.
-Fat Clyde Bribed Innocent Arthur.

-"Floor Cleaner Broken?" I Asked.
Group 8A (He Ne Ar Kr Xe Rn):
-He Never Arrived; Karen eXited with Ron.

-He Needs Our Crazy Xerox Repairman.

First Row Transition Metals (Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn):

-St. Vincent Cried "Mommy!" Feeling Cold Next to Cold Zombies.
-Scott Tips Very Counterfeit Money, Feels Cold Near Cubic Zircons.
-Scary Tiny Vicious Creatures Mean Females Come Nightly to Club Z.

-Scotty ViCkerMan Fee CoNy CouSin.

-Scott Tickled Vanna's Cranium, Manager Fred Could Not Cut In.

Second Row Transition Metals (Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd):

-Yes Sir, Nob. Most Technicians Rub Rod's Pale Silver Cadillac.

Third Row Transition Metals (La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg):

-Larry's Half Taken, Wendy Reached Out Her Plate Audibly, Helga.

Lanthanides (Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu):
-Caesar Procrastinated at the Nile, Permitting So Many Europeans (who were) Getting Turbid (and) Dying (of) Home Urges (erges?) To Yell "Lutetium!".

-Cecil Proudly Named Pam, Sam, (and) Eugene. Good Tobin Dyes Hosiery Early Tomorrow Yellow-Blue.

Actinides (Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr):
-Three Planets: Uranus, Neptune, (and) Pluto. Amy Cured Berkeley, California. Einstein (and) Fermi Made Noble Laws.

Mathematics

Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally - order of operations on mathematics: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction - Karen Campbell

SOHCAHTOA - in a right triangle: Sine is Opposite side divided by Hypotenuse, Cosine is Adjacent side divided by Hypotenuse, and Tangent is Opposite side divided by Adjacent side - Ed Measer

Electronics

Bad beer [or booze] rots our young guts but vodka goes well - get some now! - order of resistor color codes: black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, violet, gray, white, gold, silver, none - Dennis Campbell, Susan Kelly, William Johnson, and others

Beloved Brethren Remember Our Yoke God Brings Victory God's Way - order of resistor color codes: black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, violet, gray, white - David Montag

And a bunch more for order of resistor color codes: black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, violet, gray, white, gold, silver, none - Rupert Russell:

Back Before the Revolution Our Young Gallant Boys Voted for George Washington.
Bad boys race our young girls behind victory garden walls!
BB ROY Got Back Very Good Wife
Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Venture Goes Wrong
Big Beautiful Roses Occupy Your Garden But Violets Grow Wildly
Big Boys Race Our Young Girls, But Violet Generally Wins
Black Beetles Running On Your Garden Brings Very Good Weather
Bye Bye Rosie Off You Go Birmingham Via Great Western

ELI the ICEman - to remind us voltage (E) leads current(I) across an inductor(L), but current leads voltage across an capacitor(C) - William Johnson

Spelling

A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream - spelling of "arithmetic" - Ken Kolb

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Last updated 12/18/12

Site created by Dean and Karen Campbell