JCE Online Journal of Chemical EducationDivision of Chemical Education, American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical Society
 | Subscriptions  | Software Orders  | Support  | Contributors  | Advertisers  | 

JCE Print

JCE Digital Library

JCE Software

Only@JCE Online

About JCE



  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2007  > August  >
In the Laboratory
The Quartz-Crystal Microbalance in an Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment
I. Fundamentals and Instrumentation
Vladimir Tsionsky
School of Chemistry, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel
Cover
August 2007
Vol. 84 No. 8
p. 1334

Abstract
The high sensitivity of the quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM), especially to mass changes—4 to 20 x 10-9 g/Hz—makes it popular in different branches of both fundamental and applied sciences. This article presents the fundamentals of the QCM techniques and instrumentation that have been successfully used in our student laboratory in physical chemistry. We believe that this instrumentation can be applied to different systems, suited to particular teaching programs, and will be sufficiently simple to be carried out in an undergraduate laboratory. The following publications will present two experiments: the QCM as a viscosimeter to measure the viscosity of liquids with H-bonds and the QCM as a mass sensor during the electrochemical deposition and dissolution of copper.

II. Measuring Viscosity
III. Measuring Mass

Supplement
Principles of operation of the QCM, software, description of equipment, and a student quiz with solutions are available.
*
Download
Contents
More Information
*
Citation
Tsionsky, Vladimir. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 1334.
*
Keywords
Electrochemistry; Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives; Laboratory Equipment / Apparatus; Laboratory Instruction; Liquids; Physical Chemistry; Second-Year Undergraduate; Upper-Division Undergraduate
*
History
Created:
Last Updated:
6/22/2007
7/6/2007
 Caution! 
Experiments, laboratory exercises, lecture demonstrations, and other descriptions of the use of chemicals, apparatus, instruments, computers, and computer interfaces are presented in the Journal of Chemical Education as illustrative of new or improved ideas or concepts in chemistry instruction and are directed at qualified teachers. Although every effort is made to assure and encourage safe practices and safe use of chemicals, the Journal of Chemical Education cannot assume responsibility for uses made of its published materials. Many chemicals are hazardous. Precautions for the safe use of hazardous chemicals and directions for their proper disposal are described in the Material Safety Data Sheets and on the labels. We strongly urge all those planning to use materials from our pages to make choices and to develop procedures for laboratory and classroom safety in accordance with local needs and situations.
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2007  > August  > Page 1334


Subscriptions

JCE HS CLIC

Our Secondary School editors work hard to distill all the JCE materials to produce a fraction of particular interest to high school teachers. We call it CLIC.


Contributions Welcome
JCE welcomes your submission

Advertisers
In recent years we have worked hard to better match our advertisers with our readers. When shopping for chemistry education materials, visit our advertisers' WWW sites first.

Be An Ambassador
Take JCE along on your outreach missions. Copies of the Journal, guest access to JCE Online, our publications catalog, and more are available for your participants.