This project provided the chemistry curriculum at the institution with the powerful and modern analytical techniques of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry combined in a single instrument. The instrument was integrated into the laboratory program at all levels, thereby benefitting approximately 200 students each year. The instrument is used for demonstration purposes in freshman chemistry; in other courses, integrating these analytical techniques into the curriculum is serving the following goals: providing practical experience in obtaining and interpreting mass spectral data; demonstrating the physical principles of GC/MS; hands-on experience with modern, computer- controlled instrumentation; and improving the scientific capabilities of undergraduate research projects. Some experiments that can accomplish the above goals involve the identification of unknowns, analysis of complex mixtures of reactions, and the characterization of synthesized compounds in inorganic and organic chemistry. The institution contributed to this project in an amount equal to the NSF funds.
