The purpose of this project is to improve course content in chemistry laboratories at Rancho Santiago College, with emphasis on Organic Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis. Implementation would involve purchase of four modern gas chromatographs (GC), one modern ultraviolet-visible recording spectrophotometer (UV-VIS), and eight pH meters. Students will have direct hands-on experience with these instruments and acquire skill in interpreting the measurements they provide. New student exercises will be implemented which take advantage of the increased capabilities of the new equipment. UV-VIS will be used for molecular structure determination and allow enhanced knowledge of structure/property interrelationships. GC is a valuable adjunct to these methods because it allows rapid separation, identification, and quantification of volatile substances. Information obtained from pH meters are useful in the determination of the percent of a substance in an unknown, helping to identify an unknown, and determining the dissociation constant of a weak acid. Students in General Chemistry will also benefit from this new instrumentation.
