As a first step towards the greening of instructional laboratories, we present a new greener version of a laboratory procedure designed to measure colligative properties. The greener procedure substitutes the nontoxic, noncarcinogenic compounds stearic, myristic, lauric, and palmitic acids for the less benign aromatic compounds p-dichlorobenzene,…

The addition of a dilute solution of bromine in carbon tetrachloride to a compound to test for carbon-carbon multiple bonds, which is one of the widely cited qualitative tests employed in organic chemistry is presented. Major advantages of this approach include the ease and rapidness of the procedure, the stability of the test solution over time,…

It is well known that reaction rates and physical properties of any substance depend on the temperature. Therefore, an accurate temperature measurement is a key factor for successful activities both in chemical laboratories and industrial plants. Although plenty of sensors can be adopted for temperature measurements, thermocouples are the most…

The widely used method of synthesizing HCl and DCl gases for infrared analysis by hydrolysis of benzoyl chloride includes a potentially dangerous final step whereby the frozen product is allowed to heat and expand into an infrared gas cell. The subsequent rapid rise in vapor pressure can "pop" open glass joints in the vacuum line and vent the…

The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at Texas Tech University (TTU) administered an in-house written chemistry placement examination (CPE) to determine whether students were prepared for Chem 1307, or whether a remedial course, Chem 1301, was required. The results indicate that the placement remediation program as implemented at TTU is…

A total of 156 students were asked to provide free-response balanced chemical equations for a classic multiple-choice particulate-drawing question first used by Nurrenbern and Pickering. The balanced equations and the number of students providing each equation are reported in this study. The most common student errors included a confusion between…

An experiment is conducted comparing two sections of general chemistry to evaluate the effectiveness of peer-led guided inquiry (PLGI) methods in terms of assisting student understanding in college-level general chemistry course. The pedagogical focus of PLGI is on student-student interactions within small groups, with a peer leader acting as a…

The students in molecular spectroscopy courses are often required to determine the permitted normal vibrations for linear molecules that belong to particular groups. The reducible group representations generated by the use of Cartesian coordinates can be reduced by the use of a simple algebraic process applied to the group representations. The…

A discussion on how a spreadsheet simulation of linear-molecular spectra could be used to explore the dependence of rotational band spacing and contours on average bond lengths in the initial and final quantum states is presented. The simulation of hydrogen chloride IR, iodine UV-vis, and nitrogen UV-vis spectra clearly show whether the average…

The influence of analytical science in the formulation of public policy is described. This includes the ability to resolve atomic composition in two and three dimensions on the micrometer scale altering the means for defining intellectual property, medical diagnostics built on analytical measurements repeatedly raising international alarm over…

Element 43 could not be positively identified despite decades of search but the joint effort of two German researchers, led to naming of the element as masurium which was criticized by scientists from other countries. Thus several names were proposed for it like trinacrium, technetium and so on.

''The Chemistry Kitchen'', a unit composed of five activities with kitchen elements for elementary students ages 9-11, introduces the children to the skills and chemical working ideas to be used later as anchors for chemical concepts. These activities include kitchen elements, determining the relative mass and so on.

The various issues like do mentors have a responsibility to take a new look at the chemistry curricula in light of the challenges and expectations of the 21st century workplace, and should our graduates possess other valued characteristics are discussed. Every academician has the responsibility to prepare chemists for the 21st century by…

Plant tours, when emphasized appropriately and fully integrated into an industrial chemistry course, are very useful in motivating students and deepening their understanding of the chemical industry. Emphasis is placed on plant tours as it adds immediacy and a practical flavor to the course and is a good preparation for the graduates who move from…

Various phenomena that are observed in the process of heating solid iodine in closed vessels at different pressures and temperatures are described. When solid iodine is heated in an evacuated ampoule where the pressure is less than 10(super -3), no noticeable color appears and immediate condensation of tiny iodine crystals is visible higher up on…