Jmol is free, open source software for interactive molecular visualization. Since it is written in the Java[TM] programming language, it is compatible with all major operating systems and, in the applet form, with most modern web browsers. This article summarizes Jmol development and features that make it a valid and promising replacement for…

Stereospecific synthesis of a geometrical isomer is not a common topic for the introductory organic chemistry laboratory. We have developed and tested an experiment for the synthesis of (Z) and (E) isomers that has been performed successfully by undergraduate students. The experiment is presented to the students as a puzzle in which they must…

An experiment related to the measurement of fluorescence lifetime for an undergraduate instrumental analysis or physical chemistry laboratory that highlights relative rates of electronic transitions in molecules and introduces students to data collection of a pulsed signal is illustrated. The experiment of the long fluorescence lifetime of…

Overviews of the observations that constitute a structure proof for penicillin, specifically aimed at the general student population, are presented. Melting points and boiling points were criteria of purity and a crucial tool was microanalysis leading to empirical formulas.

A survey of introductory textbooks shows that many authors fail to connect explicitly their discussions of empirical versus molecular formulas with their latter discussions of the composition and structure of nonmolecular solids. A study proposes that some method, such as the use of quotation marks, be adopted to differentiate unambiguously…

Packing efficiency and crystal density can be calculated from basic geometric principles employing the Pythagorean theorem, if the unit-cell structure is known. The procedures illustrated have applicability in courses such as general chemistry, intermediate and advanced inorganic, materials science, and solid-state physics.

The importance of chemistry in daily life of the students is discussed. The approach provides a connection between the details of molecular structure, bonding and reactivity with many aspects of the impact of chemistry on the society.

A two-minute overhead demonstration using a molecular model kit is employed for illustrating the unique binding of cyclopropane. It is reported that most model kits, much like an sp (super 3) hybridized carbon atom, resist forming 60-degree bond angles.

A multipurpose apparatus that can be used to measure the viscosity of solution by the Ostwald method and the surface tension of solution by the drop-weight method or by the capillary-rise method is developed. The apparatus is convenient for in-situ preparation of solutions of different concentrations and avoids the error that frothing of the…

The effects of the detailed balance on chemical kinetics on the chemical monomolecular triangle reactions are illustrated. A simple experiment that illustrates oscillations, limit cycles, bifurcations and noise are illustrated along with the oscillating reactions.

An appropriate assay to determine the inhibition potency of carboxypeptidase A (CPA) in 96-well format to illustrate how high throughput screening is used in modern drug discovery to identify bioactive molecules is developed. Efforts in developing a colorimetric 96-well plate assay for determination of the K(sub i) for inhibition of CPA by…

An illustration of how excess Gibbs energies of the components in binary systems can be used to construct boiling point diagrams is given. The underlying causes of the various types of behavior of the systems in terms of intermolecular forces and the method of calculating the coexisting liquid and vapor compositions in boiling point diagrams with…

The N-methylpyrrolidin-2-one hydrotribromide complex (MPHT) is a stable solid that can be stored several months at room temperature. The MPHT is not corrosive, not necrosing, less toxic and easier to handle for students as compared to the molecular bromine.

This article provides a simple practical introduction to wave-particle duality, including the energy-time version of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. It has been successful in leading students to an intuitive appreciation of "virtual particles" and the role they play in describing the way ordinary particles, like electrons and protons, exert…

Synthetic polymers are prepared and tested in a study for their molecular recognition properties of an adenine derivative, ethyl adenine-9-acetate (EA9A), within two laboratory periods. The procedure introduces undergraduate chemistry students to noncovalent molecular imprinting as well as the analytical techniques for assessing their recognition…