Success in undergraduate chemical experiments requires students to develop knowledge and skills of instrumentation, equipment, and chemical techniques. In this technology report, we propose an adaptable and user-focused strategy to improve students' foundational skill and proficiency with chemical laboratory techniques and instrumentation. The…

For most chemistry curricula, laboratory-based activities in quantitative and instrumental analysis continue to be an important aspect of student development/training, one that can be more effective if conceptual understanding is delivered through an inquiry-based process relating the material to relevant issues of public interest and student…

The teaching of instrumental analysis for many small colleges and high schools continues to be stymied by high-cost, complicated maintenance, high power requirements, and often the sheer bulk of the instrumentation. Such issues have led us to develop inexpensive instruments as part of a SMILE initiative (small, mobile instruments for laboratory…

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a powerful analytical tool for detection, identification, and quantification of many volatile organic compounds. However, many colleges and universities have not fully incorporated this technique into undergraduate teaching laboratories despite its wide application and ease of use in organic…

The construction of a fluorometer and a spectrofluorometer using flashlight or a sunlight excitation source in a shoebox and the eye as a detector is being described. The assembly helps in understanding several fundamental ideas related to the subject very easily.

The fundamentals, as well as the instrumentation of the quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) technique that is used in an undergraduate laboratory experiment are being described. The QCM response can be easily used to change the properties of any system.

The Michelson interferometer is one of the best established tools for quantitative interferometric measurements. It has been, and is still successfully used, not only for scientific purposes, but it is also introduced in undergraduate courses for qualitative demonstrations as well as for quantitative determination of several properties such as…

Note is presented on the standard lab from a second year chemistry course. The lab "Determining which of the Seven FD&C Food-Approved Dyes are Used in Making Green Skittles", familiarizes students with the operation of the CHEM2000 UV-Vis spectrophorometer.

Describes a low-cost four-color LED photometer developed to overcome the rising cost of laboratory equipment used in general chemistry labs and introduce instrumentation at the undergraduate level. The photometer detects absorbance at selected wavelengths of visible light but retains the advantages of a dual-beam system. The unit is compact and…

Describes the function of the various parts of the microscope and their integration in the formation of an optical image. Presents a procedure for setting up a microscope to obtain maximum resolution and contrast for each objective lens at all magnifications. (JRH)

Describes an experiment combining qualitative and quantitative information from hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Reviews theory, discusses the experimental approach, and provides sample results. (JM)

Microcomputers are commonly interfaced to external devices in scientific, industrial, and consumer settings for data acquisition and for control. The general problem under consideration is the task of taking measurements of some continuous phenomenon, transforming them into digital form, and storing the data in the microcomputer for later use.…

Describes three situations in which computer software was used in a chemistry laboratory. Discusses interfacing voltage output instruments with Apple II computers and using spreadsheet programs to simulate gas chromatography and analysis of kinetic data. Includes information concerning procedures, hardware, and software used in each situation. (CW)

Describes an experiment on a coupled system in which accurate timing is carried out using a Light Activated Switch (LAS) technique. LAS can be used for a wide range of periodic phenomena, provided the amplitude is sufficiently large to interrupt a light beam. (Author/SK)

Presents a chemical instrumentation laboratory experiment that introduces the methodology of the fabrication and evaluation of an ion-selective electrode. (CS)