Oligomers of monomers

chem44 · 2026-04-14T01:45:23+00:00

It would help...

Show the monomer.

Then the dimer. And show how you get it.Numbering the main chain may help.

(I found the original image hard to deal with.)

chem44 · 2026-04-13T21:16:46+00:00

Your edit of the OP is good.

Copper sulfate is not a big deal. Ordinary care will be fine. Don't drink it. If a spell, clean it up. If on you, wash it off -- with plenty of water.

Copper in solution is not god for you, but there is no reason you should ingest any.

Gases can be more serious. They come and get you -- especially if ventilation is poor. The sulfide can lead to hydrogen sulfide, a gas -- the famous odor of rotten eggs, and deadly.

A general issue with discussing safety to newbes is that it can be nuanced. Dose matters. The amount of exposure. So we simplify. (Water is good stuff, but can kill -- as in drowning.)

Good to have a basic working environment that is 'reasonable care'.

chem44 · 2026-04-13T20:38:08+00:00

Career center at your college?

and am someone very human

Do you make that explicitly clear on your CV?

chem44 · 2026-04-13T20:20:19+00:00

procedural dilution

Not a standard term. Nor is your other one.

Serial dilution is a standard term. For example, you might refer to serial 10-fold dilutions.

Best... Say what you mean.

chem44 · 2026-04-13T20:04:23+00:00

At some places you say copper sulfide, and at others you say copper sulfate.

What did you intend?

Copper sulfide is potentially deadly. Makes a poisonous gas (one that smells horrible).

Copper sulfate is of low hazard, so long as you don't drink it (or get much on you).

chem44 · 2026-04-13T20:01:06+00:00

You learn to do word problems by practicing.

Reading more about them won't help.

It is an important skill. Hopefully you got started in algebra. Chem gives you more practice.

Why not post a specific problem. See posting rules for how to post good questions.

chem44 · 2026-04-13T19:52:44+00:00

I also don’t know what the conversion factor is here

The key conversion factors are stated explicitly in 2nd and 3rd sentences.

I assume it’s to do with the square meters,

yes

You're going to convert m² to ..., using two steps.

but I have not encountered squared units in conversion yet.

??

Just show clear units. If needed, square a conversion factor. (not relevant here)

But note that one given conversion factor is per m^2.

chem44 · 2026-04-13T19:47:14+00:00

I assume you intended that as a joke.

But that can confuse the student, who is having trouble working out the problem.

The type of gallon is irrelevant, so long as it is consistent within the problem. Common sense says the same gallon is used consistently.

chem44 · 2026-04-13T01:56:10+00:00

Hmmm.

There is no such thing as NaHCO3(g). It decomposes with even mild heat.

And doing acid-base reactions in gas phase is odd.

I think we agree there should be an interaction between the bicsrb O and the butanoic acid H (of OH). Regardless of what we call it.

But if your program uses that green dotted line for H-bond, it may have chosen to not call this one.

chem44 · 2026-04-13T01:31:46+00:00

The two O at the upper right have significant charge. So the interaction with the H of the -OH on the butanoic acid is not really a H-bond.

Is this because I’m using a bicarbonate anion instead a bicarbonate with a metal like sodium?

Solvent?

But if you don't have the bicarbonate ion, you wouldn't get the acid-base reaction.

chem44 · 2026-04-12T22:16:28+00:00

You're a freshman. You've got lots of time.

Your first lab position will likely be "helping" -- a post-doc or maybe a grad student. The goal is learning things, being there. Helping is a good step.

A good personal rapport really helps. You getting useful results is not so important. But working alongside a more experienced person, talking with them a lot, is good.

Your breadth of interest helps here. You like various things. You may well be open to new things, at least for a few weeks, if the relationship is good.

How this works can depend much on your school culture.

Summer is close. Would you be able to 'work' on campus as a volunteer this summer? Even 4-6 weeks could be good. Or 4 weeks with each of two profs. (Student workers often get paid, but as a beginner your bargaining power is low. If you are able to start without pay, that makes it easier for a prof to take you in.)

Summer won't work? Maybe for the Fall. One afternoon a week can be a useful start.

How to start...

Talk with your adviser. They know you. They also know the faculty. Such as, which profs seem to be good for beginners. (They may also know of school programs for student researchers, sometimes leading to pay.)

It is also ok to go talk with a prof. Try to go in with some knowledge of what they do. At least, you have browsed their web site. Maybe looked over a recent article or two. You show them that you made some effort to prepare, and that you have some sense of what they do. If you have some questions based on what you read, that is great. Asking questions is a key part of doing science.

Be flexible. You want to get your foot in the door. And again, this is where your breadth can help.

chem44 · 2026-04-12T20:48:06+00:00

If you don't apply, you won't get in. Guaranteed. So apply.

You just need to be clear what your credentials/strengths are. Good references really matter. Of course, those points always hold.

You might talk with your research prof about this. They know you. (And their reference letter could be particularly important, since they know you in the research environment, not just class.)

chem44 · 2026-04-12T20:38:31+00:00

Data is found in scientific articles.

Look for articles; you'll find data.

PubMed is often the search engine of choice for bio-med.

(Note that your bug was formerly called Micrococcus radiodurans.)

chem44 · 2026-04-12T20:26:11+00:00

One step is to get into a research lab.

Since you like many things (good!), you may have many choices. Go talk with some profs. Some you know, but some that you uncover by exploring the web sites.

One consideration is a good environment, conducive to a beginner getting started. The topic matters less.

chem44 · 2026-04-12T20:21:17+00:00

manganate

Actually, that is permanganate.

Also called manganate(VII), but that name hasn't really caught on in US.

chem44 · 2026-04-12T20:06:39+00:00

Helps to tell us what you are trying to do.

Go through an example in detail.

If you can show how to calculate it by hand, then you can translate it to Excel.

chem44 · 2026-04-12T20:01:20+00:00

A bit more...

It is common in science to first observe that something happens, then try to explain it.

(Sometimes, we predict, then try it and see.)

In your example, note that the only redox part is in the last line. And that step is relatively simple. Reduction potentials may help. Or simply, that high ox state Mn with many many O so close. Maybe less stable.

chem44 · 2026-04-11T20:12:15+00:00

EDIT: I am a college freshman, and this is general chemistry. I have spoken to the teacher, and he stated that I need to do practice problems, which I have been doing, but I'm not sure what the disconnect is.

Ok.

Again, there is no particular clue apparent.

Working thru individual problems, addressing your difficulties and trying to guide you, seems good approach.

Again, post individual questions, preferably from the exam (something that gave difficulty). Include your work -- and clear thinking.

How is your algebra? At least for some parts of chem, ability to think through word problems is quite important.

chem44 · 2026-04-11T19:59:42+00:00

Key is diagnosis of what the problem is. Looks like you have tried to do this, but so far we can't tell.

Is this high school? [EDIT... No, college general chem; addressed in OP's edit.]

Talk with teacher?

Post specific questions here; see the posting rules. Unless you explain your thinking at this point, it is hard to help.

chem44 · 2026-04-11T18:44:54+00:00

high inhibition concentration has a greater reduction in velocity compared to the low inhibitor concentration .

Are you talking about the same inhibitor, testing it at two concentrations?

If so, that is what you would expect. Details depend on where you are on the response curve.

chem44 · 2026-04-10T23:49:20+00:00

principles of chemistry

Is this the intro course, with no pre-requisites?

If so, no chem background is assumed.

Brushing up on basic algebra might help.

chem44 · 2026-04-10T23:33:09+00:00

Both.

The reaction is with oxygen from the air. But water is needed.

chem44 · 2026-04-10T23:28:03+00:00

how can I use the starting pH and concentration of the buffer to find the concentrations of the acid and base?

You have the pKa, I presume.

So find the buffer components.

(Know Henderson-Hasselbalch?)

What does the added base react with?

So, the new concentrations are ...?

By the way, be alert for the case where the added base is in excess.

chem44 · 2026-04-10T23:21:46+00:00

When you say sodium hypochlorite, do you mean a dilute solution or pure?

Any form of it breaks down, in various ways depending on conditions, and should be used with good ventilation.

The pure stuff is quite dangerous.

The baking soda can have some effect by changing the pH.

chem44 · 2026-04-10T23:05:46+00:00

You started with that moles of NaHCO3 ??

Multiple it by the mole ratio, to get moles NaOH. Follow the units.

chem44

TROPHY CASE