An upper-level undergraduate experiment that, in addition to introducing students to catalysis using an air sensitive transition-metal complex, introduces the use of a solid acid as an activator and support for the catalyst is developed. The increased stability acquired in the course of the process affords the opportunity to characterize the…

The measurement of the infrared rotation-vibration spectrum of HCl(g) is a common experiment in the physical chemistry laboratory, which allows students the opportunity to explore quantization of rotational states in diatomic molecules. It is found that the CO2 vibration-rotation spectrum if used as an addition to the HCl experiment would give the…

This booklet is part of an American Astronomical Society curriculum project designed to provide teaching materials to teachers of secondary school chemistry, physics, and earth science. A Basic Topics section discusses atomic structure, emphasizing states of matter at high temperature and spectroscopic analysis of light from the stars. A section…