Featured Molecule: October 2002

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JCE WebWare

Featured Molecule

William F. Coleman Wellesley College Wellesley, MA 02481

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Randall J. Wildman University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, WI 53715

This month’s molecule, glycerol, is shown at right. Consumers often encounter this compound labeled as glycerin, the term used for commercial applications. An ingredient in cleaning products such as soap (p 1172) and toothpaste (p 1168A), as well as cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food products, glycerol is one of the many chemicals that keep us clean. A manipulable structure of glycerol can be found at http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCEWWW/Features/WebWare/ MonthlyMolecules/2002/Oct/index.html.

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Figure 1. Glycerol molecule. For more information, see p 1172; a manipulable structure appears on JCE Online.

Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 79 No. 10 October 2002 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu