chemistry

Thomas LaBean

Thomas LaBean is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Thomas LaBean rather than just read about it. In short: Thomas (Thom) Henry LaBean is an American biochemist, bioengineer and professor at North Carolina State University. He was previously a research professor at Duke University.

Key takeaways

Thomas LaBean belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Thomas LaBean to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Thomas LaBean from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Thomas (Thom) Henry LaBean is an American biochemist, bioengineer and professor at North Carolina State University. He was previously a research professor at Duke University. He is a leading researcher in the field of DNA nanotechnology. LaBean graduated from Michigan State University in 1985 with a BSc in biochemistry. In 1993, he was awarded a PhD in biochemistry by the University of Pennsylvania.

Works DNA-Templated Self-Assembly of Protein Arrays and Highly Conductive Nanowires, Hao Yan, Sung Ha Park, Gleb Finkelstein, John H. Reif, Thomas H. LaBean, Science, 26, 2003, 1882-1884 Nanofabrication by DNA self-assembly (Review article), Hanying Li, Joshua D. Carter, Thomas H. LaBean, Materials Today, 2009

External links "Thomas H LaBean", Scientific Commons "Thomas H LaBean", NCSU home page

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Thomas LaBean

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Thomas LaBean claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Thomas LaBean before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Thomas LaBean ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Thomas LaBean

In research: Thomas LaBean appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Thomas LaBean in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Thomas LaBean is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American biochemists, DNA nanotechnology people, Duke University faculty, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Thomas LaBean outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Thomas LaBean in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Thomas LaBean means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Thomas LaBean out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Thomas LaBean in simple terms?

Thomas (Thom) Henry LaBean is an American biochemist, bioengineer and professor at North Carolina State University. He was previously a research professor at Duke University.

Why does Thomas LaBean matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Thomas LaBean?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Thomas LaBean.