1. Physical Chemistry Web Sites of the Week
Discover real life applications of physical chemistry.... Share interesting web sites related to physical chemistry...add your favorite to the list!
After a long battle of trying to understand kinetics in the Chemistry Lab, with both the Iodination of Ketones, and the Breaking down of Acetcylthiocholine by Acetcylcholinesterase, it is hard to image how kinetics is actually used in the "real world" out side of the Physical Chemistry Lab. Well, we came across a really interesting site that studied the kinetics of corrosion of metals using in-situ scanning probe microscope to study kinetics of the corrosion of nobel to transition metals down to a atomic level. The paper studied the corrosion of alluminum, copper, and silver on surfaces. Alternatively, the objective of this paper was to demonstrate the capabilities of in-situ SPM in studying the kinetics of aluminum corrosion, and pit formation/inhibition on copper surfaces. http://www.molec.com/newsletters/summer97/summer97-1.html This site shows really neat pictures and also introduces new ways of mapping the kinetics of chemical reactions on surfaces, it also shows a techniques the helpful not only in showing kinetics, but also mechanism and structure. Come and see, it is really cool!!! Mara and Kia
The Chemical Kinetics Simulation Project at IBM: This is a site where you can download a kinetics simulator created by computational chemists at IBM. The simulator allows you to input kinetic data (rate constants, Ahrrenius constants, etc.) for a given reaction and then gives a graphical simulation of the reaction. I haven't gotten a chance to play with it very much, but the download went very smoothly and program seems fairly easy to use. Jen Webster and Ryan Miller
Visit [www.secondlaw.com www.secondlaw.com] It caught our eye because of the following phrase, "Life is hard. But it is harder if you don't know how the material world works!" It then goes on to explain the connection between the scientific laws with the everyday life processes. It subdivides into topics such as: Time's Arrow, Murphy's Law, Activation energy, chemical kinetics and chemical bonds. The statement "still more important to one's philosophy about life [are] these chemical ideas [which] startle us into seeing how fortunate we all are: that things don't go wrong more often!" explains the main idea of the author --Frank L. Lambert, Professor Emeritus of Occidental College in California. We thought that it was particularly interesting because it linked the second law of thermodynamics with basic principles such as the "time's arrow." The author clarifies his ideas using a Q&A format to common questions, and to bridge the gap between the scientific and philosophical world. Jami Fukui & Ying Hou
If you find yourself confused about virtually any aspect of thermodynamics (or, later in the course, statistical mechanics), I encourage you to visit the following website: http://tigger.cc.uic.edu/~mansoori/Thermodynamics.Educational.Sites_html It is a clearly-organized page with links to basic definitions and applications of thermodynamic laws, kinetic theory, statistical mechanical models, ab initio chemistry information, quantum mechanics, and everyday applications for physical chemistry. My favorites of these were the "Thermodynamics of Aging" and environmental chemistry links. Just to prove that physical chemists have a sense of humor, the site includes links to a humorous cartoon ("Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?") and a funny-but-informative link to Kelvin1s work ("KELVIN IS LORD!!"). Most of all, I was impressed by the practical and varied topics and sources linked to the site. It1s usually helpful for me to read more than one explanation of the principles of physical chemistry, and I thought that it might be beneficial to you, or at least add a little levity to your studying! Enjoy! Sadie White
The article is titled "The Physical Chemistry of Making Fudge." It is guide to making fudge instead of creating "a coarse, gritty mass" using physical chemistry ideas. The article uses the idea of boiling point elevation being colligative property, because the boiling point of the milk is directly related to the amount of sugar in the milk solution. Another factor that plays an important role in fudge-making is crystallization. If there is any surface in the milk-sugar solution, the sugar will come out of solution, thereby leading to the formation of a "grainy fudge", not the smooth fudge we all love to eat. It was interesting to read this article because it prompted us to think about physical chemistry ideas in things that seem so unrelated. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!!Dipa and Fatimah
Professor Francl isn't the only one faced with the challenge of being a female chemist. If you're in need of some feminine inspiration, check out an article containing biographies of eight women who made significant contributions in the field of chemistry. From Marie Curie's discoveries in radioactivity to Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin's work in biochemical x-ray crystallography, this website proves that women played an integral part in defining modern science. The next time some Haver Chem Major (or any man in attendance at a national chemisty conference) tries to convince you that women can't be successful and happy chemists, give this website a look!
-Abby and Lindsay Prof. Francl's addition: Mary Fieser (on the list) was a Bryn Mawr College chemistry major (class of 1930!).
