ACS Odds and Ends
 

This page is devoted to Announcements and Odds and Ends of possible interest to our chemical and scientific community

 Feel free to send contributions to Milt Levenberg: milspec@att.net

Virtual Chemistry

In studying chemistry, it is sometimes hard to envision the three-dimensional interactions that occur when molecules react with each other to form new substances.   To help make this easier for students to understand, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford in Great Britain uses QuickTime movies to teach visualization of molecular interactions.   Their Chemistry TV program includes a collection of six 12-minute videos created by CalTech on the subjects of atomic orbitals, the structure of crystals, VSEPR theory, stereochemistry, nucleophilic substitution, and the Diels-Alder reaction.

The University of Oxford Virtual Chemistry Laboratory website also includes lectures, virtual experiments, and a QuickTime VR tour of Oxford and its chemistry buildings.

The chemistry videos are available only to Oxford students, but you can sample a virtual flight through a molecule of pyrite at this address: http://neon.chem.ox.ac.uk/vrchemistry/chemistrytv/chemistrytv.html

(Note: don't type the "www.")

You will need Apple QuickTime 4.0 to view these online streaming channels.

From: The Scout Report for Science & Engineering, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1999. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/ and submitted by Bob Buntrock

12. Laboratory Survival Manual

http://keats.admin.virginia.edu/lsm/home.html

At this site, the University of Virginia's Office of Environmental Health and Safety has posted its guidelines for safely working with chemicals and other materials in the laboratory. In an effort to "promote safety awareness and encourage safe work practices," the Laboratory Survival Manual contains detailed and clearly stated information on lab safety practices, safety and protective equipment, emergency procedures, labeling, and classes of materials. In addition, the Office of Environmental Health and Safety has specific programs covering chemical safety, asbestos safety, fire safety, radiation safety, and much more. It should be noted that the safety guidelines posted here provide thorough instructions for responsible laboratory conduct and are applicable to all labs, but each lab may have its own specialized rules.

14. Firenet Virtual Library

http://life.csu.edu.au/fire/library.html

Hosted by the Charles Sturt University, the Firenet Virtual Library is a metasource of information related to fires. Searchable by complete listings, topics, resources provided, and type of site, Firenet lists quality links to sites that cover a wide range of fire topics. Topics include vegetation, structure, and chemical fires; behavior of fires; effects on plants, animals, and soil; fire weather; modelling and prediction; and much more. This is a first rate resource for anyone with an interest in accessing information on fires.



Updated 10/18/02