Chemical Education in Japan Version 2

APPENDIX

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Chemical Education in Japan Version 2

A Statistics

A Statistics

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A.1 Elementary School

General remarks for the statistics on primary schools are given below.

) The number of primary schools decreases by 29 between 1990 to 1991.

) The number of pupils increases in private schools but these decrease in total.

) The number of pupils in a class is 29 on average.

) The number of teachers increases while that of pupils decreases.

) The elementary school teachers are required to graduate from colleges(2 years) or universities(4 years). Teachers who graduate from 2-year colleges have studied science much less than those of 4-year university graduates. This fact would be a potential source of difficulty as far as science education is concerned because the percentage of teachers who are 2- year college graduates will increase in the next few years.

) Large elementary schools can employ specialist teachers who teach only their specialty, e.g., gymnastics,, art, music, home management or science(rika ).
        
Table A.1.1  Number of Schools
---------------------------------------------------
  Year     Total    National    Public    Private 
---------------------------------------------------
  1989    24,851          73    24,608        170 
  1990    24,827          73    24,586        168 
  1991    24,798          73    24,557        168
---------------------------------------------------

 
Table A.1.2   Number of Classes 
-----------------------------------------------------
  Year      Total    National     Public    Private 
-----------------------------------------------------
  1989    317,259       1,279    314,185      1,795 
  1990    315,426       1,279    312,338      1,809 
  1991    313,707       1,280    310,602      1,825 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
 
Table A.1.3  Number of Students 
---------------------------------------------------------
  Year        Total    National       Public    Private
---------------------------------------------------------
  1989    9,606,627      47,400    9,496,553     62,674
  1990    9,373,295      47,304    9,262,201     63,790
  1991    9,157,429      47,234    9,045,154     65,041

  Per Class    29.2        36.9         29.1       35.6
  Per Teacher  20.6        26.5         20.5       22.2
---------------------------------------------------------


Table A.1.4  Number of Teachers 
----------------------------------------------------------------
  Year      Total    National     Public    Private    Women/%
----------------------------------------------------------------
  1989    445,450       1,782    440,777    2,891         57.5
  1990    444,218       1,783    439,542    2,893         58.3
  1991    444,903       1,781    440,188    2,934         59.3
----------------------------------------------------------------

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A.2 Lower Secondary School

General remarks for the statistics on lower secondary schools are given below.

) The number of schools as well as the class size increases.
) The number of students increase in private schools but the total number of private schools decreases.
) The number of teachers increases.
) The number of science teachers is adjusted according to the number of science classes of the school.
) About 95% of students go to upper secondary schools and 2.5 % of students find employment.
) Every lower secondary school has a laboratory for science experiments.

  Table A.2.1  Number of lower secondary schools
---------------------------------------------------
  Year     Total    National    Public    Private 
---------------------------------------------------
  1989    11,264       78       10,578        608
  1990    11,275       78       10,588        609
  1991    11,290       78       10,595        617
---------------------------------------------------

  
  Table A.2.2   Number of Classes 
----------------------------------------------------
  Year      Total    National    Public    Private
----------------------------------------------------
  1989    154,054      885      148,426      4,743
  1990    152,466      886      146,535      5,045
  1991    152,009      886      145,923      5,200
----------------------------------------------------

  
  Table A.2.3    Number of Students 
-------------------------------------------------------  
  Year        Total     National     Public   Private
-------------------------------------------------------  
  1989    5,619,297     36,502    5,386,134   196,661
  1990    5,369,162     35,851    5,130,708   202,603
  1991    5,188,314     35,170    4,942,223   210,921

  Per Class    34.1       39.7         33.9      40.6
  Per Teacher  18.1       20.9         17.9      21.4
-------------------------------------------------------  

  
  Table A.2.4    Number of Teachers 
---------------------------------------------------------------  
  Year     Total    National     Public    Private    Women/%
---------------------------------------------------------------  
  1989    286,301      1,679    275,415      9,207       35.7
  1990    286,065      1,683    275,012      9,370       36.4
  1991    286,965      1,685    275,406      9,874       37.3
---------------------------------------------------------------  


  Table A.2.5    Number of graduates (lower secondary school)
---------------------------------------------------------------  
  Year      Total    Upper secondary School        Work
 ---------------------------------------------------------------  
  1989    2,049,471      1,941,320  (94.7%)    59,461 (2.9%)
  1990    1,981,503      1,884,183  (95.1%)    54,822 (2.8%)
  1991    1,860,300      1,774,056  (95.4%)    48,001 (2.6%)
---------------------------------------------------------------

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A.3 Upper secondary School

General remarks for the statistics on upper secondary schools are given below.

) The number of upper secondary schools decreases.
) The number of students decreases but the number of teachers remains nearly constant.
) About 30% of students go to colleges or universities and about 35% of them find employment.
) The number of chemistry teachers is adjusted according to the number of chemistry classes of each school.
) Each upper secondary school has a laboratory for chemical experiments.
) About 44% of equipment required by the Government (Risin-ho) was purchased on average.
(by Research of Nippon Rikagaku Kyokai 1991)

        
  Table A.3.1  Number of Upper secondary Schools
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  Year    Total    National    Public    Private    Private School/%
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  1989    5,511       17       4,183      1,311          23.8
  1990    5,506       17       4,177      1,312          23.8
  1991    5,503       17       4,170      1,316          23.9
----------------------------------------------------------------------  


  Table A.3.2  Number of Students (Upper secondary School)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  Year      Total     National     Public      Private    Private School/%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  1989    5,644,376    10,362    4,030,091   1,603,923        28.4
  1990    5,623,336    10,338    4,001,232   1,611,766        28.7
  1991    5,454,929    10,349    3,869,148   1,575,432        28.9
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  


  Table A.3.3    Number of Teachers 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  Year     Total    National    Public    Private    Private School/%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  1989    284,461     628      219,407     64,426         20.1
  1990    286,006     627      220,322     65,057         20.5
  1991    286,092     628      220,049     65,415         20.9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  


  Table A.3.4  Number of graduates 
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  Year      Total      Colledge or University        Work
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  1989    1,700,789        520,569 (30.7%)     606,150 (35.6%) 
  1990    1,766,917        538,890 (30.6%)     622,330 (35.2%) 
  1991    1,803,221        570,090 (31.7%)     620,614 (34.4%) 
----------------------------------------------------------------

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A.4 Chemists and University Chemistry Majors

See also, Table 3.6.1 The Number of Chemistry Major Freshmen in the Total Distribution of Majors who entered Universities in Japan in 1992

Table A.4.1  Approximate Numbers of Students of Chemistry or Chemistry-related Subject
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  Course                                                    Bachelor   Master   Doctor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  Dept. Chem., Fac. Science                                  10,000    3,000    1,500
  Dept. Appl. Chem. (or related Dept.), Fac. Engineering     50,000    8,000    2,500

  Total  (including Agric. Chem., Pharm. Chem. etc.)        100,000   12,000    5,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  


Table A.4.2  Number of Workers in Chemical Industry (103)
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  Year                       1980    1985    1988    1992
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  Chemical Industry           410     395     390     415
  Total Manufacturing      10,209  10,647  10,696  11,159
-----------------------------------------------------------  


Table A.4.3  Composition of Workers in Chemical Industry (%)
------------------    ------------------------------------------
  Male      85.8        Bachelor or above                 15.9
  Female    14.2        Junior College Graduates           6.0
------------------               High School Graduates    41.2
                        Lower Secondary                   15.2
                      ------------------------------------------


Table A.4.4  Number of Personal Attendants in Chemistry-Related 
             Academic Societies in 1994
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            General  Student   Others
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Chemical Society of Japan                29,962    3,495    2,444
The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan      7,992    1,274       71
Japan Society for Bioscience, 
  Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry           12,123    2,049      180
The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan          19,049    2,115      370
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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A.5 Some Aspects of Recent Chemical Industry

Table A.5.1  Shipment Value of  Chemical and other  Manufacturing Industries
             (109 Yen)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Year                        1978      1980      1985      1990      1992
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Chemical                  12,853    17,961    20,552    23,390    24,152
  Foodstuffs                19,395    22,196    20,542    22,748    24,758
  Textile                    6,948     7,781     8,087     7,838     7,574
  Plastics                       -         -     8,052    10,466    11,229
  Iron and Steel            13,439    17,864    17,754    18,269    16,590
  Metal Products             8,546    10,311    13,094    18,574    19,814
  General Machinery         13,437    17,361    24,225    33,639    33,724
  Electric Machinery        16,246    22,160    40,842    54,529    54,521
  Transportion Machinery    20,243    24,897    36,179    46,858    49,608

  Total                    162,594   212,124   265,321   323,373   329,640
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Table A.5.2  Shipment Value of  Various Products of Chemical Industry (109 Yen)  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Year                           1970    1975    1980    1985    1990    1992
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Chemical Fertilizers            206     558     504     443     324     337
  Inorganics                      512     922   1,343   1,500   1,384   1,551
  Organics                      1,958   3,992   7,976   8,316   8,788   8,575
    Petrochemical Basics          151     643   1,956   1,281   1,095     764
    Aliphatic Intermediates       250     707   1,104   1,136   1,064   1,025
    Aromatics, Dyes & Pigments    372     902   1,648   1,515   1,622   1,522
    Plastics                      809   1,090   1,968   2,910   3,625   3,819
    Synthetic Rubber              140     210     389     501     546     415
    Other Organics                236     440     893     973     837   1,030
  Fiber                           780     766   1,146   1,080   1,044   1,059
  Final Products                2,084   4,200   6,993   9,215  11,850  12,630
    Oil & Fat,  Detergents        279     381     626     774     967   1,043
    Paint & Vanish                221     471     780   1,000   1,155   1,167
    Pharmaceuticals               933   1,643   2,893   3,829   5,153   5,508
    Agricaltural Chemicals         84     287     363     445     373     372
    Cosmetics                     261     594     847   1,061   1,376   1,481
    Adhesives                      33      77     172     189     233     247
    Photosensitive Materials      117     249     480     747     962   1,137
    Other Final Products          156     489     832   1,169   1,631   1,675

  Total                         5,540  10,438  17,961  20,552  23,390  24,152
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table A.5.3  Consumption of Raw Materials in Chemical Industry (103 t)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Year                  1983      1986      1988      1990      1992
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Naphtha             13,563    15,206    18,131    19,576    20,719
  Industrial Salt      5,851     6,153     6,879     7,491     7,268
  Phosphate Rock       2,142     1,859     1,575     1,397     1,236
  Raw Oil and Fat        941       997     1,039     1,068     1,025
  Sulfur                 681       752       798       775       771
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table A.5.4  Export and Import Values of Chemicals by Product  ($106)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Export                                            Import
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1980    1985    1990    1992        Year         1980    1985    1990    1992
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2,276  2,512   5,640   6,689      Organics      1,679   2,411   4,457  4,676
    719    708   1,180   1,214     Inorganics       642     742   1,194  1,218
    425    558   1,224   1,541   Dyes & Pigments    272     319     700    690
    295    391     879   1,366   Pharmaceuticals  1,074   1,292   2,834  3,671
    174    263     579     707   Oils & Cosmetics   231     252     725    853
    377    127     109     109     Fertilizer       279     258     405    416
  1,867  2,261   4,386   5,199       Plastics       563     744   1,660  1,672
    636    878   1,875   2,294       Others       1,462   2,054   4,070  4,150

  6767  7,698  15,872  19,118         Total       6,202   8,073  16,045  17,355
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table A.5.5  Export and Import Values of Chemicals by Block ($106)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Export                                                 Import
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1980    1985    1990    1992           Block           1980    1985    1990    1992
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3,024  3,161   7,849   9,417         Far East           574     665   1,771   1,778
    257    169     283     283     Near-Mid East           28     153     602     395
    881  1,125   3,183   3,883      West Europe         2,081   2,651   6,510   7,705
    845  1,532   2,605   3,342      North America       2,730   3,667   5,500   5,735
    272    219     282     382  Central & South America   194     347     584     632
    158    114     138     138          Africa             67      70      69      52
    302    286     384     420          Oceania           240      99     202     235
  1,026  1,091   1,148   1,252  U. S. S. R., East Europe, 288     420     807     824
                                Asian Communist Block

   6767  7,698  15,872  19,118           Total          6,202   8,073  16,045  17,355
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table A.5.6  Amount of Research and Development Spending (109 Yen) and its 
   Value relative to Shipment value (%) by Field of Manufacturing Industry
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       R &D Spending      R &D Spending / Shipment value
                       --------------     --------------------------------
  Year                  1990    1992       1980    1985    1990    1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Chemicals            1,417   1,605       2.55    3.79    4.89    5.39
  Foodstuffs             218     230       0.58    0.77    0.98    0.93
  Ceramics               215     214       1.30    2.61    2.60    2.69
  Iron and Steel         304     312       1.14    1.94    2.33    2.58
  Non-ferrous Metal      141     146       1.03    1.92    1.80    2.23
  Machinery              650     652       1.90    2.74    2.99    3.10
  Electric Mach.       3,146   3,221       3.71    5.10    5.86    6.17
  Transport. Mach.     1,496   1,499       2.34    2.90    3.65    3.45
  Precision Mach.        336     327       3.02    4.49    5.94    5.79

  Total                8,660   8,971
  Average                                  1.73    2.69    3.36    3.52
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Chemical Education in Japan Version 2

D. EXAMPLES OF PROBLEMS ON ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS

A Statistics

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This section contains a few representative examples of problems on entrance examinations for lower secondary school to university. This will give the reader a rough idea of what is required in entrance examinations (so often quoted!) in Japanese schools.

D.1 Entrance Examination to National Lower Secondary School

[Q]

    A. rock salt,    B. boric acid,    C. copper powder,
    D. sodium hydroxide, and           E. dry ice,
15.0 g was thrown into 100.0g of water at 20�C and at 40�C. After stirring thoroughly, the solutions were filtered, while keeping the temperature constant. The weights of the liquids thus filtered were measured. The results are given in the table below. Answer the questions. You may assume that the filtration does not affect the amount of water. Answer should be given up to two decimal points.
---------------------------------------------------
                           Weight of the liquid/g
                                20�C    40�C
---------------------------------------------------
  A    Sodium chloride         111.5    115.0
  B    Boric acid              105.7    108.7
  C    Copper powder           100.0    100.0
  D    Sodium hydroxide        115.0    115.0
  E    Dry ice                 100.2    100.1
---------------------------------------------------
(1) There is a limit to the amount of material which can be dissolved in water. Judging from the results at 40�C, answer which of the solutions A to E contains the maximum possible amount of material dissolved. What is the amount which remains on the filter paper ? Follow the example below.
Example: F(5,7)
(2) Which of the solutions filtered are neutral ? Answer with letters A to E.
(3) What is the concentration of the filtered solution ? Answer in percent.
(4) By accident 10g of boric acid and 10g of copper powder were mixed. How much water is needed if the copper is to be recovered by dissolving this mixture in water and filtering the solution at 40�C ?
(5) The construction of the gas burner is as shown in Figure D.1. Suppose the flame is small and strong (i.e., blue flame). You want to get a large and strong (blue) flame. Select the correct actions and arrange them in the right order.

1) Turn the air adjustment screw A right.
2) Turn the air adjustment screw A left.
3) Turn the gas adjustment screw B right
4) Turn the gas adjustment screw B left.

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D.2 Entrance Examination to Private Lower Secondary School

[Q]

Figure D.2.1

(1) What are the pieces of equipment A and B ?
(2) What liquid should be poured through A and what solid should be put in vessel B to generate oxygen and carbon dioxide, respectively ? Select the right materials from among those given below.

a. Manganese dioxide
b. Limestone
c. Rock salt
d. Lime water
e. Steel wool
f. Dilute hydrochloric acid
g. Sodium hydroxide
h. Aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide

(3) In Figure D.2.2, bottles C and E are filled with oxygen and bottles D and F are filled with carbon dioxide. Which would you expect to burn more vigorously than in air when a burning candle is put in C or D, and when burning steel wool is put into E or F ? In which bottle will the fire extinguish ?

(4) After the fires extinguish lime water is poured into all the bottles and shaken. Which bottle(s) will show a visible change ? What change do you expect ?

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D.3 Entrance Examination to Private Upper Secondary School

[Q]

Fig. D.3

(1) How much barium hydroxide Ba(OH)2 is contained in 50 g of the barium hydroxide solution when the concentration is 0.2% ?
(2) White precipitate is formed when the dilute sulfuric acid is added to that solution. What substance is precipitated ?
(3) Figure D.3 shows the magnitude of electric current flowing through the solution while sulfuric acid is being added. Select the correct words to fill in the blanks.
The solution is ( A ) at the moment when 55 cm3 of dilute sulfuric acid is added. This is because of the presence of ( B ) in the solution.
acidic, neutral, alkaline
Ba2+, OH-, H+, SO42-

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D.4 Entrance Examination to National Upper Secondary School

[Q]

Figure D.4

(a) Copper powder is added to A. A is heated while oxygen is supplied from B.
(b) Copper oxide is added to A. A is heated while hydrogen is supplied from B.
(c) Copper oxide and carbon, both in powder form, are mixed well and added to A. A is heated while dry air is supplied from B.
(d) Carbon powder is added to A. A is heated while dry air is supplied from B.

Answer the quetions below.
(1) In which of the experiment(s) in (a) to (d) will the lime water become turbid ?
(2) What substance makes the solution turbid ? Write the chemical formula.
(3) In which of the experiment(s) will the substance added to A be oxidized ?
(4) In which of the experiment(s) will the mass of the material added to A be increased after the experiment ?

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D.5 Center Examinations for University Candidates

Q1.

       (1) Ca2+ and K+    (2) Li+ and F-    (3) Mg2+ and S2-
       (4) Na+ and Cl-    (5) Na+ and O2-

       (1) Al and Si      (2) Ca and Hg     (3) Cu and Li
       (4) Fe and Ni      (5) Mg and Mn

       (1) Al2O3 and ZnO  (2) BaO and CuO   (3) CO2 and SiO2
       (4) MgO and SO2    (5) CaO and P4O10

Q2.

(2) The number of protons in a nucleus is always the same as the atomic number.

(3) The ionization energy of the lithium atom is larger than that of neon.

(4) The electronegativity of oxygen is larger than that of carbon.

(5) The M-shell can accept a maximum of eight electrons.

Q3.

(2) H2O has two lone pairs of electrons.

(3) One of the four N-H bonds in NH4+ is ionic.

(4) The three O-H bonds in H3O+ are equivalent and can not be distinguished.

(5) H2O molecules in ice are bound to each other by hydrogen bonds.

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D.6 Entrance Examinations to Private University

[Q]

(A) Black precipitate is formed when a gas, which evolves on dissolving iron sulfide (FeS) in hydrochloric acid, is bubbled through an aqueous solution of copper (II). When 1.50g of FeS is completely dissolved in hydrochloric acid, ( ) ml of the gas is obtained at 20�C and 1 atm.
(B) Iron disulfide (FeS2), when heated red in air, undergoes the reaction,
    4FeS2  +  (    )  ------>  (    )  +  8SO2    (1)
According to the reaction (1) 2.05 g of pure FeS2 is converted into sulfur dioxide, which is then absorbed completely by the aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide. One needs ( ) ml of 1.00 mol/l aqueous solution of NaOH in order to neutralize the resulting acidic solution.
(C) The gas generated reacts with sulfur dioxide according to the following reaction and yields a yellow substance.
    (    )  +  SO2  ------>  (    )  +  (    )  (yellow substance)    (2)
(D) It has now become clear that ( )g of the yellow substance forms when sulfur dioxide, formed from 2.05g of FeS2, reacts with the gas evolved by dissolving FeS in hydrochloric acid stoichiometrically.

D.7 Entrance Examination to National University

[Q]

(a) A crystalline compound A contains carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen only and has a molecular weight of less than 300. Its chemical composition is C 79.98%, H 6.69%, N 6.22%.
(b) Compound A is refluxed with hydrochloric acid (6 mol/l) for a few hours. The solution is transferrred to a separating funnel and shaken thoroughly with ethyl ether. The ethyl ether solution (M) is separated from aqueous solution (N).
(c) A crystalline aromatic compound B is obtained when diethyl ether is distilled away from the solution (M).
(d) Compound C separates when an aqueous solution of an inorganic compound X is added to the aqueous solution (N).
(e) Compound C is an aromatic compound and has four hydrogen atoms attached directly to the aromatic ring. Two isomers can be formed when one of the four hydrogen atoms is substituted with chlorine.
(f) Compound B is transformed to a crystalline compound D when refluxed in an aqueous solution of KMnO4.
(g) Compound D, when heated to 230�C, releases water and is changed into a crystalline compound E.
(h) Compound E easily sublimes and yields needle crystals and have a melting point of 131�C to 132�C. Its composition is C 64.87%, H 2.71%. It contains no nitrogen.
Questions:
1. What is the chemical formula for compound A ?
2. What compound is suitable as X in the experiment (d) ?
3. In what state does compound C exist in the aqueous solution (N) before X is added ? Give the structural formula.
4. Give the structural formula for A, B, D and E.
You want to identify the five compounds below by using an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, sodium metal, bromine water and iodine. Describe how you do it (in 30 to 50 words). What characteristic properties and reactivities of the compounds are utilized ?

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E. FURTHER READINGS

(1) "Japan's Modern Educational System--A History of the first hundred Years"
Research and Statistics Division, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 1980

(2) "Outline of Education in Japan 1991"
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 1991

(3) "Japan Almanac 1993"
Asahi Shinbunsha, 1993

(4) "Japanese Colleges and Universities 1987"
The Association of International Education, ed., Maruzen, 1987.

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