Describes a credit/no credit course which focuses on career options in chemistry. The course (consisting of 15 one-hour seminar-type sessions) includes guest speakers for several sessions and an emphasis (in introductory sessions) on graduate school in chemistry, the chemical industry, resumes, and interviews. Also briefly describes an internship…

Background information and procedures are provided for a lecture experiment which uses indicators to illustrate the concept of differing buffer capacities by titrating acetic acid/sodium acetate buffers with 1.0 molar hydrochloric acid and 1.0 molar sodium hydroxide. A table with data used to plot the titration curve is included. (JN)

Presents two activities on acid rain for students in intermediate grades. Materials needed and procedures used are included. Also describes "chemical magic" shows performed by high school students for sixth-grade students in seven elementary schools in Altus, Oklahoma. (JN)

Oxidation kinetics in metals and the role defects play in diffusion-controlled reactions are discussed as background for a junior/senior-level experiment in the physical or inorganic chemistry laboratory. Procedures used and typical data obtained are provided for the experiment. (JN)

Provides procedures to measure the calcium concentration in fruit juice by atomic absorption. Fruit juice is used because: (1) it is an important consumer product; (2) large samples are available; and (3) calcium exists in fruit juice at concentrations that do not require excessive dilution or preconcentration prior to measurement. (JN)

Background information, procedures, and typical results are provided for an experiment in which spectrophotometry is used to examine the oxidation of secondary alcohols using chromium (VI). The overall change in oxidation state of chromium during the reaction is VI to III, corresponding to the familiar color change from orange to green. (JN)

Although it is a major synthetic reaction, the Wittig reaction has not been used in undergraduate laboratories due to the potential hazard and difficulty associated with the preparation/use of the strong bases needed to generate the required ylides. Procedures are presented for an experiment in which these difficulties are avoided. (JN)

Describes a physical/organic chemistry experiment on conductance behavior of hydrogen-bonded species of six salts of easily accessible, nitrogen-containing bases and halogenoacetic acids. The bases and acids used are much cheaper and have comparatively less unpleasant odors than the pyrim puridines and trifluoroacetic acid used in previously…

Describes an experiment which shows: (1) how measurements of the reaction electromotive force for the cell (Pt/glass/NaCl(aq,m),buffer/AgCl/Ag/Pt) can be utilized in determining the absolute pH of the buffer; and (2) the demonstration of the use of the Debye-Huckel model of an electrolyte solution in solving an important electrochemical problem.…

Describes an experiment in which undergraduate students can do simple Huckel Molecular Orbital (HMO) calculations from spectral data for a series of four closely related dyes. (JN)

Background information (theory), apparatus used and procedures required are provided for an experiment which involved the measurement of the deviations of carbon dioxide from perfect gas behavior by means of pressure/volume (pV) measurements at pressures of up to 20 atmospheres at room temperature. (JN)

Discusses two applications of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) in the undergraduate laboratory. They are the coulometric titration of thiosulfate with electrogenerated triiodide ion and the atomic absorption determination of calcium using both analytical calibration curve and standard addition methods. (JN)

Provides information on updating older fume hoods. Areas addressed include: (1) adjustment of the hood's back baffle; (2) hood air leakage; (3) light level; (4) hood location in relation to room traffic and room air; and (5) establishing and maintaining hood performance. (JN)

Although indicators are omnipresent tools in aqueous chemistry, they have not been used extensively to assign solvent properties in nonaqueous systems. Therefore, recent research into a system of metal complexes that can be used to assign donor and acceptor numbers to nonaqueous solvents is summarized. Pertinent experiments are also described. (JN)

Discusses the unusual chemistry of the transuranium elements as well as their impact on the periodic table. Also considers the practical applications of transuranium isotopes, such as their use in nuclear fuel for the large-scale generation of electricity. (JN)