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Analytical Chemistry Analytical chemistry is the branch of chemistry devoted to making quantitative measurements. In particular, the techniques of analytic chemistry are used to determine the composition of chemical samples. Thus, an analytical chemist not only has to know a lot about everything, he or she has to be an expert problem solver. This involves being familiar with a great many different tools and techniques, as well as understanding which tools to use in a specific situation. Web:
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Atmospheric Chemistry Atmospheric chemistry is the study of the chemical composition and properties of the atmosphere. Atmospheric chemists study how the components of the atmosphere interact with each other, with the Earth, and with living organisms. One important area of research is the investigation of how human activities may be changing the characteristics of the atmosphere with respect to smog, global climate change, toxic air pollutants, acid rain and ozone depletion. Web:
Biochemistry Biochemistry is the study of the chemical reactions within living organisms. In particular, biochemists investigate metabolism (the chemical processes within cells), macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats), enzymes, as well as DNA and the chemistry of genes. When I was a graduate student, I wanted to learn biochemistry. But I was a computer science student. I hadn't studied chemistry since high school and I knew nothing about organic chemistry. I wrote a letter to the famous science writer Isaac Asimov in which I asked him advice on how to teach myself biochemistry. He sent me back a reply, which I still have (it is framed and on my desk). He said, "If you have a good library at your disposal, you can teach yourself anything. I did." Asimov's example inspired me. I got a biochemistry textbook and started teaching it to myself. Later, I ended up going to medical school, where I learned the whole thing over again in more detail. But, to this day, I can't forget how fascinating I found it to read a book that could describe what was going on inside my own body. Web:
Chemical Acronyms We all know that DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid and EDTA is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. But what about the more esoteric chemical acronyms? The next time you are at a party with a bunch of chemists, see if they know what UASBR or FREMSAAS stands for. They may not, but you will, because you have the Net (and this book) to help you. (By the way, UASBR refers to an "upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor", and FREMSAAS is "frequency modulated simultaneous atomic absorption spectrometry".) Web:
Chemistry Journals Here are collections of links to chemistry journals. Some of the journals are completely online; others only show the tables of contents or abstracts. If you are involved in chemical research of any type, you need to look at these sites. (I bet you have lots of spare time for reading more journals.) Web:
Chemistry Resources The Internet has more chemically related resources than you could dissolve in a beaker of distilled water and alcohol-free chloroform. Whatever you need to find in the world of chemistry, virtually everything virtual is here somewhere. Remember, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. Web:
Chemistry Talk and General Discussion Let's talk chemistry. Let's talk about substances and how they react when they are combined. Let's talk about mixing diatomaceous earth into sulfuric acid in order to make it sticky. Let's talk about everything under and inside of the sun. Let's talk about cleaning up the mess. Usenet:
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Chemistry Tutorials I have studied a lot of chemistry in my life, and I can tell you that, no matter how good a textbook you have, and no matter how good your teacher may be, there are going to be times when you need extra help. Chemistry is often confusing, because there are a great many details that just don't make sense until you understand a large body of knowledge. (This is especially true with organic chemistry.) So for those times when you despair of ever understanding a particular something-or-other, here are some chemistry tutorials to help smooth the way. I find these Web sites particularly useful when I am reading and I encounter a chemical concept that I want to review or teach myself. Web:
Chemistry Visualization and Animation Chemistry deals with molecules, atoms and bonds, and there are wonderful computer-based tools available to help you visualize these chemical concepts. These resources will help you learn how computer visualization is used in chemistry. In addition, you will be able to view a great many pictures and animations. I have also included information about two of the most important chemistry visualization tools, Chime and RasMol. Web:
Computational Chemistry Computational chemistry involves the use of computers in the study of chemistry. In particular, this area of study has applications to molecular modeling, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and dynamics. Computational chemistry is often combined with theoretical chemistry to construct quantitative predictions based on specific theory. Web:
Electrochemistry Electrochemistry is the science concerned with the chemistry of electrical phenomena. Most of electrochemistry deals with the conduction of ions (charged particles) within electrolytes: usually liquid solutions, but also molten salts and certain conductive solids. The most common applications are electrophoresis, electroplating, batteries and the study of corrosion. Web:
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Glycoscience Glycoscience is the study of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. Many people in the physical or life sciences find that memorizing the citric acid cycle several times during your academic career provides enough glyco-oriented stimulation to last a lifetime. However, for hard-core glycoscientists, the citric acid cycle is merely the beginning. Web:
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Hazardous Chemical Database Please put this Web site in your bookmark list. This important resource contains information on a large number of hazardous chemicals. You can find out basic information -- such as formulas, physical data, names -- as well as extensive safety information. This is the type of place you want to visit before the accident. However, if something unexpected does happen, you will be glad you know where this site is. Web:
Laboratory Safety I have to admit, I was a terror in the lab. Although I was mostly well-behaved, I once incurred the wrath of my organic chemistry lab instructor by throwing an iceball at my friend Stan. And in medical school, my partner and I would often break things in biochemistry lab no matter how careful we were. Still, I had an excuse: in those days, there was no Internet, and so I could not subscribe to the laboratory safety mailing list or check out the resources on the Web. Web:
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Molecule of the Month Who am I? I am a well-known antioxidant, the first provitamin to be discovered. (A provitamin is a substance that the body converts into a vitamin.) My chemical cousins and I are responsible for the yellow and orange colors of many fruits and vegetables. In fact, if you eat too much of me, your skin may turn orange (although I won't hurt you). My cousins and I also give color to tree leaves in the fall. When the chlorophyll (which is green) breaks down, it is our colors that you see. The final clue? I was the Molecule of the Month in April 2002. (If you would like to see who I am, check the archive.) Web:
Nuclide Table This is an amazing resource. You start with a graphical representation of all the known nuclides. (A nuclide is a type of atom, specified by its atomic number, atomic mass and energy state. For example, carbon 14 is a particular nuclide of carbon.) Click on a section of the diagram, and you are presented with a more detailed chart that contains useful information about all the nuclides in that region. It's like a periodic table of the elements on steroids. Web: Organic Chemistry Organic chemistry is the science that deals with carbon compounds. As such, organic chemistry forms the basis of the study of biochemistry, hydrocarbons and polymers. When I was a computer science graduate student, I studied organic chemistry in preparation for medical school and found the course to be one of the hardest I have ever taken (ranking right up there with advanced calculus). If you have an interest in organic chemistry, here are some resources for you. Aside from general resources, I have also included a site that contains the official IUPAC nomenclature rules. (As strange as it may seem, this can be a fun place to browse.) Special organic chemistry hint: If you don't know what you are doing, do it neatly. Web:
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Periodic Table Every chemistry student learns about the Periodic Table: a way of organizing the elements into related groups. Within the Periodic Table is a wealth of information about each element and the various chemical families. I like these Web sites as they are so easy to use. Display the entire table and admire the patterns. Then click on a particular element for more information. The details vary from one site to another: atomic number, atomic weight, atomic volume, valence, density, melting point, boiling point, appearance, ionization energies, electron configuration, discoverer, date discovered, and much more. Aside from several online Periodic Tables, I have also included a link to a program you can download and run on your own computer. (By the way, my favorite element is #105: Hahnium.) Web:
Physical Chemistry The purpose of physical chemistry is to explain and interpret the observations made in the other areas of chemistry: inorganic, organic and analytic. As such, physical chemistry (often referred to as pchem) is an amalgam combining the principles and methods of physics and chemistry. Physical chemists work within a variety of chemical disciplines: thermodynamics, electrochemistry, statistical mechanics, spectroscopy, kinetics, molecular modeling, and so on, which means they have to know something about everything, and everything about some things. Web:
Sonochemistry Sonochemistry is the study of chemical reactions that are significantly affected by ultrasound. Under the influence of ultrasound, a reaction may be accelerated (such as with a catalyst) or may yield completely different products. These effects can happen for various reasons. For example, ultrasound can speed up a reaction by enlarging the surface area of a catalyst or by enhancing the mixing of the reagents. A more profound effect of ultrasound can result from cavitation: the creation of tiny, low pressure bubbles, in this case caused by the compression/decompression pressure cycles as the sound passes through the reagents. For more information about this fascinating new branch of chemistry, check out these sonochemistry Web pages. Web:
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