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JCE SymMath: Symbolic Mathematics in Chemistry
Theresa Julia Zielinski Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ 07764-1898
Circular Birefringence and Circular Dichroism Simulation by Zachary Brown and Ronald Starkey, Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001;
[email protected] File Names: CB_CD.mcd, CB_CD.pdf; videos.zip
used by an undergraduate audience in either an instrumental or physical chemistry course. The animations also could be used as a visual aid to accompany a lecture. The videos, containing two animated graphs that were produced with the Mathcad document, show both two- and three-dimensional perspectives that can be played on most conventional media players. One file displays circular birefringence (CB) while the other displays circular dichroism (CD).
Keywords: Upper Division Undergraduate, Analytical Chemistry; Laboratory Instruction, Physical Chemistry, Computer-Based Learning, Spectroscopy Requires Mathcad 11 or higher.
Optical activity is an essential component of undergraduate chemistry, yet its origins are rarely explored. In this Mathcad document the fundamental principles of circular dichroism and circular birefringence are examined. Interactive graphs are included that permit the user to alter the phase difference or absorption between the circular components to simulate both phenomena. Advanced graphing and matrix manipulation are also used to show both the 2D and 3D perspectives, as well as instructions on how to create animations that can be used by various media players. This document requires little prerequisite knowledge of Mathcad and can be
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Journal of Chemical Education
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Left circularly polarized light viewed from front using a right Cartesian coordinate system.
Vol. 82 No. 7 July 2005
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