The empirical formulas of four cupric hydrates are determined by measuring the absorbance in aqueous solution. The Beer-Lambert Law is verified by constructing a calibration curve of absorbance versus known Cu[superscript 2+](aq) concentration. A solution of the unknown hydrate is prepared by using 0.2-0.3 g of hydrate, and water is added such…

A convenient laboratory experiment is described in which NMR magnetization transfer by inversion recovery is used to measure the kinetics and thermochemistry of amide bond rotation. The experiment utilizes Varian spectrometers with the VNMRJ 2.3 software, but can be easily adapted to any NMR platform. The procedures and sample data sets in this…

Many soils throughout the world are contaminated with metal salts of diverse toxicity. We have developed an experiment to demonstrate the removal of a metal from an insoluble surrogate soil pollutant, CuCO[subscript 3] multiplied by Cu(OH)[subscript 2], by complexation followed by the simultaneous electrochemical recovery of the ligand (i.e.,…

Thermotropic liquid crystal phases are ordered fluids found, for some molecules, at intermediate temperatures between the crystal and liquid states. Although technologically important, these materials typically receive little attention in the undergraduate curriculum. Here, we describe a laboratory activity for introductory organic chemistry…

A laboratory experiment aimed at students who are studying coordination chemistry of transition-metal complexes is described. A simple vanadyl acetylacetonate complex can be used as a catalyst in the hydrogen peroxide oxidation of anthracene to produce anthraquinone. The reaction can be performed under a variety of reaction conditions, ideally by…

The physical chemistry laboratory is sometimes constrained to one semester, resulting in pedagogical deficiencies for the students taking the course. The use of a multidimensional laboratory exercise offers students the opportunity to encounter multiple experimental techniques and physical chemistry concepts while not sacrificing a significant…

With the development of LabVIEW[TM] Education Edition schools can now provide experience of using this widely used software. Here, a few of the many applications that students aged around 11 years and over could develop are outlined in the resulting front panel screen displays and block diagrams showing the associated graphical programmes, plus a…

Educators are increasingly being called upon to provide evidence of student learning. Traditional assessments are not always the best venue for demonstrating conceptual understanding, particularly in science. This paper presents details on the design, use, and scoring of a performance-based assessment for measuring student understanding of…

A procedure for teaching green chemistry through laboratory experiments is presented in which students are challenged to use the 12 principles of green chemistry to review and modify synthesis protocols to improve greenness. A global metric, green star, is used in parallel with green chemistry mass metrics to evaluate the improvement in greenness.…

A method for the construction of a Galilean thermometer out of common chemistry glassware is described. Students in a first-semester physical chemistry (thermodynamics) class can construct the Galilean thermometer as an investigation of the thermal expansivity of liquids and the temperature dependence of density. This is an excellent first…

An upper-level mechanistic organic experiment is outlined where undergraduates measure kinetic rate constants for decarboxylation of pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid by the initial-rates method. UV spectroscopy is used to monitor reactant disappearance in both hydrochloric acid and deuterium chloride at different temperatures. Individual data are pooled…

The Fisher esterification reaction is ideally suited for the undergraduate organic laboratory because it is easy to carry out and often involves a suitable introduction to basic laboratory techniques including extraction, distillation, and simple spectroscopic (IR and NMR) analyses. Here, a Fisher esterification reaction is described in which the…

In our "Physics of Music" class for non-science majors, we have developed a laboratory exercise in which students experiment with Chladni sand patterns on drumheads. Chladni patterns provide a kinesthetic, visual, and entertaining way to illustrate standing waves on flat surfaces and are very helpful when making the transition from one-dimensional…

Experiments in mechanics often involve measuring time intervals much smaller than one second, a task that is hard to perform with handheld stopwatches. This is one of the reasons why photogate timers are so popular in school labs. There is an interesting alternative to stopwatches and photogates, easily available if one has access to a personal…

While serving as the Executive Director of the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, the author came to realize that the parents, faculty, staff, and students associated with the school seemed to have relatively dichotomous views about gifted education. This led to a study of the faculty and students attending both the academy…