Limonite is the field term for a mixed assemblage of ferric oxyhydroxides, often containing nonferric silicate impurities. It is abundant on Earth's surface, possesses variable iron content, and is easily recognized by distinctive yellow and ochre hues. Limonite is a unique centerpiece for undergraduate chemistry laboratories because each sample…

General chemistry and introductory chemistry students were presented with a laboratory exploration for the determination of the mass percent of copper in rock and mineral samples. They worked independently in the laboratory, which involved multiple lab (pipetting, preparing standard solutions by quantitative dilution, recording visible spectra…

A guided-inquiry lab was developed to analyze the Balmer series of the hydrogen atomic spectrum. The emission spectrum of hydrogen was recorded with a homemade benchtop spectrophotometer. By drawing graphs and a trial-and-error approach, students discover the linear relationship presented in the Rydberg formula and connect it with the Bohr model…