Powder X-ray diffraction in undergraduate inorganic and physical chemistry

CHED 1733

Jan Gryko, gryko@jsu.edu, Department of Physical and Earth Sciences, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265
We have incorporated X-ray powder diffraction into our chemistry curriculum. In the physical chemistry laboratory, students acquire powder spectra of silicon and NaCl, and determine the unit cell of these materials. Knowing the density of the material, they determine the number of atoms in the cell. In the other experiment, students acquire the spectrum of KCl, and calculate structure factors for NaCl and KCl. In inorganic chemistry, we use x-ray diffraction to identify products of several solid-state reactions, such as aluminum + nickel, Na2O + NaCl, and the structure of 1:2:3 superconductor. We have run these experiments for the past three years. Development of these experiments has been inspired by the CWCS Crystallography workshop.
 

Center for Workshops in the Chemical Sciences (CWCS)
1:30 PM-4:10 PM, Wednesday, March 28, 2007 McCormick Place North -- Room N230B, Level 2, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007