Archives
Here you can find all the past questions I've answered!Q#184: A Great School
Submitted On 03/14/10 by emo:Do you think that the harmonica player from jazz and java went to the American Conservatory of Music? My guess is that is just about the only place he could have learned those mad skills.
Answer By jpayette:Belize has a great reputation for blues harp players, especially in the orthodox church
Q#170: allylic carbocation and carbanion
Submitted On 08/30/09 by Anonymous:How do you draw a 3 carbon carbocation and a 3 carbon carbanion?
Thanks
I think you are talking about allylic carbocations and carbanions. The applet is not working so I will describe them and give another website you can go to. If a negative or positive charge is located adjacent to a C=C then the charge can be stabilized through resonance by two resonance hybrids. To represent these two possible resonance structures a semi-circle can be drawn with a + or - sign; see: http://csi.chemie.tu-darmstadt.de/ak/immel/script/redirect.cgi?filename=http://csi.chemie.tu-darmstadt.de/ak/immel/tutorials/orbitals/molecular/allyl.html
Q#156: Alcohol
Submitted On 12/15/08 by SeriousQuestons:Hey Josh,
What's the difference between Ethyl Alcohol and Isopropyl Alcohol?
Can I drink both of them? Which one is in wine, beer and spirits? How come fermenting grapes makes the one kind, but not the other? How is the other kind made?
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) has the formula CH3CH2OH and this is compound found in beer, etc... Isopropyl alcohol has the formula CH3CH2CH2OH, commonly known as rubbing alcohol. If ingested this may cause drowsiness or headache but is not very toxic. During fermentation, glucose (having 6 carbons) is ultimately transformed into two molecules of ethanol (4 carbons) and two molecules of CO2 (two carbons). Isopropyl alcohol is made through hydration of propene gas.
Q#151: Correction
Submitted On 10/11/08 by Anonymous: Answer By jpayette:Isopropanol is rather CH3CHOHCH3.
Q#139: Hello to you
Submitted On 10/01/08 by Anonymous:How many atoms of this would it take to equal a mole (a real one, not the unit).
Answer By jpayette:In this there are 5 atoms so 5 x 6.02 x 10^23
Q#138: polymer
Submitted On 08/29/08 by Anonymous:Hey Josh,
I'm reading a patent case about a "solid homopolymer of 4-methyl-1-pentene."
I don't think that is organic, is it? Can you tell me more about it?
I'm not a polymer guy- but yes this is an organic polymer. A homopolymer is where a monomer (4-methyl-1-pentene) is polymerized with itself. This monomer has five carbons. Between C1 and C2 there is a double bond and on C4 there is a methyl (CH3) group.
Q#137: Schlenk Flask
Submitted On 08/11/08 by Anonymous:i have a schlenk flask. How does the schlenk equilibrium work?
Answer By jpayette:Schlenk flasks are used for air and moisture sensitive reactions. They usually have two openings where one end can be connected to a line which can be switched to a vacuum or an argon line. The flask is usally heated and then evacuated for several minutes. It can then be refilled with argon to remove. This cycle is repeated 2-3 times to ensure that all oxygen/moisture is removed. The other opening is used to add reagent through usually a rubber septa.
Q#136: Buy While Low
Submitted On 07/29/08 by Anonymous:Hey Josh,
I opened up an online brokerage account. I'm going to play the market and get rich!
Good chemistry advice!
Q#130: Primary Amine
Submitted On 07/24/08 by Anonymous:For what is this molecule used?
Structure:The two structures you send me are primary amines. Amines have hundreds of uses. The second one you sent me with two hydroxy groups attached to an aromatic ring in general terminology is known as a catechol derivative. The oil from poison ivy leaves that causes itchy rashes on the skin is urushiol which are catechol derivatives containing long saturated or unsaturated alkyl chain. A common member of this family is shown.
Q#127: Nitromethane
Submitted On 07/24/08 by Anonymous:How is this molecule used in organic chemistry?
Answer By jpayette:Nitromethane has several important uses in synthetic organic chemistry. Due to the electron-withdrawing capability of the nitro group the adjacent alpha-protons are acidic (pKa = 10.2)and can be deprotonated with a strong base. The resulting anion can add to aldehydes or Michael acceptors in 1,2 or 1,4 addition reactions, respectively.
Q#122: WEBMASTER SPEAKS
Submitted On 07/22/08 by Anonymous:Hey Josh, I fixed the Chemdraw applet. It's been dead for like a year. Sorry about not fixing it sooner!
Nick
Answer Here
Q#119: herbal cleanse
Submitted On 07/20/08 by hpeterson9:What is a good herbal cleanse?
Answer By jpayette:eat a couple of poison ivy leaves and wash them down with some vitamin-water
Q#106: Nail polish
Submitted On 05/26/08 by Anonymous:is eating nail polish bad and why?
Answer By jpayette:Nail polish contains toxic chemicals including phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde. Toluene is the ingredient in glue that sniffers use to get a high.
Q#105: wrong site- sorry
Submitted On 05/15/08 by Anonymous:my psychology professor gave us this web site . She said we could find information about the drug Lipitor, which has been found to cause dementia in people. Can you confirm? or am I at the wrong site?
Thanks
Answer Here
Q#99: Ratchets
Submitted On 04/16/08 by Anonymous:Hi Fatman. You better get some airsoft guns if you wanna have an airsoft war and actually have a chance.
-Rachet 1
Chloroform.
You men need to give me your email address- I can't respond to you on my website!!!
Q#93: best be good
Submitted On 04/03/08 by Anonymous:Hi josh I dont think you ever read this anymore if you do send Dad a message
wes
you two men need to ask me chemistry questions, then I'll respond.
Q#88: MSG
Submitted On 01/11/08 by wadebd:do you know of any bad side effects of msg ?
Answer By jpayette:I think there's an episode on Seinfeld on that.
Q#85: Nucleation
Submitted On 12/27/07 by Anonymous:Josh,
Dropping Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke causes the coke to come exploding out of the bottle. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNgl6z5Z7k4
I think it has something to do with nucleation triggering the cascading effect, whereby the coke releases its CO2 all at once.
Could you please explain what is going on here. Why would the mentos cause nucleation? What is nucleation? How does this cause the coke to release all of its CO2 at once?
FYI- thanks V!
Q#82: NOT A DOCTOR
Submitted On 11/29/07 by Anonymous:Is there anything that counter acts withdrawls from Oxy Contin pain meds.? I have been prescribed this medication for a neck injury 4 years ago. I would like to get off this med. whithout being prescribed another nasty chemical.
Answer By jpayette:I'm not a doctor!!!
Q#81: Lipitor
Submitted On 11/19/07 by Theresa.Brockman:I am taking Lipitor, is there a natural product to replace this?
Answer By jpayette:I'm pretty sure if there was it would be on the shelf
Q#79:
Submitted On 10/14/07 by :our chemistry teacher told us that the 40% solution of alcohol has the greater capacity to kill bacterea than the 70% solution. Why is that?
Answer By jpayette:This sounds strange- I'm not a biologist so im sorry that I cant help you on this
Q#77: Iodoform
Submitted On 10/02/07 by rochelle_florague:why there is a need to have iodofor test?..for methyl ketones?
Answer By jpayette:This test is a qualitative test simply to determine the presence of a methyl ketone. Before spectroscopic methods were easily available (NMR) these simple tests helped to determine a compounds structure.
Q#59: Iodoform
Submitted On 03/22/07 by joshua.j.smithers:I was attempting to perform an Iodoform test on an unkown that I suspected had a methylketone. However, the unknown, which I think is 2-Acetonaphthone, is not soluble. So I made a solution of the solid unkown in dioxane. However, when I mix this with base, I get a gel-like precipitate before I can even add the Iodine. I was wondering what might be the cause of the unexpected reaction and if there is a way to get around it to successfully perform an iodoform test.
Answer By jpayette:I believe the base is to be added last. Also, even if the unknown does not completely dissolve thats ok. As long as some is in solution it should be enough to react. I don't know what the gel could be.
Q#54: emo
Submitted On 02/27/07 by Color.by.Numbers:Dear Josh,
How is this molecule used in organic sythesis?
V these have all been very clever questions- especially your proposal to create water from fossil fuel consumption viz. SUV's
Q#38: V
Submitted On 02/21/07 by Clenche.MeCheques:Mr. Payette:
Every time I mix Chlorine with Ammonia I get a really bad headache. Why do you think this is?
V I know this is u. But the toothpaste question might involve mike waits or someone.
Q#30: Mixed Aldol Rxn
Submitted On 02/19/07 by Joshua.j.Smithers:What is the product of a mixed aldol condensation reaction of acetophenone and 4-methoxyacetophenone?
Answer By jpayette:Mixed aldol reactions are usually done with the more reactive aldehyde and the less reaction ketone or ester. Usually the aldehyde does not have an alpha proton. In this case you have two ketones each containing alpha protons. Thus there are three possible products, acetephenone +acetophenone, acetphenone + methoxyacetphenone, and methoxyacet +methoxyacet. Dehydration will take place depending on the conditions of the reaction.
Q#24: Darzens Glycidic Ester Synthesis
Submitted On 01/09/07 by Anonymous:What is the mechanism for the Darzens Glycidic Ester Synthesis?
Structure:Below is the mechanism. It should be self-explanatory. The reaction is carried out with heating in the presence of a strong base, sodium ethoxide. The reaction is initiated by abstraction of the alpha proton from the alpha halo ester. The resultant anion then attacks the ketone. The alkoxide species that is formed then forms an epoxide with substitution of the halogen, which is a good leaving group. Subsequent hydrolysis of the ester and decarboxylation of the carboxylate anion gives the product.
Q#23: Grignard Reagent
Submitted On 01/08/07 by Anonymous:how is this molecule used? ---> CH3-Mg-I
Answer By jpayette:This molecule is known as a grignard reagent. It is formed by reacting Methyl Iodide (CH3I) with Mg metal. The electropositive nature of magnesium renders the carbon it is attached to nucleophilic. Grignard reagents are most commonly used to alkylate carbonyl compounds. For example, reaction of this above grignard reagent with acetone followed by aqueous workup provides tert-butanol.
Q#12: Applet Instructions
Submitted On 09/10/06 by samuel.stevens:This is not a chemistry question, but more of a suggestion. You should put some sort of documentation on how to use the applet. It's not hard, but it's also not super easy. The doc's don't have to be long, maybe a short walkthough on how to create a basic molecule and short desctiption on how to do things, like erase. K, good job, good luck, God speed!
Answer By jpayette:Great Idea!! Will be up soon
Q#6: Competitors
Submitted On 09/09/06 by corygerdts:Why do you have a link to the 24/7 chemistry tutor website? Isn't this your direct competitor?
I expect an answer within 24 hours
Its a way to make money- if you use them then they make money for me