Activities Problem-Solving Labs

Students who use this lab manual will critically examine the labels on consumer products and commercial chemical products for safety information. They will attempt to solve problems for chemical companies and research proposed new industrial processes and laboratory methods. They will analyze materials and consumer products to provide third-party answers to industrial problems. They will participate in proficiency testing and identify a waste acid that is designated for disposal. Students also will learn how to think critically in order to apply chemistry principles to solve these various problems and to report to a client. Students even play the role of industrial chemists that become involved in National Chemistry Week activities. 

As mentioned previously, sp-lCP-MS analysis is still in its infancy as an analytical tool, even though a number of researchers are actively working in this area and pushing the capabilities of the technique. However, it will probably take another few years before it will be in the hands of the routine labs. In the meantime, ICP-MS manufacturers are going to be keeping an eye on this rapidly growing application area to better-understand how the technique will be used to solve real-world analytical problems encountered by the environmental monitoring community. 

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