This experiment teaches students the methodology of investigating novel properties of materials using new instrumental techniques: atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance (EQCN), voltammetric techniques (linear potential scan and chronoamperometry), and light reflectance measurements. The unique capabilities of…

This article describes an undergraduate laboratory for an instrumental analysis course that integrates electroanalytical chemistry and infrared spectroscopy. Modified electrode surfaces are prepared by constant potentiometric electrolysis over the potential range of 1.5-1.8 V and analyzed by cyclic voltammetry and infrared spectroscopy. The…

Experimental work on ultrafiltration is presented to illustrate the practical and theoretical principles of this separation technique. The laboratory exercise comprises experiments with pure water and with aqueous "Saccharomyces cerevisiae" (from commercial Baker's yeast) suspensions. With this work students detect the characteristic phenomena…

In this inquiry-based activity, the usefulness of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) to visualize the difference between spearmint and peppermint is explored. The experiment may be used in any class where TLC is discussed from high school to college. We have used this activity with science majors in an organic chemistry laboratory, with non-science…

Beer's law is an ideal technique that works only in certain situations. A method for dealing with more complex conditions needs to be integrated into the analytical chemistry curriculum. For that reason, the capabilities and limitations of two common chemometric algorithms, classical least squares (CLS) and principal component regression (PCR),…

Method development and assessment, central components of carrying out chemical research, require problem-solving skills. This article describes a pedagogical approach for teaching these skills through the adaptation of published experiments and application of group-meeting style discussions to the curriculum of an undergraduate instrumental…

Integrated rate plots are frequently used in reaction kinetics to determine orders of reactions. It is often emphasised, when using this methodology in practice, that it is necessary to monitor the reaction to a substantial fraction of completion for these plots to yield unambiguous orders. The present article gives a theoretical and statistical…

In an attempt to establish the role of the laboratory in chemistry instruction, an historical perspective is developed, in the hope of extracting the consensus of commentators on the subject concerning the important features of the laboratory experience. We present arguments to support the idea that laboratory instruction involves student…

Valence bond (VB) is one of the cornerstone theories of quantum chemistry. Even if in practical applications the molecular orbital (MO) approach has obtained more attention, some basic chemical concepts (such as the nature of the chemical bond and the failure of the single determinant-based MO methods in describing the bond cleavage) are normally…

The chemistry of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater is reviewed and used to predict the potential effect of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In agreement with more detailed treatments, we find that calcium carbonate (aragonite) may become unsaturated in cold surface seawater by the year 2100 C.E., resulting in the destruction…

This instructional resource utilizes consumer product information by which students compare theoretical stoichiometric calculations to CO[subscript 2] car emissions and fuel consumption data. Representing graphically the emission of CO[subscript 2] versus consumption of fuel provides a tangible way of connecting concepts studied in chemistry…

This paper describes a problem-based chemistry education model in which students perform scientific research on a local environmentally relevant problem. The project is a collaboration among The University of Montana and local high schools centered around Missoula, Montana. "Air Toxics under the Big Sky" involves high school students in collecting…

In this Activity, students perform quantitative calorimetric measurements on samples of ice/water heated by incandescent light bulbs and with convection with room-temperature surroundings.

Water chemistry is central to aquarium design, and it provides many potential applications for discussion in undergraduate chemistry and engineering courses. Marine aquaria and their life support systems feature many chemical processes. A life support system consists of the entire recirculation system, as well as the habitat tank and all ancillary…

Service-learning is a powerful pedagogy in which community service is an integral part of classroom education. Including a service component in a chemistry course requires flexibility and creativity on the part of the instructor as well as the institution. This paper suggests some strategies that can make service-learning more feasible for…