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| Volume 8B Number 1 | ||
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| In This Issue | ||
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| REACT: Exploring Practical Thermodynamic and Equilibrium Calculations | ||
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Richard W. Ramette
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| X-ray Fluorescence Analysis Simulation | ||
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D. Bruce Armitage Thiel College, Greenville, PA 16125 Gary L. Breneman Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA
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| About This Issue | ||
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John W. Moore, Jon L. Holmes, and Nancy S. Gettys University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1396 |
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Note: |
This issue is out of print. |
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How to Use These Programs The programs in this Series B issue are for IBM PC-compatible computers. REACT is designed for use in General Chemistry and advanced high school chemistry courses. It might also be used as a resource in more advanced college courses such as Analytical Chemistry. It is a very useful tool anytime you need access to thermodynamic data or need to do quantitative calculations involving chemical reactions. The program can be operated directly from the keyboard, or by using the mouse to point and click on selections. It includes a Library section from which one can select reactants and products from an alphabetical scrolling text box. A convenient alternative is to select a reaction from the saved files included with REACT. When the reaction is assembled, a single click balances the equation and displays its standard thermodynamic properties. The effect of temperature is easily investigated by typing new values into the temperature box. Another click takes you to the Equilibrium screen where you may enter initial concentrations or pressures of all species and have REACT determine the equilibrium values. The reaction may also be linked to other reactions allowing investigation of dissociation of multiprotic acids and other complex processes. Students can set up such questions easily, and REACT solves them very quickly. Thus, the program can serve as an enjoyable and efficient learning tool for exploring practical problems as well as esoteric thermodynamic and equilibrium questions, allowing more time for thought about and discussion of the meaning of the results. The author has used some form of X-ray Fluorescence Analysis Simulation in his instrumentation class for about twelve years. The present program is modeled on one written by Breneman (1) but has been extensively rewritten to take advantage of the graphics ability of present-day computers. The students always enjoy the program when they understand what is necessary to perform an analysis. A four-component unknown will take the average student about two hours. Since it is used as a laboratory exercise, it is wise to provide students with advice and encouragement. A few students have actually come back and asked to use the program as a game. In using the program as a laboratory exercise, it is helpful to emphasize that careful notes are necessary to prevent confusion. It is also useful to require students to discuss the differences between the nominal answer from the program and their answer. While this difference can not be more than +/-10%, they should be made aware of the effect of noise and background on their answers. Hardware and Software Requirements Programs in Series B of JCE: Software require an IBM PC-compatible microcomputers with 640K RAM, one disk drive, and a VGA or compatible graphics adapter. PC- or MS-DOS version 3.1 or later is also required. Both REACT and X-ray Fluorescence Analysis Simulation support a Microsoft compatible mouse; a mouse is recommended but not required. REACT requires 350 K of free disk space for installation onto a hard disk drive; X-ray Fluorescence Analysis Simulation requires about 230 K. Literature Cited |
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Last Updated: March 19, 2001 Created: December 10, 1996 |
Created by: J.L. Holmes Comments to: jceonline@chem.wisc.edu |
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| © 1997 Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society. All rights reserved. | |