Discusses an organic laboratory program emphasizing individual experiments for the second semester of a two-semester course. Describes the outlines of two topics, including halide or alcohol synthesis and multistep synthesis. Provides reaction tables of alcohols and halides. (YP)

Discusses a year-long course of study called Chemistry in the Community, or ChemCom, developed by the American Chemical Society (ACS) to improve chemistry studies in high schools and to relate chemistry to the real world of students. Students spend half the time in the laboratory with more discussion on nuclear, organic, and biochemistry than that…

Presents a laboratory experiment specifically designed for allied health students. The students construct molecular models of amino acids, extract amino acids from their skin with hot water, and chromatographically analyze the skin extract and hydrolyzed insulin. (MLH)

In this experiment, the observation that, for meta- and para-substituted styrene derivatives, the magnitude of the C-13 shielding value for the beta-carbon is linearly related to sigma for the ring substituent is used to determine sigma. (BB)

Describes an experiment designed to use the ability of duckweed to convert the secondary hydroxyl moieties into ketone groups. Discusses the preparation of plant material, materials, procedures, and results for this biotransformation experiment for undergraduate students. (CW)

Criticizes the way organic chemistry teaching laboratory experiments are approached from the viewpoint of physical chemistry. Compares these experiments to cooking. Stresses that what matters is not the practice of the finger skills of organic chemistry but practice in the style of thinking of organic chemists. (CW)

Provides a listing of 35 demonstrations designed to generate interest in organic chemistry and help put points across. Topics include opening lecture; molecular structure and properties; halogenation; nucleophilic substitution, alkenes and dienes, stereochemistry, spectroscopy, alcohols and phenols, aldehydes and ketones; carboxylic acids, amines,…

Discusses the use of aluminum chloride and other Friedel-Crafts type catalysts to polymerize 2-methylpropene and the application of such products in industry and agriculture. Includes a laboratory experiment on the polybutene preparation suitable for high school purposes. (CC)

To make material on Raoult's law more meaningful, students complete exercises on paper, in the laboratory, and with molecular models. Paper exercises give practice using the law; laboratory work illustrates behavior of real solutions; and models show relationships between properties of individual molecules and of matter in bulk. (JN)

Investigated application of binomial statistics to equilibrium distribution of ester systems by employing gas chromatography to verify the mathematical model used. Discusses model development and experimental techniques, indicating the model enables a straightforward extension to symmetrical polyfunctional esters and presents a mathematical basis…

Describes 14 experiments that illustrate, via color changes, a broad scope of fundamental phenomena in polymer science. The experiments, suitable for high school through graduate level, require only test tubes, filter paper, heat source (hot plate or hair drier), and ultra-violet light source. (JN)

This experiment is suitable for an integrated laboratory course for senior chemistry majors. It introduces the student to a study of the relative basicity of different proton accepting sites. It serves as an opportunity to learn about nmr techniques and could extend to infrared, as well. (BB)

In this demonstration of the generation and combustion of acetylene, calcium carbide and water are allowed to react in a latex examination glove. Two student volunteers perform the demonstration with instructor guidance. This safe, popular demonstration, originally intended to illustrate the alkyne family of compounds, can be used with a variety…

Classroom demonstrations of selected mechanical properties of polymers are described that can be used to make quantitative measurements. Stiffness, strength, and extensibility are mechanical properties used to distinguish one polymer from another. (KR)