Presents an experiment designed to test quantitatively for lead in household items. Generates interest from students because it relates to their lives and uses only a minimal amount of toxic chemicals. (JRH)

Describes an electrode, selective for the salicylate ion, that can be prepared and used by undergraduate students. Discusses the preparation of the electrode, typical response characteristics obtained, and results of a limited study using the electrode to estimate the selectivity coefficient for an interfering ion and to determine the amount of…

Presents an activity to determine whether the radioactivity of a pure potassium salt is directly proportional to the amount of potassium in it and whether this could be used as a method of analysis for potassium in a solid. (MKR)

Describes a simple and reliable new quantitative analysis experiment using liquid chromatography for the determinaiton of caffeine, saccharin, and sodium benzoate in beverages. Background information, procedures used, and typical results obtained are provided. (JN)

Presents a headspace gas chromatography experiment that enables discovery of the temperature dependence of the vapor pressure of a pure liquid. Illustrates liquid-vapor phase equilibrium of pure liquids. Contains 22 references. (JRH)

Presents a lab to analyze plant and animal materials for the presence of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins by describing and presenting simple tests in common breakfast food items. (MKR)

Describes a lab designed to analyze the organic compounds found in an ordinary fast-food lunch. (ZWH)

Presents an experiment that uses thin-layer chromatography to identify various aspirin-free Bayer products and to determine whether the products are in fact aspirin-free. (JRH)

Describes the design and evaluation of a Spectronic 20-based detector as well as a simple system for postcolumn derivatization useful for metal-ion chromatographic detection. Both detection and derivatization can be performed in the ultra-violet (UV) mode using a low-cost UV-visible spectrophotometer and UV-region derivatization reagents. (JN)

Describes the equipment, procedures, and results for the determination of caffeine in beverages by high performance liquid chromatography. The method is simple, fast, accurate, and, because sample preparation is minimal, it is well suited for use in a teaching laboratory. (JN)

Voltammetry, the fundamental electrochemical experiment, is the measurement of the current which flows at an electrode as a function of the potential applied to the electrode. Such an experiment is discussed, focusing on factors which influence the shape of the current potential curve. (JN)

Presents an activity in which college chemistry students collaboratively identify chemical substances. (MKR)

Presents a simple and reliable technique using commonly available equipment for monitoring carbon monoxide in automobile exhaust. The experiment utilizes a gas chromatograph and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). (DDR)

Procedures are provided for a flame emission experiment which covers five areas in a single laboratory exercise. These areas are: (1) the flame emission technique; (2) calibration plots; (3) interferences; (4) indirect flame emission analysis; and (5) techniques of removing interferences. Typical results obtained are discussed. (JN)

"Colloid titration" is a volumetric method for determining charged polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions. The principle of colloid titration, reagents used in the procedure, methods of endpoint detection, preparation of reagent solutions, general procedure used, results obtained, and pH profile of colloid titration are considered. (JN)