Computer supported study of chemical equilibria

In an analytical chemistry course at the undergraduate level, the student is confronted by a variety of important, yet subtle, principles. The student just introduced to this field must rely solely on the instructor to demonstrate, in great detail, all of the relationships and phenomena of chemical equilibrium. In the dissociation of a diprotic acid, the complexity and extent of the calculations involved demands that the instructor lecture on almost every value and trend that occurs. It is far too difficult for the student to generate enough experimental data to illustrate the principles he is studying. Thus, the computer, with its data handling and calculation abilities, can be of tremendous value. This project, developed over the last year, has placed a powerful tool in the student's hands. Now when he performs a titration of a weak diprotic acid he can assemble data through which all the basic principles of chemical equilibrium can be understood. No longer need he rely on lecture and rote memorization. This laboratory-assistance package allows the student to discover the important relationships for himself, through laboratory work and computer support.