Chemistry 103 Virtual Laboratories

Determining Melting Temperature

Measure melting points to assess purity and identify organic compounds.

30-45 minutes

Recrystallization

Purify organic solids by dissolving in hot solvent and allowing slow crystallization.

30-45 minutes

Determination of a Boiling Point

Measure boiling points to characterize liquids and assess purity.

30-45 minutes

Identifying an Unknown Analgesic by Three Methods

Use melting point, TLC, and chemical tests to identify over-the-counter pain relievers.

30-45 minutes

Separation of Organic Compounds by Acid-Base Extraction Techniques

Separate mixtures using differences in acid-base properties and solubility.

30-45 minutes

Understanding Polarimetry

Learn to measure optical rotation and determine specific rotation of chiral compounds.

30-45 minutes

Identification of Organic Unknowns Using Polarimetry

Use optical rotation measurements to identify unknown chiral organic compounds.

30-45 minutes

Investigating Gas Chromatography

Learn principles and applications of GC for separating and analyzing volatile mixtures.

30-45 minutes

Fractional Distillation of Esters

Separate ester mixtures based on boiling point differences using fractional distillation.

30-45 minutes

Understanding Intermolecular Forces Using a Gas Chromatograph: Enthalpy of Vaporization

Use GC retention times to study intermolecular forces and calculate ΔHvap.

30-45 minutes

Investigating Thermodynamic Relationships of Substituted Hydrocarbons

Study how substituents affect boiling points and other physical properties.

30-45 minutes

Extraction of Spinach Pigments and Analysis by Electronic Absorption Spectroscopy

Separate plant pigments and analyze their UV-Vis spectra to identify chlorophylls and carotenoids.

30-45 minutes

SN1: Synthesis of t-butyl chloride

Prepare tert-butyl chloride via SN1 mechanism and study carbocation stability.

30-45 minutes

SN2: Synthesis of 1-bromobutane

Prepare 1-bromobutane via SN2 mechanism and study nucleophilic substitution kinetics.

30-45 minutes

Observing the Reaction Kinetics of Sucrose with Polarimetry

Monitor sucrose hydrolysis by measuring changes in optical rotation over time.

30-45 minutes

The Synthesis and Analysis of Aspirin

Prepare acetylsalicylic acid and assess purity through melting point and IR spectroscopy.

30-45 minutes

Isolation of R-(+)-Limonene from Oranges using Steam Distillation

Extract and isolate the natural terpene limonene from citrus peels.

30-45 minutes

Synthesizing Ethyl Acetate by Fisher Esterification

Prepare ethyl acetate via acid-catalyzed reaction of acetic acid with ethanol.

30-45 minutes

Synthesis of Dibenzalacetone by Aldol Condensation

Prepare a conjugated enone through base-catalyzed aldol condensation reaction.

30-45 minutes

The Diels-Alder Reaction of Anthracene with Maleic Anhydride

Perform a cycloaddition reaction to form a bridged polycyclic compound.

30-45 minutes

Friedel-Crafts Acylation of Ferrocene

Introduce an acyl group to ferrocene using aluminum chloride catalysis.

30-45 minutes

Grignard Formation of Crystal Violet

Synthesize the triphenylmethane dye crystal violet using Grignard reagents.

30-45 minutes

Synthesis of Fluorescein

Prepare the fluorescent dye fluorescein through condensation of resorcinol and phthalic anhydride.

30-45 minutes

Synthesis of Methyl Orange and Its Application to Textiles

Prepare the azo dye methyl orange and test its dyeing properties on fabric.

30-45 minutes

Analysis of Natural Products

Extract and characterize bioactive compounds from natural sources.

30-45 minutes

Using a Gas Chromatograph: Identifying an Unknown Compound

Use GC retention times and comparison with standards to identify unknown volatile compounds.

30-45 minutes