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@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 (also 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 All 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 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 and Susan Kelly

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

Spelling

A rat in the house may eat the ice cream - spelling of "arithmetic" - Ken Kolb

 

Return to Dr. Campbell's Homepage

 

Last updated 7/28/04

Site created by Dean and Karen Campbell