This fantastic website helps individuals "find and learn how to use chemical information resources on the Internet and elsewhere." Users can find two types of resource guides. The first, SIRCh (Selected Internet Resources for Chemistry) offers numerous links to educational websites where users can find answers to many of their chemistry questions. The second, CCIIM (Clearinghouse for Chemical...

This Topic in Depth explores the basics and uses of chlorine. Provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, the first site is called Chlorine Bleach (1). The page briefly describes what chlorine bleach is, what's in it, and related health and safety concerns. The next site is maintained by WebElements.com and is called Chlorine (2). Visitors learn the element's symbol, atomic weight, its uses,...

The US Department of Health and Human Services has recently made available its Report on Carcinogens (RoC), as prepared by the National Toxicology Program located at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Users may view the entire report on this Web site provided by Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal published by NIEHS. The RoC is an authoritative...

Offered by the State of New Jersey, the Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets Website is an outstanding source for in-depth information on over 2,000 hazardous substances. Continually updated, each fact sheet (.pdf file) is listed by common name. Users can learn how to identify harmful chemicals from Acenaphthene to Zirconium, determine exposure, assess health hazards, and acquire...

From the National Optical Astronomy Observatories and the Kitt Peak National Observatory, comes the Spectral Atlas Central Web site. Users can plot wavelengths covering the spectra of 3005Å thru 10598Å, 3000Å thru 10900Å, and 3300Å thru 11100Å by inputting a start and end wavelength and specifying the number of lines. The resulting plots can then be viewed or downloaded as a FITS file, Postscript...

Each week, this American Chemical Society (ACS) website presents educational materials on a new drug, a chemical in the news, or a common household chemical. Educators and students can find two- and sometimes three-dimensional images of the chosen molecule along with descriptions of the molecule's characteristics, its molecular formula, and other interesting facts. Each Molecule of the Week since...

The Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program (TEHIP) at the US National Library of Medicine has developed an Internet gopher offering free access to national and international information resources and convenient connection to NLM's MEDLARS online databases. Included in the TEHIP gopher are a variety of publications (e.g., the bibliographic publication produced by TEHIP:...

Established by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program was expanded by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. Operating under the aegis of the Environmental Protection Agency, the TRI Program allows United States residents access to information on the types of chemicals held within their communities, and equally importantly, what...

Billed as the first periodic table on the World Wide Web, WebElements: Periodic Table Scholar Edition is authored by Mark Winter of the University of Sheffield, England. Although many similar online periodic tables can be found, this offering is unique in that the material is presented in a light hearted and interesting way. The main page contains the table and all the common associated...

What's That Stuff? Well, the Web site provided by Chemical and Engineering News answers this question on many of those everyday items that are just a bit curious. For example, Silly Putty is a "dilatant compound, which means it has an inverse thixotropy--that is, as a viscous suspension or gel, it becomes solid under the influence of pressure." The site explains the history and characteristics of...