Sciencemadness Discussion Board - The Sciencemadness Book Project, Revived

The Sciencemadness Book Project, Revived

sargent1015 - 5-5-2012 at 20:44

Alright, so now that I am taking over the most impressive book ever written by home chemists, for home chemists, and I felt like I needed to start a new thread.

First off, I am owing a substantial amount of credit to BromicAcid for starting this project, putting an incredible amount of time into it, and giving me the opportunity to take his baby and advance it.

That being said, I am looking for some other dedicated individuals to contribute to the areas they consider themselves "experts" in. If you want to see what these sections/topics are or just to read the current book, check out BromicAcid's page:

The Book's webpage with PDF's: http://www.bromicacid.com/bookprogress.htm

Also, I am in desperate need of newer photos with higher resolution, specifically (since this is the section I am currently going through) glassware pictures. No matter what it is, snap a picture and send it to me (U2U me and I will provide you with my email to get the high res pictures). NO copyrighted material please!

I would prefer that the photos had a black background, but beggars can't be choosers!

Also, submit written works/pages/topics to me and I will attach it to the appropriate section. Your contribution will be noted in the overall credits of the book! That's right, fame!

Thank you in advance everyone. Looking forward to working with the brave souls who want to see this great work finished!

BromicAcid - 6-5-2012 at 07:25

Actually, it's a probationary period to see if sargent1015 is up to the task. Officially I would be in charge of handing over the torch so to speak to prevent pretenders from stepping up to the throne. I didn't realize you'd be making a WWW announcement.

For those of you that have already contributed here are the conditions to taking over the project:

1) The final work has to be freely available, the contributions to the project thus far have all been under that pretense. I realize that's probably a no-brainer but it had to be said.

2) I would need to be kept on as an editor. I would hate for this project to contain inaccurate information and now with 6 years of industrial experience I am quite capable in the laboratory.

3) As I state in the mission statement of the book, this text is not for drugs or bombs. It is pure science and what people do with it is their on direction of the information contained therein. This cannot become some k3w1 text, this project is intended to be the type of thing anyone interested in home chemistry can find and use without being afraid of being stigmatized for.

4) No plagiarized information. This work was never meant to plagiarize. A number of early submissions were individuals scanning in text and e-mailing it to me or more subversively copying text word for word from some source and not citing it. I won't even do this with Wiki although it is permissible if cited for other projects because I wanted this project to actually be written by the home chemist for the home chemist. It is to stand alone of it's own power. Pictures are to come from the chemists this book is written for

Still, let's all wish sargent1015 more luck with this than I have had.

sargent1015 - 6-5-2012 at 08:25

Quote: Originally posted by BromicAcid

Still, let's all wish sargent1015 more luck with this than I have had.

Opps, forgot to mention that! Thanks Bromic! It was a late night with chapter one

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 09:37

I would love to contribute, and ATM I'm working, for Prepubs, on a comprehensive guide on safety for the amateur chemist. You can put it in the book if you like, and if needed I can take pictures and write some short guides on the art of correctly folding and fluting filter paper.

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 09:40

Quote: Originally posted by Hexavalent

I would love to contribute, and ATM I'm working, for Prepubs, on a comprehensive guide on safety for the amateur chemist. You can put it in the book if you like, and if needed I can take pictures and write some short guides on the art of correctly folding and fluting filter paper.

That would be fantastic! I would love to include it. Also, any pictures you are willing to submit will find a home in the book. As Bromic additionally wanted, something similar to the old text books with LOTS of photos! Remember to keep them copyright free.

I'll U2U my email for submitting such items.

Thanks again!

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 11:23

Thanks, do you have Microsoft Publisher 2003 or later installed, sargent?

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 11:27

I do not have Microsoft Publisher, but I do have Microsoft Word.

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 12:46

Tish, tish.

MS Publisher 2003, for some reason, won't let me save my publications as Word documents (neither .doc or .docx) or as PDF files. I therefore have two options . . .finding a tech-savvy member of the forum that has MS Pub and knows how to convert to Word, or I could save each page as a .jpeg or .gif image file and send them to you . . .but using that method you may need to type it out yourself again.

I have included many images in the publication, so copying and pasting the entire document into an SM post is going to be really difficult as I can't insert the images where they are quoted in the written text.

Any ideas?

***

Also, if you're asking other people to write the book for you on top of what BromicAcid has already done, that doesn't make you an author.

[Edited on 8-5-2012 by Hexavalent]

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 12:50

Well, I am not very tech savy... But Bromic did use some sort of text converter to place his stuff on the web site. Maybe we can do something similar.

Are there any other file types you can save it as? (txt, html, etc.) I think the PDF might be hard to work with for the reasons you stated.

Any one out there have a solution for this?

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 12:56

Yes, I can save in those formats but with some issues. I am writing the article ATM in column format as it seems to look neater, but when I try and save as a .txt or .html file they are all blended together and the images end up going everywhere and I can't shift them.

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 12:58

You could try sending me the PDF version, then I can try to decipher and reassemble the messy txt version. Seems like the hard way but do able!

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:08

Sorry, just noticed that MS Pub 2003 cannot seem to save as a PDF.

Note that this guide is NOWHERE NEAR finished. I have just scratched the surface on what I intend to say.

Attached is a simple RTF document of what I've got so far, but the pictures I included in the text are not present. Exactly the same happens with Word that happens here. Then, I've included the original MS Pub file, then a webpage showing just page 1 of the text I've written but with the images in the wrong places. If you want the rest of the document like the latter, then let me know and I'll do it like that, you'll just have to rearrange the images yourself.

Attachment: lab safety publication.rtf (13kB)
This file has been downloaded 503 times

Attachment: lab safety publication.pub (528kB)
This file has been downloaded 490 times

[Edited on 8-5-2012 by Hexavalent]

Attachment: lab safety publication.htm (30kB)
This file has been downloaded 527 times

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 13:17

So I guess I have publisher, but it is unlicensed, so I cannot even copy and paste to or from it. The HTML does not include the pictures for some reason, but at least with RTF I can view it on Word.

So let's go with the RTF file type and somehow we can work the pictures.

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:20

Can you not drag and drop text into Publisher somehow?

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 13:26

From my unlicensed version, I can do nothing but read what you have written. Everything is locked.

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:27

I see, is there no way you can somehow . ..erm . . .*acquire* a licence?

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 13:28

hahaha I certainly can try, but the RTF file works just as well (Minus Pictures)

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:29

OK . . .hmmm . . .what would be the best way to get the images in?

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 13:31

Are they just photos you took on your camera? If so, email them directly to me

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:35

No, images courtesy of Google images, unfortunately. Any ideas?

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 13:37

Just so you are aware, they must be free from copyright if I am to use them, or with expressed permission to do so. Otherwise, we can call out to other members (cough, cough) to acquire some photos themselves

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:40

Erm . . .well . . .there's four of them in what's written so far, and I'm certain they are fine to use . . .if not, then I'm sure we can find a suitable alternative.

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 13:42

Alright, I will see what I can do to include this in Chapter One.

Thanks again for contributing.

How would you like your name to appear in the credits?

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:46

No worries, I've a lot more on safety to come if its needed. I was thinking continuing on PPE, then discussing lab setup, general lab safety, proper use of fumehoods, etc. etc.

Could I have my name as 'Hexavalent of Sciencemadness.org' and perhaps my real name (U2U'd to you)

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 13:51

Sounds good, I will let you know when I get an update ready to show here. Also, whenever you get some more you'd like to submit, I'd love to see it!

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 13:54

I'll try and write as much as I can whenever I can and will post as RTF if you want on this thread.

Perhaps, at the end, a compilation of good YouTube channels would be nice . . .although perhaps if our book is still being read in 50 and 100 years time (if we're lucky) would they be completely obsolete?

What's your thoughts?

bob800 - 8-5-2012 at 14:02

I have a licensed copy of Publisher 2007 which can export to PDF; I'll convert your files if you post/U2U them...

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 14:03

Brilliant, thanks Bob.

The first few bits of my piece as the .pub file are uploaded upthread.

bob800 - 8-5-2012 at 14:07

Nice job so far! (see attachment)

Attachment: lab safety publication.pdf (177kB)
This file has been downloaded 605 times

Hexavalent - 8-5-2012 at 14:09

Thanks a lot, Bob. When I've finished the entire document in Publisher, could you possibly convert it for me if I U2U it to you and then post the PDF version here? Thanks

Also, is this going to be an online/digital/e- book? Or are we, when it's finished, going to go to a book publisher and print hard copies for other amateur chemists?

[Edited on 8-5-2012 by Hexavalent]

bob800 - 8-5-2012 at 14:12

No problem! I don't have time to do anymore converting today, but I'll be happy to convert the finished publication.

sargent1015 - 8-5-2012 at 14:23

I love all the helping and collaborating!

Come on guys! Pitch in and let's finish this thing!

[Edited on 8-5-2012 by sargent1015]

White Yeti - 9-5-2012 at 12:56

I'd like to pitch in as well. I can't contribute pictures, not because I don't have a good camera, but because I have nothing to take pictures of

One suggestion, for "the elements" at the end, would it not make more sense to classify the elements by period, family or even block? Alphabetical order is a little bulky if you ask me. It's like if you made a keyboard by arranging all the letters in alphabetical order. Since this is a textbook for people who are acquainted with the periodic table (at least in part), it's a good idea to arrange elements the way we are all familiar with, by atomic number. There's enough info on the common nonmetals, but there is a pathetic amount of info on the transition elements.

The "compounds" section below the elements should either be eliminated completely or split into different categories (say organic solvents, gases, ionic salts, amorphous solids etc...)

Also, I feel like this book needs an appendix with good hard data, heat of formation data, radioactive half life data, vapour pressure curves, the colours of common acid-base indicators as well as redox indicators, melting points of a myriad of substances, the sky is the limit.

Hexavalent - 9-5-2012 at 13:03

Nice idea, Yeti. I can attest to your suggestion on the 'tables of data', indeed that would be most useful; I also suggest a table of solubility for an array of ionic salts like Wikipedia has, in addition to, if anyone else thinks it's useful, perhaps a list of common apparatus and diagrams; it would help beginning amateur chemists when selecting, identifying and purchasing glassware and the rest of us that can't remember what a Dimroth or Graham condenser looks like when it's used in a publication for a procedure we'd like to try.

sargent1015 - 9-5-2012 at 15:39

Fantastic ideas, I have not even begun the element section. But, if you feel like you can contribute to the transition metals, I would sure appreciate it!

Remember, copyright free materials or 'with permission' if we are going to use it.

Thanks for all the help guys!

sargent1015 - 9-5-2012 at 15:47

Also, nice signature Hexavalent

Anyone can and should post links to Bromic's web page so they can view and become inspired by the book.

Anyone with glassware and a good camera, you CAN help too!!

DJF90 - 9-5-2012 at 15:50

I'm not sure how well this project is going to turn out to be honest, seeing as the majority of this thread is a dialogue, but I'll make the following contribution:

http://ifile.it/26hck5s

Its a program called CutePDF which will allow you to "print" a file to .pdf. I find it particularly useful even with newer versions of office as "export to .pdf" can often re-adjust (i.e. fuck up) your formatting, which brings me to my second point; Even if everyone(/anyone at the current rate) submits a .pdf file on a specific topic and you tie them all together, the formatting between the files will vary and the whole collaboration will look messy. From what I can see theres no standardization in terms of font/size/margins/double spacing(?)/grammar/punctuation/chemdraw settings etc. etc., all of which will vary from member to member unless something is specifically requested.

It may be that I'm being anal about this, which I guess is understandable seeing as I'm part way through writing a thesis. But if we want to look professional as amateurs, we need uniformity. I guess that'll come down to the editor to format everything, or to give guidelines as to what is expected.

On the plus side, I may be able to help in a few weeks with some pictures of equipment/glassware. I'll need to fins a large enough black background - perhaps an A1/2/3 piece of black "sugar paper" will be appropriate. Until then I'm afraid I'm busy writing my SI.

EDIT: I've just read the .pdf on lab safety and I think I have some constructive critisisms. Firstly, I'm not really a fan of the "columned" writing style. If the book is not to be printed (i.e. instead made available as an ebook) then space is not at a premium and theres no need for it. If you are going to pursue the columned format, then I suggest a) you make a border between the columns (or a larger margin!), and b) JUSTIFY the text. This makes the left AND right sides square and makes for easier reading, especially in a columned format. I'm sure you can pick out the right button for it (it looks like "center" but all the "lines" are the same length); alternatively you can use the shortcut ctrl+j . I actually didnt read all of the content because it was quite strainuous to pay attention to. Maybe a "generic resistance" chart could be created for the common types of disposable glove and common classes of chemicals - or even a reference to an appendix would be good.

[Edited on 10-5-2012 by DJF90]

DJF90 - 9-5-2012 at 16:23

Ok, so I've just been browsing some old files and I found the following. Whilst not strictly chemistry, they were vital stepping stones to getting to where I am now, and were written by myself as revision notes before A2 exams. This is quite a few years ago now, but it may help some of the younger members get a head start on some key skills. Bear in mind that whilst these were intended as revision notes, they were written to be comprehensive, requireing little outside knowledge aside from what is contained, and some may even find them great for LEARNING from, as opposed to a refresher. I actually circulated these round my classes before the examination period, and the feedback from my peers was excellent. There were even suggestions of publishing them, so I guess this is what I am doing now, on the WWW.

Enjoy:

Attachment: A-Level Mathematics.docx (248kB)
This file has been downloaded 616 times

Attachment: A-level_Physics.docx (245kB)
This file has been downloaded 622 times

sargent1015 - 9-5-2012 at 16:24

Quote: Originally posted by DJF90

I'm not sure how well this project is going to turn out to be honest, seeing as the majority of this thread is a dialogue, but I'll make the following contribution:

http://ifile.it/26hck5s

Its a program called CutePDF which will allow you to "print" a file to .pdf. I find it particularly useful even with newer versions of office as "export to .pdf" can often re-adjust (i.e. fuck up) your formatting, which brings me to my second point; Even if everyone(/anyone at the current rate) submits a .pdf file on a specific topic and you tie them all together, the formatting between the files will vary and the whole collaboration will look messy. From what I can see theres no standardization in terms of font/size/margins/double spacing(?)/grammar/punctuation/chemdraw settings etc. etc., all of which will vary from member to member unless something is specifically requested.

It may be that I'm being anal about this, which I guess is understandable seeing as I'm part way through writing a thesis. But if we want to look professional as amateurs, we need uniformity. I guess that'll come down to the editor to format everything, or to give guidelines as to what is expected.

On the plus side, I may be able to help in a few weeks with some pictures of equipment/glassware. I'll need to fins a large enough black background - perhaps an A1/2/3 piece of black "sugar paper" will be appropriate. Until then I'm afraid I'm busy writing my SI.

[Edited on 10-5-2012 by DJF90]

Yeah, I've just started officially working on the project and there is much to do. So do not worry, as the updates come in, there will be much improvement to each section. It is currently a work in progress and still needs a lot of attention to the big picture before I will ever worry about 'font, spacing, etc.'

What it comes down to is the amount of time I have to work through the entire book, front to back, and the amount of work I put into each of the sections, assuming I know a far deal about such topics.

Fortunately, there are other members out there that will donate sections to the book (Hexavalent being the safety contributor) which will make my life much easier.

No matter what it is that you have, I will attempt to incorporate it into the book.

DJF90 - 9-5-2012 at 19:56

I find it ironic that the "safety contributor" is an inexperienced 13 year old schoolkid. No offence to him, and he's very well versed for his age, but I just feel its kind of inappopriate almost. Theres a saying I heard at work the other day and I think it deserves mention here; "You never put out your own fires". Food for thought, most definately. At work we have lab notebooks with integrated COSHH and risk assessment. Its fairly streamlined and not too tedious, and sometimes you find out stuff you may not have known before. Just the other day a colleague was making IBX and he told me that the Oxone (potassium monopersulfate) is a sensitizer. I personally didn't know that, and its kind of worrying that this stuff if freely used by the general public to sanitise pools and spas, most likely without the appropriate protection in place.

sargent1015 - 9-5-2012 at 20:55

The book is for the home chemist, never has it been described as the 'book of everything Chemistry related'. Therefore, every chapter is prefaced by Bromic's warning:

"By reading further you agree not to hold the authors of this document responsible for any injuries/fatalities that may occur from attempting to make any of the products or following any of the procedures that are outlined within. Chemistry inherently possesses a degree of danger and you must understand this, wear gloves and more if the situation calls for it, your safety is in your own hands, not mine!"

Also, my own contribution: "Research a thousand times before you run a reaction and you still have to be prepared for the unexpected." (Next update, to be posted soon)

Knowing what you are doing is important, but there is no book out there that will completely prepare you for all the unknowns in every situation.

Hexavalent - 10-5-2012 at 09:47

Quote: Originally posted by DJF90

I find it ironic that the "safety contributor" is an inexperienced 13 year old schoolkid. No offence to him, and he's very well versed for his age, but I just feel its kind of inappopriate almost.

I appreciate your input, but I have to disagree.

I am 14 at present, have never had any major lab accidents and when minor things do happen, they have virtually no effect due to my extensive safety procedures. I have researched a lot into safety and always background check any compound I use in my experiments.

Everything I described in this document I take very seriously myself, and, this, combined with my extensive viewing of safety videos on YouTube (made by professional institutions and companies) and reading professional university laboratory manuals and more I feel that I am more than capable of the job.

Again, I appreciate your opinion but this is one situation where I'll have to disagree.

(Also, not to cause any arguments, but please stop seeing young amateur chemist age as a sign of incompetence. If you did not know my age, I am certain that your response would have been different.)

[Edited on 10-5-2012 by Hexavalent]

White Yeti - 10-5-2012 at 11:21

Quote: Originally posted by Hexavalent

I am 14 at present, have never had any major lab accidents and when minor things do happen, they have virtually no effect due to my extensive safety procedures. I have researched a lot into safety and always background check any compound I use in my experiments.

Never having any major lab accidents may also mean that you've never run a reaction which has the potential of getting out of hand. Researching is something that every chemist MUST do in order to get anything done, whether amateur or experienced. The only people who do not thoroughly research the topic are k3W15, and they end up injuring themselves.

Even truly experienced chemists cannot say that they handle emergency situations correctly 100% of the time. When serious accidents happen, we all become different people because we cannot think rationally when in danger.

Hexavalent - 10-5-2012 at 12:59

I have some photos of glassware ready, just my laptop charger's just died and the old PC I'm writing this on just ain't good enough to handle and upload the images.

I have images of;

Beakers
Erlenmeyers
RBFs
Volumetric glassware
Buchner setups
Distillation equipment
Fractionating, refluxing and more distillation stuff
Porcelain stuff
Misc. labware, e.g. stir rods, watch glasses, petri dishes, chromatography tanks, etc.
Different tubes
Funnels
Thermometers

sargent1015 - 10-5-2012 at 13:03

Excellent. Just send them via my email so the image quality is not reduced.

As always, keep the submissions coming!

Hexavalent - 10-5-2012 at 13:08

Will do sargent (as soon as I get the bloody laptop sorted!)

, I have taken them on a black background as requested . . .the quality for some of the images isn't amazing, but they serve their purpose and it's clear what they are.

DJF90 - 10-5-2012 at 13:15

Quote:

Also, not to cause any arguments, but please stop seeing young amateur chemist age as a sign of incompetence. If you did not know my age, I am certain that your response would have been different.

My point was not that you are incompetent, but that you are inexperienced. As Sargent says, "Even truly experienced chemists cannot say that they handle emergency situations correctly 100% of the time". This is what I meant by the phrase "You never put out your own fires". I recall hearing of a recent incident where someone had a t-BuLi fire, and within seconds the D.Phils in the group had blasted it out with extinguishers, before the guy with the syringe had even responded to the situation. He just froze up, like most people do in an emergency.

I remember having to deal with a (non-chemistry related) emergency a year or two back and I was the same, I just didnt know what to do. When you're caught off guard like that I dont think any amount of preparation can help you. My point about you being an inexperienced chemist is not a derogatory one; it just means that you haven't had the opportunity to get in the lab and do some reactions that are a little less tame than aqueous test tube chemistry or basic organic synthesis. Experience comes with time. The one thing I dont want you to do is feel you have to rush to prove yourself, not to me or anyone else. Getting ahead of yourself is how some accidents happen. Get a good grip on the basics and the rest will follow.

Hexavalent - 10-5-2012 at 13:23

Thankyou, DJF90, for the clarification. I do not wish to sound too full of myself, but I believe that I do know 'the basics'; I have had the opportunity to run some reactions that could very easily have ended very badly - the Haloform reaction and the runaway that can occur with it is just one example. The very-small-scale-synthesis of TATP is another such example.

Back on topic, I shall upload the photos here for everyone to see as well as emailing them to the editor to ensure highest quality if they are used in the book.

Hexavalent - 11-5-2012 at 07:36

An example of one of the photos;

[Edited on 11-5-2012 by Hexavalent]

rollercoaster158 - 11-5-2012 at 11:08

Finally, something I can really contribute to! I can't provide pictures, but I consider myself a good enough writer to explain synthesis or other procedures. Let me know if you want my help. It's OK if you feel that 2 writers are good enough, I just like this idea and think I can help.

Hexavalent - 11-5-2012 at 11:13

I can't speak for the editor, but I think as many writers as possible is great

What area of chemistry do you specialise in?

rollercoaster158 - 11-5-2012 at 11:36

I am interested in electrolysis, and I have learned a lot about it on this forum. As a writer I would mostly like to describe the steps of procedures like synthesis, distillation, warnings, etc. Is the book going to show how to calculate molar mass? I like using moles for measuring chemicals so I can get the perfect stoichiometry, unless an excess is acceptable. I look forward to helping!

Fossil - 11-5-2012 at 18:14

I had a list of errors I had found in the reaction vessel section of bromics book, however my internet failed on me and I lost it all, so here are the things I can recall.

-A 105 degree vacuum adapter in the picture section is incorrectly labeled a 90 degree vacuum adapter.

-Pyrex is used synonymously with borosilicate glass, this is however incorrect as Pyrex is first of all a brand, and secondly not all borosilicate uses the same composition as Pyrex brand corning glassware uses.

-There is a section detailing the use of pyrex cookware, bought at the grocery store, being used in the lab. There is a warning, stating the dangers of doing this, however is believe this section should be taken out to avoid confusion by the new chemist.

This is a very small list, i know, but i am not up to rereading the whole section to yet again find the inaccuracies I spotted earlier. Hope this small contribution helps.

Fossil - 11-5-2012 at 18:18

Also, I will be going through the rest of the book and contributing what ever I can. I think this is a really good community project and will benefit all amateur chemists.

sargent1015 - 11-5-2012 at 20:46

Thank you all for your interest! You will have to excuse me for not working on the book lately, since I have finals coming up all week... But after that, I will most certainly be back on the job.

Anything you want to write for the book is greatly encouraged, just remember all of Bromic's stipulations from the beginning of this thread, most specifically being no copyrighted material (without proper citation of course).

Anything and everything is accepted at the discretion of BromicAcid and myself, but we will most likely use it if you spent the time to contribute something.

Thoroughly appreciate all of your enthusiasm!

rollercoaster158 - 13-5-2012 at 05:20

So, what part of the book would you like me to work on? I've got plenty of time today.

sargent1015 - 13-5-2012 at 07:23

Well, if you head over to Bromic's webpage and look at the chapters list, grab any of the chapters that still have a majority of red. I have already updated chapter one and am working on two now.

Thanks in advance!

sargent1015 - 20-5-2012 at 06:48

Alright, I am looking for someone who knows something about the production of ceramics. If you do please U2U me or drop a reply here. Also, I need a picture of a crucible and a distillation setup.

I'll ask for more again soon, thanks in advance to anyone who contributes!

sargent1015 - 20-5-2012 at 13:25

Also, check out the updates to Chapter One! They are on Bromic's webpage!

http://www.bromicacid.com/bookprogress.htm

Enjoy!

Chapter Two coming this week!

[Edited on 20-5-2012 by sargent1015]

Also looking for someone that knows about the different types of plastics and their preferred usages.

[Edited on 21-5-2012 by sargent1015]

White Yeti - 23-5-2012 at 11:16

I'm no expert on plastics, but I do know that UHMWPE is best used for parts that are to withstand a lot of friction.
Polypropylene can withstand autoclaving temperatures while HDPE cannot (that's always good to know).
Polystyrene shatters more readily than polypropylene, so you can't use it in applications involving high pressures.
Polylactic acid is a great polymer to use when biodegradability is an important factor.
Cellulose acetate would probably be one of the easiest polymers for the average person to synthesise if it weren't for the restriction on the purchase and resale of acetic anhydride.
Overall though, PVC is by far the cheapest polymer to obtain and it's good for most purposes where glass is unnecessary or too expensive.

sargent1015 - 23-5-2012 at 15:20

Thanks White Yeti

I'll throw that into the book now. It's always better to have a member contribute something than have to google it. It's a book written by the enthusiasts.

UPDATES!!!

sargent1015 - 28-5-2012 at 07:39

Alright, chapter 2 has been updated, along with the safety section in chapter 1, thanks to Hexavalent.

Here is the PDF to chapter 1:
http://carrageenan.synology.me/bromicacid/book/PDFs/bookchap...

As you will see, I need a picture of safety goggles and safety glasses.

I also still need pictures of all the glassware. Remember, COPYRIGHT FREE ONLY.

A link to the website to check out all the updates is in my signature!

Fossil - 28-5-2012 at 13:57

I can offer pictures of some glassware. A person you might want to contact for the advanced/complicated stuff is Dr Bob, hes got a garage full of lab ware from a lab that went out of business.

Glassware pics

sargent1015 - 28-5-2012 at 18:24

Quote: Originally posted by Fossil

I can offer pictures of some glassware. A person you might want to contact for the advanced/complicated stuff is Dr Bob, hes got a garage full of lab ware from a lab that went out of business.

It would be great if you could take pictures with a black background. Any piece of glassware is fair game, but if you check out the book (chapter 2), the pictures there are the ones that need updating. I will U2U my email. That way we can use greater resolution pics.

Thanks in advance! I will also look into some of the exotics when I get to that chapter. Trust me, this is a LONG process and there are chapters that will take weeks to proofread and update.

Fossil - 2-6-2012 at 13:46

How is this in terms of background? I will get better quality images, however I don't want to take a bunch with a bad background.

Hexavalent - 2-6-2012 at 14:24

It's up to the editor, but I think that looks quite nice; much better than my shoddy background seen in my example photo upthread.

Fossil - 2-6-2012 at 18:56

Thank you, though I will be taking pictures with a "real" camera as opposed to my phone shortly.

sargent1015 - 3-6-2012 at 12:11

Quote: Originally posted by Fossil

How is this in terms of background? I will get better quality images, however I don't want to take a bunch with a bad background.

Perfect, these will look great! Let me know when you can/have sent them!

sargent1015 - 3-6-2012 at 17:36

Also, AHW214 submitted a fantastic photo, be sure to look for it in the next updates!

Just goes to show you how beautiful Chemistry and even glassware is!

woelen - 4-6-2012 at 00:43

If you need pictures for the book of compounds or certain elements, then you may use the pictures I donated to the Wikipedia community:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category : Photographs_by_Wilco_Oelen

It's not glassware, but many compounds. This kind of pictures certainly can enhance the book. Maybe you can also use some of the texts from my website in some modified form, I'll look into that. A good book on home chemistry for a honest price would be a good thing!

Hmmm... I cannot post the link, the forum software simply does not take it :mad:

Please copy the text from the window (the http-part and the part Photographs_by_Wilco_Oelen) and put all of it in the address bar of your browser and remove the spaces around the colon just before the word Photographs.

[Edited on 4-6-12 by woelen]

Hexavalent - 4-6-2012 at 03:44

Very nice photos, woelen - congratulations!

Where did you purchase those nice glass sample vials with the black caps?

plante1999 - 4-6-2012 at 04:04

I would like to be a part of this project but I need to know what part I could make. Can someone make me a short list of thing that I could do for this project.

Thanks!!!

sargent1015 - 4-6-2012 at 04:23

Quote: Originally posted by plante1999

I would like to be a part of this project but I need to know what part I could make. Can someone make me a short list of thing that I could do for this project.

Thanks!!!

If you head over to the website in my signature, there is a list of topics still yet to be done. Choose any of them that you are familiar with and read all of Bromic's conditions before submitting anything (1st page of this thread).

Thanks in advance!

Woelen: Those look great! The more pictures this book has, the better! Like the old school chem texts.

watson.fawkes - 4-6-2012 at 05:29

Quote: Originally posted by woelen

Hmmm... I cannot post the link, the forum software simply does not take it

Here's how: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:‍Photographs_by_Wilco_Oelen. In the URL, there's the URL encoding "%3A" for the colon. For the text, there's a little-known cheat: the Unicode character U+200D, the "zero-width joiner". It's a character that's effectively invisible, but interrupts the smiley detection.

You can also click the "Disable Smilies" box when posting.

sargent1015 - 4-6-2012 at 10:46

Quote: Originally posted by watson.fawkes

Quote: Originally posted by woelen

Hmmm... I cannot post the link, the forum software simply does not take it

Thanks for the help Watson!

I am so excited by the amount of help everyone is giving! Thank you everyone, keep on submitting!

sargent1015 - 8-6-2012 at 21:06

First off, keep the pictures coming! The updated pages will be up soon.

Also, I need someone with a good background in Electrochemistry to go through that section (it has been awhile since I learned that stuff). It would be great if someone could read through it and make it much more readable and check on accuracy.

woelen - 12-6-2012 at 02:33

Which section do you mean. I read the part on electrolysis. It is an interesting read, but I would like to have it more structured and have a few practical examples of useful setups for making chemicals. The section on electrode materials should be better. A much stronger distinction should be made between anode and cathode materials. Anodes almost always are MUCH more critical and much more prone to erosion than cathodes. For many types of electrolysis setups one can choose between quite a few cathode materials, but for anodes frequently one only has a few choices, such as carbon, platinum, MMO or PbO2-coated metal. Sometimes one can use the dissolving/oxidation of an anode. If e.g. you want to make a nickel salt, then electrolysis with a nickel anode may be an interesting option.

sargent1015 - 12-6-2012 at 06:50

Quote: Originally posted by woelen

Which section do you mean. I read the part on electrolysis. It is an interesting read, but I would like to have it more structured and have a few practical examples of useful setups for making chemicals. The section on electrode materials should be better. A much stronger distinction should be made between anode and cathode materials. Anodes almost always are MUCH more critical and much more prone to erosion than cathodes. For many types of electrolysis setups one can choose between quite a few cathode materials, but for anodes frequently one only has a few choices, such as carbon, platinum, MMO or PbO2-coated metal. Sometimes one can use the dissolving/oxidation of an anode. If e.g. you want to make a nickel salt, then electrolysis with a nickel anode may be an interesting option.

I agree with you Woelen. I read through that last week to get a feel for it and it just feels... Clumsy. It was very interesting to relearn the material, I am not a big electrochem guy, but it was a little tedious and needs some reworking. What I'd like to do is remove it from Chapter 3 and make it its own chapter. I feel like there is enough material, charts, and examples that could be put into it to warrant that.

Once again, I am no expert on Electrochemistry, therefore, it would be great if you could help. I would let you have free range over the section, with of course some editing and book uniformity rights.

Thanks in advance if you are willing to undertake this!

woelen - 13-6-2012 at 01:23

I already am in the process of writing a section on electrolysis experimenting in my website. I have quite some material already and have done a lot of experiments in this field. Right now you can find info on different experiments already on my website, but the information is scattered and not very systematic.

If I finish this project (I hope to be able to do so during the holidays) then I am willing to donate the text for the book as well. Of course, text for a website cannot be transferred one to one to a book, but with some minor editing and reordering it should be possible to make it suitable for a book.

sargent1015 - 14-6-2012 at 04:32

Excellent, thank you Woelen

sargent1015 - 30-6-2012 at 07:48

Hey guys! NEW UPDATES!! Check out the new pictures in Chapter 2

Until next time, keep the pictures coming!

Hexavalent - 30-6-2012 at 09:01

Very nicely laid out, and thanks for using my images!

sargent1015 - 30-6-2012 at 23:41

Quote: Originally posted by Hexavalent

Very nicely laid out, and thanks for using my images!

No problem! Thanks for the submissions!

Alright everyone, still need more photos (Absolutely anything chemistry and "pretty"), plus someone to help me write the electrochem section. I know Woelen has info, I just don't know if I will have the time to go through the material and create a coherent chapter on my own. Plus, I am very rusty on my electrochem!

White Yeti - 1-7-2012 at 18:15

I have a single crystal of copper acetate as large as a fingernail and it's still growing. It will be a few more weeks until the solution dries up completely, but the crystal is absolutely stunning.

Where can I post the picture of the crystal when it's finished growing?

For electrochem, I have a formula that may be good to put into the book, nothing fancy:

E_cell= E^o_cell - RTln(Q)/(nF)
F= faraday's constant
R= universal gas constant
T= temperature in kelvin
Q= reaction quotient
n= number of moles of electrons exchanged in the reaction

Perhaps it's a good idea to include a table of standard reduction potentials as well.

sargent1015 - 24-7-2012 at 15:42

Just wanted to say thanks to all of the fantastic pictures that have been submitted over the past month! Keep them coming!

Sarge

sargent1015 - 1-10-2012 at 10:18

Phew, been way too long since I've been on here! Hello old faithfuls!

So the link to the book should be updated through chapter three! (Hopefully after my next round of exams, I'll check out 4)

sargent1015 - 25-6-2013 at 05:39

Alright, so it's summer and I have freetime again away from the classroom. I am in need of your guys' help on a few different techniques that I am, quite honestly, in the dark about as far as home conduction:

Titrimetry and gravimetry, besides looking at wikipedias and blogs to learn more about them, I am no expert (spoiled by modern day lab analysis).

Chromatography, I am very much spoiled by my lab and have no idea how this is conducted in a home setting. If someone wants to write a little something on TLC's and flash chromatography, that would be wonderful!

Steam distillation, I actually have never done this and don't quite know it's applications. Any info on this would be welcome!

Well, that's it for now, PLEASE send me any parts you can contribute and of course the name you would like included in the credits!

bfesser - 25-6-2013 at 07:06

Quote: Originally posted by sargent1015

The more pictures this book has, the better! Like the old school chem texts.

Which have precisely zero pictures? Have you ever seen a legitimately "old school" chemistry book?

Let me know if you need any specific Photoshop work done, or equations/structural diagrams.

sargent1015 - 25-6-2013 at 08:22

Old school is quite relative for this 21 year old chemist

Fantasma4500 - 25-6-2013 at 15:21

i suppose you guys will add CuCl2 for colouring to the book, and possibly also Cu(I)Cl for Cu2C2?
i have a route on how to easily and very quickly make Cu(I)Cl needing something you 99.9% will have around the house

also weiming1998 (i believe this is his name on youtube aswell as here on SM) made a nice tutorial on how to make dichromate using steel

i have some nice pics of CuCl2 and Na2Cr2O7 both in concentrated solutions and high definition
but theyre not with a white screen or black screen as background tho
send me an u2u if youre interested in some of it

sargent1015 - 25-6-2013 at 17:37

Actually, if you wanted to write up a nice procedure for that, I am thinking of including a section of "experiments" from easy to professional towards the end of the book.