An Instructional Computer Program to Generate Microanalysis Data A standard procedure in the organic qualitative analysis Laboratory requires the student to perform a sodium fusion elemental analysis on his unknown. The analysis qualitatively indicstesJhe presence of halogen, nitrogen, and/or sulfur. The student. however, usually daes not have a t his disposal the means of obtaining a quantitative elemental analysis on the unknown. A computer program, written in Fortran IV, has been developed to generate microanalysis data. The student imputs the choice of elements to he analyzed. The instructor imputs the molecular formula and controls the other variables required to generate the data. The appropriate output data consists of milligrams of CO*,HzO,AgX, and BaSO. ~. and milliliters of NI. The volume of N* is comouted a t a soeeified barometric oressure and temoerature. The bnnrrnetrir presiure and tcrnpernturr are :ncluded in the output data. The computer generates only data on thoir rlemenrs the crudent requests. If nnalys~z~i rcqwstcd for murc rlemrnti than ronrninrd in lhr unknown, no data is gen. erared, and the irudent is i n s t r ~ c f r dto rervslumr the sodium fusim analgsrs. .i nunsystematlc crnr imnge o f 3.59, I i5 introduced into each piece of mass-volume output data. We are successfully using the program in our organic qualitative analysis course. Students find the microanalysis data very helpful in solving the unknowns. They also express enthusiasm over using the computer in a chemistry course. Beyond that, the reinforcement of previously learned concepts, e.g., percentage compositions, empirical formulas and gas laws, is evident. The sodium fusion elemental analysis becomes much more meaningful test, and we find less resistance to performing the test than we encountered in the past. A copy of the program is available upon request. ~
~~~~
~~~
~
Robert Eliason Southwest State College Marshall, Minnesota 56258
Volume50, Number 5 , May 1973 / 371
