Editorial

Chemistry and Physics have a number of common topics. It is bound to be so because often professors like Mulliken and Pauling had been simultaneously professors of Physics and Chemistry. X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectrometry are in the Physics departments in some places and in Chemistry in other places. This is true of many other branches of spectroscopy.

However, while teaching physics in XII class, it is the final chapters which are dealing with dual nature of radiation and matter (ch. 12) going to atom models and losers (ch. 13), nuclear physics (ch. 14), semiconductors, electronics (ch. 15) and communications (ch. 16), in N.C.E.R.T books.

In Chemistry, unit 3 of class XI starts with atomic structure, unit 4 with periodic table, electronic configuration, s, p, d, f blocks included. The first chapter of class XII book starts with a brief introduction to Bohr atom model, the de Broglie waves; a large portion for Heisenberg's principle, quantum mechanics, radial wave functions, quantum numbers, atomic orbitals and their energy levels, etc. Conceptually, these are higher than ch. 13 of class XII book in physics and should have come after chapter 12 of the physics book.

Proceeding from the known to the unknown is essential. The unknown does not mean difficult.

The manner of studying topics in physics on one hand and chemistry on the other shows a lack of co-ordination. It is to be expected as none of the authors and other participants are common. Rigour will be less if a topic is spread wide.

This is true of some portion in the Maths and Physics also. Common review committees are needed for further coordination in the teaching of the different subjects for the same class.