Describes a laboratory teaching method in which students are given a simulated research problem to solve in groups by planning and laboratory work. (MLH)

Describes various ways to arrange equipment and utilities in chemical laboratories for both research and teaching purposes. (MLH)

Discusses new techniques for studying reactions that occur in the picosecond range and how the results of this research provide new insights into biochemical events and the chemical processes that take place in liquid systems. (MLH)

Discusses Alfred Stock's boron hydride research and his role in the development of organometallic chemistry. (MLH)

Discusses recent progress in using tunable lasers to selectively separate substances at the atomic and molecular level. Emphasizes biological applications, such as selective excitation and breaking of hydrogen bonds in DNA. (MLH)

The Grignard reagent used in the laboratory synthesis of organic compounds is the product resulting from the reaction of an alkyl or aryl halide with elemental magnesium. Describes the structure, formation, and some reactions of the reagent. (YP)

Arnold Beckman is a chemist, businessman, and inventor who was the first to apply electronics to chemical measurement. For 17 years, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has given over $300 million to science, focusing on biology and chemistry. The National Academy of Sciences will honor Beckman with its most prestigious award for his…

Describes a series of exercises intended to help students develop a better understanding of chromatography that employ plant pigments. A collaborative approach leads students to a level of competence that permits them to complete an open-ended exercise. (WRM)

Traditionally nuclear chemistry appears in the last few chapters of chemistry textbooks and is not normally considered a mainstream topic. In addition, some science teachers lack the training or equipment to teach nuclear chemistry. Yet nuclear chemistry is a very important topic that should be taught in all chemistry classrooms. Learning about…

A research writing course was developed to prepare chemistry majors to conduct and report on their capstone research projects. The course guides students through a multistep process of preparing a literature review and research proposal. Students learn how to identify and avoid plagiarism, critically read and summarize a scientific article,…

Discusses the fact that although most historians of science attribute the formulation of the law of conservation of matter in chemical reactions to Antoine Lavoisier at the end of the eighteenth century, several earlier researchers had already assumed this law in their work. These researchers include Joseph Black, Henry Cavendish, M. V. Lomonosov,…

Presents a fairy tale which metaphorically deals with the teaching of chemistry and the place of research and teaching in society. (MLH)

In response to a provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 which called for a study that would serve as a scientific basis for revising the primary drinking water regulations that were promulgated under the Act, a study of the scientific literature was undertaken in order to assess the implications for human health of the constituents of…

The second edition of the Toxic Substances List, containing some 13,000 entries, is prepared annually by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The purpose of the List is to identify all known toxic substances but not to quantitate the hazard. The List…

Reviews the history of selected topics in organic chemistry, including organic synthesis, free-radicals, and instrumentation. (MLH)