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Chemistry on the Web

Volume 9

No. 1 Green Sites

Green Chemistry being the theme of Volume 8, Chemistry on the Web looked at internet resources for Green Chemistry. Starting with the US Environmental Protection Agency's site the challenges and aims of Green Chemistry were introduced. You can keep up to date with developments in Green Chemistry by visiting the Green Chemistry Institute or the Royal Society of Chemistry's Green Chemistry Network or by reading the on-line editions of Green Chemistry

 

No. 2 The Nobel Prize

The two sites featured in this issues Chemistry on the Web are both excellent Nobel Prize resources introducing you to a world of interesting information about the Prize and its laureates. The Nobel Prize Internet Archive is a hyper-linked list of prize winners in all categories, whilst the Nobel Foundation is a sort of on-line museum celebrating the life and works of Alfred Nobel.

 

No. 3 A world of virtual chemistry

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have access to a chemistry tutor 24 hours a day, to give you help with your homework whenever you needed it? It was suggested, that the virtual chemistry tutor on the World Chemistry Homepage would be the answer. Unfortunately this page is no longer online. Why not try General Chemistry Online, Whitehead's Wild World of Chemistry or Star Picks from Reactive Reports instead, for some help with your chemistry.

Oxford University's Virtual Chemistry Laboratory is a great place to see some practical chemistry. For this website you will need the some plug-ins. QuickTime allows you to view the videos of the practical demonstrations. Shockwave allows you to view some of the animations on the site.

Useful and interesting information about individual moelcules can be on Chemical of the Week.

There are many useful resources available via the Royal Society of Chemsitry's Chemsoc website.

 

No. 4 A site for you

Dr Rod Beavon's Chemistry Pages has the material you would expect from a site covering post-16 chemistry. There are sections on physical, inorganinc and organic chemistry. Some of the trickier aspects of chemistry are explained in a straightforward and simple manner, and some myths are dispelled.

"Doc Brown's Chemistry Clinic" offers help with all levels of chemistry, and includes pages to help with Salters A-level Chemistry, for both AS and A2. Although the site is intended specifically for the Salters specifications, the chemical knowledge will be useful to you no matter which syllabus you are studying.

One of the major problems with Internet resources is that they are completely uncensored. In some respects this is a good thing, but when you use the Internet to obtain information, it can be difficult to gauge the validity of the data you find. That's where the Internet Detective can help. Here you will find an interactive tutorial designed to show you how to assess the quality, validity and reliability of internet resources. When you first visit this site you will need to register as a new user. The site is free; registration just allows you to keep track of how far you have got and how well you have done.

 

No. 5 Surf 'n' learn

Professional chemists use the Web as a valuable tool to help them conduct their research and access data. Many schools and colleges are helping students develop Internet skills alongside their more mainstream studies in preparation for the future. Unfortunately the Salters A-level Chemistry site (produced at Franklin College, Grimsby), which combined chemistry with practice of Internet skills is no longer available.

General Chemistry Online! is a really cool Internet resource for chemistry students. There's a lot on this site so take some time to browse around.