Described is a five-week introductory inorganic laboratory course for first-year undergraduate students. Included are details of three preparations and three analyses conducted by the students in the course. (CW)

Presents the construction aspects of a simple but reliable colorimeter made from locally available components. Notes the absorption range to be 400-750-nm. Lists seven experiments done on the instrument. (MVL)

Identifies the properties and characteristics of supercritical fluids. Discusses the methodology for supercritical fluid chromatography including flow rate, plate height, column efficiency, viscosity, and other factors. Reviews instruments, column types, and elution conditions. Lists supercritical fluid data for 22 compounds, mostly organic. (MVL)

Describes a physical organic experiment in thermodynamics and kinetics for undergraduate courses in organic chemistry, biochemistry, or physical chemistry. Details background information, solution preparations, equipment and methods, and the suggested experiments such as determination of general-base-catalytic coefficients and the Bronsted…

Describes two introductory exercises designed to teach the fundamental ideas and methods of crystallography, and to convey some important features of inorganic and organic crystal structures to students in an advanced laboratory course. Exercises include "The Crystal Structure of NiO" and "The Crystal Structure of Beta-Fumaric Acid." (CW)

Describes a project that can be used to encourage intellectual independence in students and teach them some of the inquiry procedures used in scientific research. Discusses procedures, safety precautions, and sample results. (CW)

Gives the background history of the simultaneous discovery of acid-base relationships by Johannes Bronsted and Thomas Lowry. Provides a brief biographical sketch of each. Discusses their concept of acids and bases in some detail. (CW)

Provides a prospective on electrosynthesis technology for chemical educators and students by discussing electrosynthesis reactions and experiments. Includes tables illustrating some electrochemical products, variables to consider in electrochemical reactions, indirect electrolysis of organic compounds, examples of direct/indirect electrochemical…

Presents a flow chart for naming inorganic compounds. Although it is not necessary for students to memorize rules, preliminary skills needed before using the chart are outlined. Also presents an activity in which the mass of an imaginary atom is determined using lead shot, Petri dishes, and a platform balance. (JN)

Encouraging scientific thinking through open-ended experiments, allowing students access to common chemical instrumentation, and introduction to laboratory techniques are goals of a high school science laboratory program. Course content (general, inorganic, and organic chemistry), limitations, and course evaluation are discussed. (Author/JN)

Discusses the problem of symmetry avoidance using water as an historical example. Uses simple pi systems for the analysis. Provides methodology and examples. Investigates two naive arguments. (MVL)

Describes an advanced NMR project that can be done with a 60-MHz continuous-wave proton spectrometer. Points out the main purposes are to give students experience in second-order NMR analysis, the simplification of spectra by raising the frequency, and the effect of non-hydrogen nuclei on proton resonances. (MVL)

Attempts to provide an intuitive understanding of steady state kinetics. Discusses the meaning of steady state and uses free energy profiles to illustrate and follow complex kinetic and thermodynamic relationships. Provides examples with explanations. (MVL)

Describes a method for using nuclear magnetic resonance to observe the effect of electronegativity on the chemical shift of protons in similar compounds. Suggests the use of 1,3-dihalopropanes as samples. Includes sample questions. (MVL)

Describes a laboratory technique for quantitative analysis of caffeine by an isotopic dilution method for coupled gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Discusses caffeine analysis and experimental methodology. Lists sample caffeine concentrations found in common products. (MVL)