Cool Chemistry Related Stuff

Chemistry 1413 and 1423, Honors General Chemistry

Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas

| Periodic Tables | 3D Molecules and Orbitals | Misc. Links | Misc. Bizarre Things |

Additional links will be added later.  I am always on the lookout for new links to add to this site. Let me know if you have suggestions.

Saunders General Chemistry Web Site This is the website maintained by the publisher of your text.  I am not sure how useful it will be until they have a site specifically for your text.  However, until then you can access the site for the Kotz (edition 4) text.  After clicking on that text use the following as requested,  user id: student   password: curie.  Let me know if you find anything particularly useful.

Periodic Tables These are a tremendous source of information about the elements. Spend some time exploring the different types of information available.

• Los Alamos periodic table Click on the elements in this periodic table for data on the individual elements. This site also has information about naming new elements.

• Chemicool periodic table

• WebElements Periodic table This periodic table by Mark Winter at University of Sheffield also has a wealth of information, plus it provides a unique (if not terribly important feature)...recorded audio pronunciations of the names of the elements. However, note that this is the British pronunciation. Check out the other features of this page, including Chemdex and Chemputer.

• Table of the Nuclides

3-Dimensional Representations of Molecules and Orbitals...

This requires the plug-in ChimeIf you do not see the ammonia molecule to the left, go to the Beginner's Guide to Chime, for an explanation on how to make sure your computer is correctly configured to see these molecules.

• Sites to view 3D structures using Chime:

• Liz Dorland's Chemistry Tutorial and Resource Page (This page includes a large number of links to pages with interesting molecules which you can view with Chime.)

• Molecule of the Month, University of Bristol

• 3D Virtual Chemistry Library, Imperial College

• Chemistry 1413--Shapes of Molecules using VSEPR This page is a collection of the molecules discussed in class during the lecture on VSEPR. On this additional page are some larger molecules .

• Structures of Polymers--Go to level 2 to see the Chime structures. Level 1 is a very entertaining and informative introduction to polymers in our everyday world.

• Some great molecules from Cabrillo College.  I particularly recommend the Molecular Playground (try the DNA molecule).

• 3-D representation of hydrogen atomic orbitals and hybid orbitals.

Miscellaneous Links

• Polymers (some of which are commonly referred to as plastics) are an important part of our lives and an important success story for chemistry. What chemically are these substances? How do the molecular structures of polymers relate to their properties? These questions and many more are addressed in the very interesting web site called Macrogalleria produced by the Polymer Science Department at the University of Southern Mississippi. Although portions of this site are beyond the scope of an introductory chemistry course, Level 1 is entertaining and informative, while portions of Level 2 contain Chime structures of many polymers.

• The 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was announced Tuesday, October 13, 1998.  For more information about the Nobel Prizes, go to the Nobel Prize home page.    Did you know that Alfred Nobel was a chemist who discovered dynamite? . The invention of dynamite, a new, safer means of handling the important explosive nitroglycerine, revolutionized construction techniques around the world. As noted on the biography page of the offical Nobel web site: "Alfred Nobel's greatness lay in his ability to combine the penetrating mind of the scientist and inventor with the forward-looking dynamism of the industrialist. Nobel was very interested in social and peace-related issues and held what were considered radical views in his era. He had a great interest in literature and wrote his own poetry and dramatic works. The Nobel Prizes became an extension and a fulfillment of his lifetime interests."

• See The Discovery of the Electron site sponsored by the American Institute of Physics.

• Information about electrochemistry and batteries.

• pH of common substances, from the Chemistry 1423.002 class of Spring, 1998.

Miscellaneous bizarre things...These generally have little or no educational value, but they are fun!! These are for viewing your enjoyment and education. DO NOT ATTEMPT THE EXPERIMENTS!!! If you find any additional interesting sites, let me know and I will consider adding them to the list.

• Don't forget National Mole Day, October 23, and National Chemistry Week, November 1-7, 1998.

• Cooking hamburgers and lighting the grill with liquid oxygen Although this may be one of the more stupid experiments ever tried, it clearly illustrates what a difference life would be like in our world if we lived in an atmosphere of pure oxygen instead of only 20% oxygen. Both the hamburgers AND THE GRILL are nearly completely vaporized!!

• Great news!! The T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project, is an absolutely wonderful spoof on scientific research by two Rice University undergraduates. Instead of studying for exams in 1995, they put together this webpage that is now a classic. I thought it was lost forever when they graduated, but I found it again. So here it is, by popular demand!!

• Almost as good as the T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project is the Strawberry PopTart Blow Torches!! I especially like the second follow-up comment.

Written and maintained by R. D. Thomas---Last update January 19, 2001

Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 305070, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203