Book Reading Update - Fontana History of Chemistry Chap 8

With the emergence of a huge amount of chemical information, chemists put an effort into publishing dictionaries and other compendiums that provided a comprehensive view of the natural histories and properties of known chemical substances known up to that point.  The author, in particular singled out J.S. Muspratt’s Chemistry Theoretical, Practical, and Analytical as probably the most comprehensive and well-used publication, distinctive in its coverage of the practice of chemical technology “from acetic acid, alcohol, alum, and ammonia through to varnish water, wine and zinc”.  Two chemical industries that ushered the growth of commercial chemistry were highlighted: the production of alkali and synthetic dyestuffs and pharmaceuticals later on.

“During the first half of the nineteenth century, and even later, the alkali industry was the chemical industry,” (Hardie and Pratt, History of the Modern Chemical Industry (1966)).  The Leblanc alkali process dominated the scene for providing a workable synthetic pathway for sodium carbonate from sodium chloride.  This was replaced by the Solvay process later on which proved to be less wasteful and cheaper.  It was recognized even then that "the problems faced by the alkali industry, whether the Leblanc or Solvay processes, were essentially those of engineering rather than chemistry", citing such challenges as reducing and recycling waste, making safe dangerous procedures involving chemicals, and scaling laboratory design.

In the development of dyestuff synthetic chemistry, Hoffman was highlighted as a major player, with the author pointing out that all his students became dyestuff chemists.  The synthesis of dyesuff became a very lucrative industry that also led to the discovery of synthetic methods for pharmaceuticals. There was a relatively lengthy discussion of potential reasons for why Great Britain lost its hegemony on dyestuff industry to Germany, pointing out that, perhaps, one reason was that, unlike their British counterparts, Hoffman's German students (Hoffman taught in Britain and moved to Germany later on) placed great importance on continued chemical research based n Kekule's theory of structure as the secret to the commercial success of German chemical industries.

Toward the end, the author concludes the chapter with a brief commentary on the debate between a theory or practice-based education of chemists, reiterating that, in the end, engineering was also an important consideration.

Book Reading Update - Fontana History of Chemistry Chap 7

In Chapter 7, the author gave a detailed historical summary of the transition from mere classification using either the "radicalist" and "typist" view to a focus on constitutional and structural theory using concepts of the tetravalency of carbon and its tetrahedral geometric projection in 3-dimensional space.  Frankland and Kekule both played a role in bringing chemists to this level of structural conceptualization with Frankland's observations of the tri- and penta-valency of elements such as N and P although much of the distillation and refinement that brought chemists to a comfortable acceptance of structural theory is attributed to Kekule.  Ironically, despite being the more challenging concept in structural chemistry, much of the hypotheses and ideas on structure were derived from what were known about the existence of compounds that have different properties although they have the same constitution, the group of special compounds we refer to as isomers.  A teravalent carbon atom explained the existence of observed optical activity and non-activity between tartaric acid and "racemic" acid, we studied and differentiated by Pasteur on the basis of crystal shapes visualized under a microscope.  It was then determined that asymmetric carbon atoms that have four different groups around it will have optical activity unless a plane of symmetry exists within the molecule.  Even the deduction of the hexagonal shape of benzene was facilitated by reconciling predicted and experimentally observed numbers of isomers.  The impact of Kekule's and others' work on structure can best be described by the conclusion offered by the author at the end of the chapter: “Just as Picasso later transformed art by allowing the viewer to see within and behind things, so Kekule had transformed chemistry.  Chemical properties arose from the internal structures of molecules, which could now be ‘seen’ and ‘read’ through the experienced optic of the analytical and synthetic chemist.  The future of chemistry, as well as industry, after 1865 was indeed, to lie in structural chemistry at the sign of this hexagon.  But it was also to lie in a closer familiarity with physics, for it was this that provided a closer understanding of the combining capacities of atoms.”

Book Reading Update - Fontana History of Chemistry Chap 6

I finished reading Chapter 6 which detailed the development, evolution, and partial merging of the two primary classifications of organic compounds conceived in the 1800's.  Berzelius and followers championed a dualistic theory of classification by radicals based on the idea that every organic compound can be thought of as a combination of an electropositive radical and oxygen. This definition could not be supported by observations of substitution reactions in which an electronegative element replaces electropositive hydrogen.  Dumas followed by Laurent, Williamson, and finally Gerhardt were the key players in developing and refining the classification by types, based on a unitary theory that suggested that compounds of the same chemical type share similar fundamental chemical properties and that chemical behavior can be ascribed to the arrangements of atoms.  Gerhardt, in his 'new tye" theory, eventually suggested that all organic compounds can be ultimately classified based on four inorganic basis or types: water, ammonia, hydrogen, and hydrogen chloride, with each type being conceived as 'the unit of comparison for all bodies which, like [them], are susceptible of similar changes or result from similar changes".  It was stated, however, in the end that this form of classification held no structural significance to Gerhardt but eventually the "new type theory metamorphosed in to the structural theory of carbon compounds" in the hands of Kekule et al.

Book Reading Update - Chapter 6 Fontana History of Chemistry, first thoughts

CHAPTER 6 FONTANA HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY

I think this chapter will focus on discoveries of organic chemistry, in particular the organization and classification of the myriads of organic substances that have been discovered in the last several years.  Through this thorough organization and classification effort, I am guessing that they will come to a more refined and narrow definition of organic compounds beyond that as substances sourced from animals and vegetables.  It appears, so far, in the first few pages of the chapter that there emerged two primary schools of thought on how the classification is to be accomplished.

Book Reading Update - Fontana History of Chemistry CH 5

Chapter 5 (Instructions for the Analysis of Organic Bodies)details the developments during the 20th century with Liebig playing a focal role.  The author relates how challenges in impurity, lab apparatus and reagents, and technical difficulties of analysis were primary players in the tentative and slow development of organic chemistry.  The lack of a clear concept of purity made the study of substances hard, and generalizations on the distinction between compounds, elements, and mixtures were difficult to make.  The author gave a brief chronological account of the development of analytical methods which led to a more concrete conceptualization of purity. Dalton’s atomic theory and laws of stoichiometry (established through accurate analytical methods) became an integral part of quantitative analysis.  Cheaper and more accessible apparatus was developed when students where encouraged (primarily by John Griffin) to carry out personal experimentation.  The progress and expansion of organic analysis accelerated when Liebig developed a “sure-fire” method of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen determination in organic substances.  Through the promotion of chemistry as an experimental science, development of more accessible lab apparatus, his own teaching competence, and the infusion of government support for teaching and laboratories Liebig at the University of Giessen established a model institution for the teaching of practical chemistry.  By the middle of the 20th century, analytical chemistry has become a "commercial commodity and one in which chemical careers could be made".

Book Reading Update -- The Fontana History of Chemistry

I finished Chapter 4 which gave an account of the developments during the 19th century.  The main players presented by the author were Dalton and Berzelius.  The theme was on Dalton's extensive work on developing an "atomic theory" based on 4 assumptions and the distinction between chemical versus physical atomism.  Dalton developed his law of multiple proportions based on measurements he made and others made.  Because there was no physical evidence for a physical atom, most chemists were wary to accept this concept.  Instead, they stuck to the idea of chemical atomism as a basis for combining proportions and conceptualizing relative "atomic" or equivalent weights which Dalton came up with originally but others have supported.

Lab Manual Update

30A:

One of the instructors sent me feedback on Lab 10.2 and a list of typos and errors.

31:
I sent a request for review e-mail to most everyone who has taught the class before.  One of the instructors will send me copies of his scanned files and revisions he has made.

Book Reading Update -- The Fontana History of Chemistry

I finished reading and taking notes from Chapter 2 and am glad that the phlogiston theory only merited a few pages!

Book Reading Update -- The Fontana History of Chemistry

Finished Chapter 3 in which the author gives an account of Lavoisier's "chemical revolution" and the 6 important conditions that brought about this new chemistry.  Central to this are the organization and systematization of substances by Lavoisier and his defintion of an element and his demonstration of the gaseous state.  British pneumatic chemists such as Cavendish and Priestley, among others, played a big role in Lavoisier's accomplishments.

Book Reading Update - 5th Book: The Fontana History of Chemistry

I decided to discontinue reading Periodic Tales for now as I found myself constantly itching for more historical information to tie the discoveries and inventions of chemistry.

I decided to pick up another history of chemistry book, this time written in a more standard way.  The account is still quite condensed (despite its length of 700 or so pages!) but the continuity is more acceptable in terms of the central ideas and events and core historical context being treated, at least in the first chapter.  The length is quite intimidating so I will take it one chapter at a time.

I have finished reading (and taking notes) the first chapter dealing with the origins and demise of alchemy.  The author makes a point that while present chemistry knowledge and practice extracted a lot of its original ideas, equipment, and processes from alchemistry, it is not clear and arguable that alchemy led to chemistry.

Lab Manual Update - 30A

Anthony sent me a page of notes on suggestions, typos, and errors.  He also sent me feedback regarding lab 10.2, pipet or buret?

Book Reading Update

I started reading Periodic Tales as my fifth book but it has not engaged me in a way that I feel drawn to new things I might learn.  The book sounds well-researched but it is written in a way that stories and little tidbits seem to flow without organization. I find myself coming to an anecdote that would turn out to be only 4-5 sentences long keeping me hanging.  I was looking for a more organized description of the history, discovery properties, and uses of each element.  But, rather, the book is truly an account (a bit disjointed at that) of the cultural histories of the elements, how they have been used in literature and art, stories, politics, and yes, in the actual history of the world.  Maybe, the book lively history has left me still hungry for details and so back to some searching.

I read the bibliography of the same book and came up with the following potential reading candidates:

“Gordin, Michael D., A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table (New York: Basic, 2004)”

“Brock, William H., The Fontana History of Chemistry (London: Fontana, 1992)”

“Emsley, John, Nature’s Building Blocks: An A–Z Guide to the Elements (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001)”

“Greenberg, Arthur, The Art of Chemistry (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2003)”

“Scerri, Eric R., The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007)”

“Strathern, Paul, Mendeleyev’s Dream: The Quest for the Elements (London: Hamish Hamilton, 2000)”

“Trifonov, D. N., and V. D. Trifonov, Chemical Elements: How They Were Discovered (Moscow: Mir, 1982”

Book Reading Update - Annotated Bibiography

I finished cleaning up and organizing my notes and merged them into a draft of the annotated bibliography of the books for my sabbatical reading.  I have completed 4 books so far.  I kept my copious notes from the Lively History book as a separate attachment because it is quite long, 53 pages of notes!

I may have mentioned it already but I have chosen Periodic Tales by Aldersey for my next history of chemistry reading.

Lab Manual Update

I finished the first draft of the revision of Lab 5.2, synthesis of a copper-sulfide compound. I suggested archiving it but one instructors suggested keeping it as an option for the future.

Book Reading Update

 I finished reading and taking copious notes from the Lively History of Chemistry a couple of days ago.

I have started reading Periodic Tales.

I am cleaning up my notes to organize an annotate bibliography and summary chapters for the 4 books I have read so far.

Book Reading Update - Lively History of Chemistry

Finally making some headway on the Lively History of Chemistry Book.  I am a third of the way through Chapter 14.  There are 6 chapters left.

Each chapter is becoming more dense, albeit more condensed and distilled as well, as the progress of research and discovery in chemistry accelerates.  It seems after finally ridding themselves of relying on the phlogiston theory, a drain has been unplugged.

I am little bit disappointed that the account is a but disjointed with seemingly missing pieces in between.  I can only guess that there is some order and organization coursing through the authors' minds that I am not aware of.

Mendeleev has organized the periodic table and they have advanced well enough in organic chemistry to ponder the concept of chiral molecules without having any physical evidence of atoms!  It is amazing to say the least.  One just has to believe on what a leap of faith it took to develop these ideas of chemistry, most of which we now have hard physical evidence for.

Back to reading.

Micro-Physio Questions Update

 I completed the following today:

1) Reviewed Jill's files again to see if there are more helpful questions I can generate.
2) I also reviewed Barbara's ppt slides, downloaded from her website up to Chapter 20.  I was able to borrow better versions of some figures I used in my notes.
3)  I have compiled all of the questions from the 2 lab manuals and the text and have assigned them to the Stoker chapters by material.  I have also cleaned out the ones that I ended up not using.

Book Update

I am slowly making my way through Chemistry's Lively History.  It is a bit slow-going as there are a lot of facts and I am prodigiously taking notes.  Probably too many but it is hard for me to keep track of the chronology, the progress, and the main actors.

On to Chapter 5.

Micro-Physio Questions Update

I finally finished writing up the solution keys for all the questions I created from the Silverthorn text, the Physio lab manual, and the micro lab manual.  I had to eliminate about 10 questions as they seemed repetitive, too had, or do not seem relevant.

Next would be to
1) review Jill's files and Barbara's ppts
2) check one more time if there are other questions that would be instructional and/or notes
3) add the questions from the physio and the micro lab manuals to the categorized file.
4) create a file that contains only the questions

30A Lab Manual Update

I have received one feedback so far, suggesting that the copper-sulfide lab be kept and not archived.  I will work on cleaning up and revising this file.

Micro-Physio Questions Update

I finished typing up the solutions for the questions generated from Silverthorn's text.  I had to eliminate a few (3-4?) questions because they were either repetitive or they were not relevant.

I will work on the solution keys for the questions generated from the physio and the micro lab manuals next.

Micro-Physio Update

Completed review of the last two chapters.  I have also finished categorizing the physio text questions into Stoker chapters by topic.

I have started typing up the solutions for the physio text questions.

Micro-Physio Questions Update

I have finished reviewing the electronic version of the Silverthorn 6th Ed Human Physiology text.  I have created 54 questions and generated 58 slides of notes on material that has chemistry relevance.

Based on chapters covered by two physiology faculty, I reviewed the following chapters. The depth of review and reading varied depending on how relevant chemistry is to the material being covered in the chapter.

Chapters 1-8, 10-12, 14-21, 24, and 26.

Micro-Physio Questions Update

I finished reviewing Chap 21 for relevant material. It did not stimulate any questions or problems but I did take notes on some information useful for discussion of ions and acid-base concepts in 30A and digestion in 30B.

Lab Manual Update

I sent the following request for review e-mails to full-time and part-time instructors who have taught 30A before to review the revised files, including Gerry and Mike.

"Hello,

All of you have taught Chemistry 30A some time in the past. As some of you may know, the 30A lab manual was originally authored by LPC's very own Jim Adams who did a tremendous amount of work developing these labs and writing up a very thorough lab manual.

These labs have not gone through revisions in the last several years and have only been available through a hard-copy of the lab manual itself and no editable electronic copy. I have been working on converting these files into editable electronic files and some revisions. Below are a summary and a request for review.

What changes have been made?
My main focus was to get the lab manual converted to an MS Word file and make revisions on some of the content, primarily changes in safety policy and equipment use. Some of these changes include:

1) Converting scanned hard copies of the labs to an editable MS Word file. As part of this, I scanned the lab manual to create pdf files of relatively good resolution for optical character recognition. I then used these to create the MS Word files and have to do some extensive clean-up of text, formatting, figures, tables, chemical formulas and equations, mathematical equations and calculation steps, molecular structure drawing, etc.

2) I then went to work on some content revisions:
a) Obvious typos
b) Incorporation of the most obvious changes to safety policy: no waste down the drain, use of limited fume hoods in 1807 where the 30A labs are now held, removal of mercury, replacement of some chemical reagents, etc.
c) Changes in amounts of chemicals used
d) Changes in chemical reagents used
e) Rewriting equipment instructions for newer equipment (e.g. pH meters)
f) Some procedural changes
g) Changes in procedure (e.g. using excel for collecting class data, creating plots, etc.)

3) I looked at some course lab schedules to determine which labs have not been done in the past several years. Those will be archived.

4) Removal of the copper-sulfur compound formation lab and other labs which cannot be done with the limited number of fume hoods in 1807

How did I come up with these changes?
I based many of these changes on my own class notes collected when I taught these labs. Some instructors and Gerry have also been sending me some comments that I have incorporated (more are welcome, see below). I also used Gerry’s prep sheets for reference.

What exactly are these changes?
I have attached a file listing all of the changes, comments I have received, and questions I have posed regarding other potential changes.

The annotated files which you can view contain:
1) line numbering for easy reference
2) Comments on changes and other questions
4) blue highlighted sections indicating changes (if the change is not obvious, it is usually accompanied by a comment)
5) yellow highlighted sections referring to page or part numbers (I did this to make it easier to change them later just in case pagination changes for the entire file).

How do I access these annotated files?
Click on the link:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B68k_dSaNrzmemEtRmR4dkYxVFk&usp=sharing
You can download the individual files from this site. Please let me know if you can't access these files.

What kind of feedback?
1) Anything I may have missed that are obvious typos, safety issue, etc. as I listed above
2) If I labeled a lab "archive" that you would like to keep, let me know.
3) I am not looking into making any other substantial changes (in wording, length, content, etc.) at this point but anything you think needs to be reworded for clarity, let me know.

How to send me comments:
1) After reviewing, you can send me an e-mail (please put lab number in the subject).
2) You can download the annotated files and if your pdf program has the capability, you can write your comments directly on the pdf document.
3) Any other way you think is easy for you.

Am I stuck with these changes?
These changes are by no means final, I want to emphasize. I welcome any suggestions and comments so that we have labs that work well for our students. 

When will this version be used?

I plan to have final drafts ready for the FALL 2015 semester.

Thanks for your help, 

Adeliza"

Micro-Physio Questions Update

As I was reviewing our 30A course outline, I noticed something related to the questions I have been creating based on micro and physio concepts.  I realized that our outline does not even mention osmolarity in it anywhere, neither the Measurable Objectives nor the Content.  I created a lot of questions using this concept as my reading of the labs and the physio text seem to indicate it is a heavily used concentration unit, especially in describing plasma and other fluid properties.
I will be adding it to the course outline during this next cycle.

Other things I have been working on

In the first three months (Aug - Nov) of my sabbatical year, I have also been working on and have been involved in the following:

1) I continued to help coordinate and videotape the LLNL - LPC seminar series.
2) I helped my department write equipment requests for balances and centrifuges.
3) I helped review the spring schedule.
4) I revised the AA instructions checklist.
5) I attended the 5-hour GC-MS installer's training.
6) I have started reviewing our course outlines for Title V update submission next semester.

SLO Research Update

I checked my notes:  I have sent 7 e-mail inquiries about SLO implementation but only heard back from 3 of them.  It may be that they are waiting till they are less busy (I did say to take their time).  I might send another set of e-mail, perhaps after finals week and during winter break.

Lab Manual Update

I have posted all of the final drafts (both annotated and clean) in pdf to the aflores LPC google drive.  I will be sending a link and the following note to the instructors being requested to review them:

Hello,

All of you have taught Chemistry 30A some time in the past. As some of you may know, the 30A lab manual was originally authored by LPC's very own Jim Adams who did a tremendous amount of work developing these labs and writing up a very thorough lab manual.

These labs have not gone through revisions in the last several years and have only been available through a hard-copy of the lab manual itself and no editable electronic copy. I have been working on converting these files into editable electronic files and some revisions. Below are a summary and a request for review.

What changes have been made?
My main focus was to get the lab manual converted to an MS Word file and make revisions on some of the content, primarily changes in safety policy and equipment use. Some of these changes include:

1) Converting scanned hard copies of the labs to an editable MS Word file. As part of this, I scanned the lab manual to create pdf files of relatively good resolution for optical character recognition. I then used these to create the MS Word files and have to do some extensive clean-up of text, formatting, figures, tables, chemical formulas and equations, mathematical equations and calculation steps, molecular structure drawing, etc.

2) I then went to work on some content revisions:
a) Obvious typos
b) Incorporation of the most obvious changes to safety policy: no waste down the drain, use of limited fume hoods in 1807 where the 30A labs are now held, removal of mercury, replacement of some chemical reagents, etc.
c) Changes in amounts of chemicals used
d) Changes in chemical reagents used
e) Rewriting equipment instructions for newer equipment (e.g. pH meters)
f) Some procedural changes
g) Changes in procedure (e.g. using excel for collecting class data, creating plots, etc.)

3) I looked at some course lab schedules to determine which labs have not been done in the past several years. Those will be archived.

4) Removal of the copper-sulfur compound formation lab and other labs which cannot be done with the limited number of fume hoods in 1807

How did I come up with these changes?
I based many of these changes on my own class notes collected when I taught these labs. Some instructors and Gerry  have also been sending me some comments that I have incorporated (more are welcome, see below). I also used Gerry’s prep sheets for reference.

What exactly are these changes?
I have attached a file listing all of the changes, comments I have received, and questions I have posed regarding other potential changes.

The annotated files which you can view contain:
1) line numbering for easy reference
2) Comments on changes and other questions
4) blue highlighted sections indicating changes (if the change is not obvious, it is usually accompanied by a comment)
5) yellow highlighted sections referring to page or part numbers (I did this to make it easier to change them later just in case pagination changes for the entire file).

How do I access these annotated files?
Click on the link:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B68k_dSaNrzmemEtRmR4dkYxVFk&usp=sharing
You can download the individual files from this site. Please let me know if you can't access these files.

What kind of feedback?
1) Anything I may have missed that are obvious typos, safety issue, etc. as I listed above
2) If I labeled a lab "archive" that you would like to keep, let me know.
3) I am not looking into making any other substantial changes (in wording, length, content, etc.) at this point but anything you think needs to be reworded for clarity, let me know.


How to send me comments:
1) After reviewing, you can send me an e-mail (please put lab number in the subject).
2) You can download the annotated files and if your pdf program has the capability, you can write your comments directly on the pdf document.
3) Any other way you think is easy for you.

Am I stuck with these changes?
These changes are by no means final, I want to emphasize. I welcome any suggestions and comments so that we have labs that work well for our students’ learning.

Thanks for your help,
Adeliza

Micro-Physio Questions Update

I finished Chapter 20 on fluid balance.  I like reading this chapter - it is very quantitative and relates to a lot of chemical principles.

There are three chapters left (based on Jill's and Barbara's coverage schedules): 21, 24, and 26.  I am not sure if all of these have chemistry-relevant material.

I have created 53 questions from Silverthorn's text so far.  I am up to 55 slides of notes.

Lab Manual Update

I have updated all the google drive folders to have the final drafts for review.

I also uploaded the non-annotated pdf files.

I have put away all of the glassware and reagents I have been using to run experiments.

I will try these next time, if I have time (not part of my sabbatical):

1) an Fe determination Beer's Law lab for 30A (and maybe even 1A)
2) a greener way of doing the caffeine extraction possibly for 30B

Lab Manual Update

On Monday, I weighed the copper oxide compound after leaving it in the fume hood over the weekend.  There was hardly any change in the mass from previous weighings.

I placed it in the oven and dried three times.  I was able to get the wieght down so that the ratio is now 1.4-1 mole of O to mole of Cu.  Close enough for this trial.  For the actual experiment, I will recommend 30 minutes at 80 C and then 15 minutes at 80 C, until mass is constant.

Gary helped me look for the actual bottles of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and phenanthroline.  It looks there are enough to make 1% solutions.  I also bought from Rite Aid two kinds of iron supplements: sulfate and fumarate.

I wrote a combination of 9.1 and 9.2 AB today and sent that off to Rob for review.

Micro-Physio Questions Update

Yesterday, I finished Chapter 19 on Kidneys.  I have created up to 40 questions and added more ppt notes for addition to my 30A and 30B lectures.

Lab Manual Update

A few things I did yesterday, Friday:

1) I emailed Rob Schmidt to get his feedback on combining labs 9.1-9.2 primarily for two reasons:  first, to make the lab run more efficiently and second so that students can more obviously correlate conductivity with pH and acid/base strength.

2) I checked on my copper-oxide compound left another night in the fume hood.  I think it gained more water as the mass went up from the day before!  I am leaving it again in the fume hood over the weekend.  If this method does not work, I will have to use the oven.

3) I redrew the molecular structures in Lab 13.4 for 30B.

4) I checked the stockroom chemical inventory sheets and found that all the reagents needed to the Fe spectrometry analysis are there.  I might try running this lab this week.

Overall Update

Today:

SLO Project

1) I studied the CCSF Chemistry SLO website in more detail to extract information pertaining to the four questions I have about the SLO process.

2) I sent two more email inquiries to a Glendale Community College chemistry professor and division chair and to a San Jose City College chemistry faculty and member of the SLO committee.

Lab Manual

1) I received a response from Mike about looking at the revised 3102 lab as he concedes that he has the same issues with the current one.

2) I checked on my copper oxide compound left overnight drying in the fume hood.  It seemed pretty dry but the mass I got for the compound indicated a CuO2 formula which does not make sense.  I suspect  that there is still water so I left it again overnight in the fume hood for weighing tomorrow.  It might be better if students use the oven for drying and dry to constant weight.

Physio-Micro Questions

1) I finally finished reading Chapter 18.

2) I have now about 36 questions from Silverthorn's text.

3) I added more notes about O2 and CO2 transport.

Articles:

I downloaded more articles for reading.

Others:

First day of installation for the GC-MS.  I chatted with and watched the guy installing it for a while.

I looked for LLNL posters in my email for archiving.

Lab Manual Update - 31

Chem 31 - Replacement salts for lab 3102
I finished writing a draft of a possible new Lab 3102.  I sent a copy of it to Mike for review with notes on my observations.

Lab Manual Update - 30A

Chem 30A - Another option for empirical formula lab:

I started a trial run of using the formation of a copper oxide compound to determine empirical formula.  This one does not require heating to dryness to recover the compound for weighing.  It does produce a lot of NO2 and requires some very low heating to accelerate formation of the copper oxide.

 

The solid product is filtered. I am letting it sit overnight on filter paper and inside the fume hood for drying and weighing tomorrow.

Will update if overnight drying is sufficient.

Lab Manual Update

Completed trial run of replacement test compounds for lab 3102.  Yesterday, I did all the tests for the knowns.  Today, I did test for the unknowns.