popjinx

why do some molecules fluoresce and others don't?

Why do you need a spark gap outisde of the plexiglass box??? http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/n21asm.gif

mmalluck that is awesome! Thanks!!

Yes, I know...I was just citing air as an example of a medium. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!

That is true, sound waves need a medium (air) to propigate through, where as light waves do not, they are propigated by their inherent electic and magnetic fields. I am sorry for any confusion.

Light has been proven to act as a particle (http://www.britannica.com/nobel/micro/465_57.html) and as a wave, which was discoverd by Young through his famous double slit experiment. This experiment proved that light is infact a wave, an electromagnetic wave to be exact. Light waves have the same destructive and constructive properties as do sound waves. The reason you see a diffraction pattern is simply due to these properties. The light spots you see are due to constructive interference (light waves meet in phase) and the dark spots you see are due to destructive interference (light waves meet out of phase). The number of light and dark spots are created by a type of lense called diffraction grating (this how CD's work! http://www.ee.washington.edu/conselec/CE/kuhn/cdaudio/95x6.htm .) Diffraction grating is a set of many parallel slits that disperse light according to the slit width-the smaller the slit width the more light that is dispersed and the farther apart the dark spots apear. So, by changing the slit widths, you can change the pattern of light and dark spots accordingly. I hope this helps!!

Has anyone ever built their own laser?? I want to try to make one just for the hell of it, but I am not sure how to go about getting some of the materials needed such as a quartz window, glass tubing (could i replace this with plexiglas?), a dichroic mirror, and gasses such as helium, neon, or what ever works and is cheep!

Thanks! That helps a lot. Would using MS be the next best thing to using GC to measure alcohol concentrations? Or, is there a better way??

Does anyone know if gas chromatography could be implemented to measure alcohol levels in blood? Or used as a type of breathalyzer? If not, what yould be another method I could use to measure the amount of ethanol in a solution??

Why do molecules absorb in the visable region of the light spectrum?? Do their structures have something to do with it? I was told it had to do with conjugation, but I am still confused. Please help!

Can anyone explain to me how exactly EDTA forms 1:1 complexes with any metal ion despite their charge?? I know that it forms a ring with the metal cation, but I can't seem to figure out how something with a Charge of 4- only reacts once with a metal cation no matter its charge. Can someone please enlighten me???

My professor for analytical is Shigeru Amemiya (do not ever take him for anything. you will regret it big time). I don't tutor organic chem for the university. I actually help wash glass ware and set up chemicals before labs as a lab assistant. However, I do tutor organic chem outside of the University. So, if you do need help with something, then you can feel free to contact me.

I need help! I have an absolutely terrible analytical chemistry teacher, and I don't understand a thing. I am feeling really discouraged. Can someone please give me a detailed run down of how to write mass balance equations for known and unknown concentrations. THANKS!!

The problem is I am only a sophmore in college, and I have no experience.

Over the last 3 months I have been applying to various companies for a chemistry internship; however, due the fact I am only a sophmore, no one wants to hire me. I really want some lab experience. Where should I look?

That is exactly what I was looking for!!! Thanks so much!

I am having trouble figuring out the mechanism for the acid catylized reaction of ribose to form its open aldehyde form found in riboflavin (vitamin B2) Please Help!