Hi all,
I know I don't carry much weight here and haven't been here long, but while studying electro-chemistry I had the idea that there could be a chemistry section on here. I know this isn't a chemistry site, but there are physics and general science sections, so I might as well throw the idea out there.
I'm going to leave this up to those who have been here awhile and run the place to decide, I don't care strongly either way, I just felt I should share the idea.

Cheers!

 

Right now that tends to fall under the science or physics threads. I have no opinion either way, but a lot of chemistry is more dangerous than electronics, sometimes acid/alkalyne, sometimes explosive, and sometimes cranks (the nameless hydrogen hydrogen oxygen also comes to mind). We have one or two regulars that seem to have a background in the subject, but not too many.

Have you had some questions on the subject, or something you wanted to discuss?

 

Chemistry has typically been in the general science section. It has not been very active since Boks got his degree or whatever. I don't think there is a big enough need to have a separate section for it. Now, if we get into organic conductors, semiconductors, photosentizers, photoresists, DIY LCD's... just kidding.

John

 

You joke about DIY LCDs, but if there were a way to deposit transparent conductive layers on glass...

The etching would be easy.

 

Have you had some questions on the subject, or something you wanted to discuss?

No, I had no questions... well, just the ones that I manage to cook up that aren't practical in any way, but in general I have a better background in chem than about anything else.

Out school has a great chem program, I'm currently in AP and most students that take the AP class and then take it again in college say that the AP class is harder
I believe them too, last week I locked myself in my room for 10 hours and studied equilibrium and buffering so I didn't bomb the test... got an A

In short, I'm confident in my ability to help with at least any high school level questions, and I have no questions of my own, I just thought I would throw out the idea

 

Let me give a more concrete example. Let's say you want to synthesize a particular compound. (I picked this example, because you are interested in chemistry.)

John, to clarify, I'm not interested in chemistry, at least not as a career, but I could make a hobby of it some day.

I'm actually motivated primarily by my desire to NOT take it again in college, if I get a good enough score on the exam, I get college credit for the class; and chem 115 at Purdue is a... you know what word comes next.
Also, if I do poorly, I may not get into Purdue, or may not get a scholarship, which makes funding 6 years of college even harder

Regardless, I would like to see a chemistry section, as I believe it a distinct enough category to warrant one, and I enjoy discussing the topics and experimenting a bit, but I understand and won't be upset if it is turned down.

As for the post I pulled the quote from, I intend to reply after doing a pile of AP history homework, in which I am motivated sheerly by my refusal to let myself get anything other than an A (89% at the moment )

 

You joke about DIY LCDs, but if there were a way to deposit transparent conductive layers on glass...

The etching would be easy.

which transparent conductive layers are you referencing? the liquid crystal, or the RGB?

 

As for the post I pulled the quote from, I intend to reply after doing a pile of AP history homework, in which I am motivated sheerly by my refusal to let myself get anything other than an A (89% at the moment )

The only good thing about being old is, we don't have to study history. We just remember it.

John

 

I get college credit for the class; and chem 115 at Purdue is a... you know what word comes next.

Blast?

One of my chemistry professors was from Purdue. He was experienced in nitrogen chemistry (i.e., explosives) and he had the scars to prove it. That's true, not a joke.

Purdue is a good school. I wish you the best.

I do not think high school AP substitutes for a university level course. It may allow you to skip an introductory course, but my advice -- based on experience -- is that if you get out of the introductory course, take the next level. For example, if you get out of general chemistry, take inorganic chemistry in its place. The same advice holds for other subjects too, particularly math.

John

 

Blast?

One of my chemistry professors was from Purdue. He was experienced in nitrogen chemistry (i.e., explosives) and he had the scars to prove it. That's true, not a joke.

Purdue is a good school. I wish you the best.

I do not think high school AP substitutes for a university level course. It may allow you to skip an introductory course, but my advice -- based on experience -- is that if you get out of the introductory course, take the next level. For example, if you get out of general chemistry, take inorganic chemistry in its place. The same advice holds for other subjects too, particularly math.

John

It also saves tuition money, and if electrical engineering doesn't require further chemistry I don't plan to take any. I feel satisfied with my chemistry education, our chem teacher is the best teacher at our school, and probably one of the best high school chem teachers in general, mainly because he loves it. They offered him multiple promotions and he turned them down, he actually went from being a principle at a nearby, bigger school, to being a chem teacher at our smaller school. In addition, it's not my favorite thing to be forced to study. Independent study is a totally different matter. I know AP is no substitute for a college inorganic, but I would rather spend my time studying things that interest me than chemistry I have no intention of applying.

Math, however, I am sure I will be taking plenty of. Apparently Purdue doesn't allow engineers to double major in math (or maybe its minor?), because every single one of them would have a degree. My dad (aerospace engineer) tried and they wouldn't let him.

My wanting to be electrical creates an interesting relationship, since he knows little about the magical chips that do strange things with the voltages

he always thought electrical engineer's were weird and frequently makes "chiphead" and "electron chaser" comments.
He liked physical things.
I do seem to be pulling him into the hobby beyond crystal radios though, he seems to think the plasma stuff is really cool and all, but he isn't good with the patience to get things to work

 

We have had this discussion previously. The conclusion then was as it is now: there isn't sufficient traffic to warrant a dedicated chemistry forum, therefore we recommend chemistry topics be discussed in the General Science forum. If this changes in the future, we can review this position.

Dave

 

I can see it now, I wanna make nitroglycerin!

 

I can see it now, I wanna make nitroglycerin!

Yeah that would get your thread locked

Dave

 

Ever read the Anarchists Cookbook? Chock full of goodness like that.

Mine was a copy of a copy many generations. Hey, the copyrighted book said I could!

 

Ever read the Anarchists Cookbook? Chock full of goodness like that.

Mine was a copy of a copy many generations. Hey, the copyrighted book said I could!

I've heard of it through the media. I'm not sure of its legality here in the UK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7030096.stm

Dave

 

I suspect the police would like to ban it here, but our First Amendment is a bit more clear on the issue.

I've long lost my copy, I was just curious is the only reason I got it. It really is as bad as they say it is. Even had a section on how to make a poison gas.

I suspect anyone who buys a copy will find their mail and email monitored, given the state of the union.

I tend to believe similarly to Frank Zappa, Censorship is a tool of the dark forces. It is possible to be curious about something (such as explosives) without wanting to do it.

I'm not talking about this site of course, but the Internet is vast. When I got my copy of the cookbook there was no internet.

 

It is possible to be curious about something (such as explosives) without wanting to do it.

I guess that explains why so many government employees spend so much time on porno sites with their government computers.

I'm not talking about this site of course, but the Internet is vast. When I got my copy of the cookbook there was no internet.

It was downloadable free several years ago. It is so easy to make explosives from materials generally used for other purposes that to ban the starting materials is futile. Nitrates and carbohydrates/polyols are just to darn useful for everyday life to get rid of them.

John

 

It's downloadable free now if you know where to look
Had a friend who made some napalm. Got a face full of the fumes. Sick for 3 days.

 

Actually, I don't believe Napalm is considered an explosive. Look up the acronym. Drs. Louis and Mary Fieser were great American chemists. They loved cats and had an old MG. Legend has it that he insisted on a parking space right in front of his office in the chemistry building as a condition for staying at Harvard.

John

 

If you know what to google for the is already a vBulletin forum for explosive in existence And yes I'm a member/lurker.