This case was developed for use in the first semester of a sophomore organic chemistry laboratory to illustrate how a combination of techniques is usually required in the identification of chemical compounds. It involves a murder mystery with a forensic twist. Students are told that two bodies have recently been recovered from two different lakes. Due to a mix-up at the morgue, the coroner's office is unable to determine which body came from which lake. The students' task is to develop a methodology to solve this mystery as well as determine whether the deaths were the result of murder or mishap. The case could also be used in instrumental analysis courses or adapted for a non-majors course in the general education curriculum.

In this dilemma case, the central character, a museum curator, must decide whether or not to show a painting as a hitherto "undiscovered" Cezanne. The stylistic analysis suggests it is for real, but data obtained using different spectroscopic techniques are inconclusive. Students study the data and then make a decision as to whether they believe the painting is authentic or a fake. Written for a general chemistry course for non-majors, the case could be used in a variety of other courses including general chemistry for science majors, introduction to spectroscopy, instrumental analysis, and conservation science. It could also be adapted for use in other non-majors science courses with the focus of discussion on how scientific data can be used to authenticate or de-authenticate a work of art.

This case study was inspired by a successful lawsuit brought by students against a professor at Pace University who had assigned them the task of calculating the cost of a single aluminum atom in a roll of aluminum foil. The case deals with the concepts of Avogadro's number and the mole, and so would be relevant to nearly all introductory level science courses including chemistry courses for non-science majors, general science courses, and, perhaps, some introductory level biology courses in addition to general chemistry.

This case is based on an actual article entitled "Baby Alert" that appeared in Consumer Reports (May 1999). The article raises some concerns about the safety of polycarbonate baby bottles, and recommends that parents dispose of them as a precaution. However, the American Plastics Council and the Food and Drug Administration have raised concerns about the experimental methodology used as well as the recommendations made in this article. The case has been used to help develop students' critical thinking skills in an introductory chemistry course for non-majors. It may be used to illustrate applications in polymer chemistry, quantitative chemical analysis, toxicology, endocrine disruption, and risk-benefit analysis.

In this lab-based case, arson investigator "Marie Stanforth" comes under suspicion when her ex-husband dies in a fire. Students assume the role of forensic chemists working for the FBI to analyze charred samples recovered from the crime scene as well as clothing from the principal suspect, comparing what they find in the samples to accelerant standards whose spectra are already known. Once they have determined whether or not the fire was arson, they must then decide if the allegations against Marie are credible. This case study was designed for an instrumental methods course, but could be adapted for a non-science majors' course.

This clinical case study was developed to engage students by making connections between core concepts in chemistry and physiological processes in the body. The case pertains to medication-induced methemoglobinemia, its etiology, diagnosis, and treatments. Concepts taught by the case include the use of conversion factors, pH, buffering, Le Chatelier's principle, blood chemistry, and respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis. The case is suitable for use in a General, Organic, and Biological (GOB) Chemistry course or other introductory general chemistry course as well as undergraduate physiology courses. The case also could be adapted for use in undergraduate pharmacology and medicinal chemistry courses.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has claimed approximately one-third of the commercial honeybee population in recent years. A number of causes have been suggested for this phenomenon, including the consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) by the bees. This directed case investigates the issues and chemistry that might be involved in CCD related to HFCS. The case was developed for use in an undergraduate organic chemistry or food chemistry course.

This case study on the chemistry of cocaine is in the form of a classroom discussion between a professor and her students about cocaine, its addictive properties, a search for an addiction treatment, and the chemistry involved in the synthesis of cocaine in its various forms. The case can be used to teach nucleophilic addition reactions, nucleophilic acyl substitution, and cocaine metabolism. In addition, it provides students with experience in locating, reading, and analyzing a research paper. The case was designed for the second course in a two-course sequence in undergraduate organic chemistry, but it could be adapted for medicinal chemistry classes.

The Clarksons are making dinner for friends and decide to try out their new pressure cooker. As students read the dialogue that ensues, they learn about how the boiling point of water is directly related to external pressure, apply the ideal gas law, and relate chemical reaction rates with temperatures in addition to learning about the conservation of energy. Designed for a non-majors' general chemistry course, the case could be extended to other disciplines, including physics, nutrition, and microbiology.

Does an ice cube melt more quickly in salt water or in freshwater? The answer surprises the group of student science teachers portrayed in this case study. To explain the phenomenon they must figure out the interactions between two clusters of concepts: (1) density and its relationship to floating or sinking, and (2) three modes of heat or energy transfer due to a temperature difference (particularly conduction and convection, with an optional discussion of radiation). The case can be adapted for use in general education science courses or for introductory physics or chemistry courses.

Tom and his grandfather, a retired high school chemistry teacher, are talking about a National Geographic television documentary titled "Waking the Baby Mammoth." As students read the dialogue that ensues, they learn how carbon, an essential element of life, is transformed from carbon dioxide to carbohydrate to animals, then back to carbon dioxide. The case emphasizes a number of chemistry concepts, including atomic structures, carbon isotopes, radiocarbon dating, beta decay, half-life, and photosynthesis. Developed as a supplement to the nuclear chemistry chapter in a non-majors general chemistry course, the case could also be used in an introductory botany, paleobiology, plant, or general ecology course after students have completed at least one semester of general chemistry.

In this case study, two students have been asked to conduct a "systems analysis" study to determine whether ethanol derived from corn or biodiesel prepared from soybeans is the more energy efficient alternative fuel. The students must investigate the two systems very broadly to determine all energy inputs and outputs. When the corn-to-ethanol system turns out to be less energy efficient, the students are asked to consider the political and economic consequences of this and the role that science plays in making policy decisions. The case is designed for general chemistry courses and non-science majors' chemistry courses.

It's Mother's Day and Dolly, a high school senior, is making a Mediterranean salad for her mom, who is a college chemistry major and who likes to take every opportunity to teach Dolly what she has learned in school. Today is no exception, as she guides Dolly through a chemistry lesson in the kitchen. The case compares and contrasts the structures of various fatty acids, saturated with unsaturated, monounsaturated with polyunsaturated, and cis-conformation with trans-conformation. The melting point differences of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids also are explained as are the structures and functions of triacylglycerol, phospholipid, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and omega-3 fatty acids. The case could be used in courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, nutrition, biology, and food science.

"Tom Brown" is arrested at the airport on his way home for winter break and charged with possession of cocaine when a drug sniffing dog detects traces of the narcotic in his caryy-on bag. Some of the money he is carrying has apparently been contaminated with cocaine. Students are introduced to concepts in experimental design, sampling, the interpretation of scientific data, and the reliability of results as they design an experiment to determine what percentage of paper currency is contaminated with cocaine. The case includes lab work involving the use of GC/MS techniques and instrumentation. The case was designed for a chemistry course for non-science majors.

This case study, developed for an introductory chemistry course as part of a two-year dental hygiene curriculum, teaches students how to apply gas properties and gas storage identification systems to identify a mishandled or mislabeled gas cylinder.

This case study, developed for a general chemistry course, is intended to teach students the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science. Students take on the role of environmental chemists. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, they test for lead contamination in groundwater samples taken from an old mining district in Lake County, Colorado. After researching remediation methods, students propose practical solutions to local soil contamination.

What is a googol? Invented by Edward Kasner, an American mathematician who popularized the number in his 1940 book, Mathematics and the Imagination, it is a 1 followed by a hundred zeros. This directed case in estimation and very large numbers was written for a college-level introductory astronomy course, although it could also be used in a variety of other courses in chemistry, planetary science, biology, and mathematics.

This case study explores the unintended side effects of chemicals introduced into the environment, specifically organic compounds that can act as environmental estrogens (chemical castration agents that can interfere with the sexual development of embryonic males). The case was developed for a non-majors chemistry course and focuses on the science that underlies the controversy surrounding the sale of the herbicide atrazine in the U.S. as well as the political and economic issues that impact this science.

This case study was developed to engage students by making connections between core concepts in chemistry and obesity related factors. The case is in the form of a story between two friends and their underestimation of the calories they consumed in a meal and their overestimation of the efforts needed to maintain a healthy body weight. Concepts taught by the case include use of conversion factors, calculation of percentages and body mass index, and calculations of caloric values of different foods. The case is suitable for use in courses in general, organic, and biological chemistry as well as in undergraduate nutrition courses.