Vol. 3  Iss. 3 
The Chemical Educator
© 1998 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.		 ISSN 1430-4171
http://journals.springer-ny.com /chedr
S 1430-4171(98)03219-7
Video Review
 

Modern Chemical Techniques 
produced by The Royal Society of Chemistry and GlaxoWellcome

Reviewed by
Terry L. Helser
Chemistry Department S.U.N.Y. College @ Oneonta Oneonta, NY 13820-4015
HELSERTL@oneonta.edu

Modern Chemical Techniques a video produced by The Royal Society of Chemistry and GlaxoWellcome.

As stated in the brochure accompanying this video cassette, its purpose is "to support the teaching of instrumental techniques in chemistry..." It contains a series of twelve clips, each about five minutes long, showing an instrument, how it works, one or more sample preparations and a graphic representation of data. The stated intent is for each clip to be shown after the students have learned the technique and not to teach it originally. However, it seems to me they could be more effective as an introduction or illustration during the discussion of a technique. A source for background information and theory is provided in the brochure.

The intended audience is 16-year-olds and upwards. It is quite suitable to the undergraduate (post-12) level in the U.S.A. system, but the animations and explanations are too simple and general for the graduate level or above. Also, the lack of an introduction on the video itself can leave a viewer wondering about the purpose and how to use it. The brochure is easy to lose.

The clips show sample preparation(s) and analysis in

During the descriptions of sample chambers, light paths, detectors, etc., the relevant instrument sections are highlighted with the covers removed so the internal components are visible. Very effective. Animations showing the light or particle path through the instrument are usually well done and helpful. The exception is for the mass spectrometer where ions of differing mass are described but only one path is shown. This obscures rather than clarifies how the instrument works. The graphic representations of data are almost always unlabeled and idealized rather than of real data from real examples. This lowers the credibility of the rest of the presentation. In only a few do the announcers give the names of the sample used as an example. The very British accent of the speakers and the insistence on cubic linear instead of SI volume units will prove distracting to those outside the British Isles. Is there a valid reason to say "nought point one of a second" instead of a "tenth of a second?" Again, why insist on "cubic centimeter" and "micro cubic decimeter"? The use of British terms for some units may prove distracting for some in the U.S.

Also the speakers correctly use the term "radiation" for all forms of energy including visible light used in most of these descriptions, but in some, like the HPLC explanation, light and radiation are used interchangeably. My reservation about using the term "radiation" is the association most of the physics-challenged students make with atom bombs, not photons of light or heat energy. Instructors using these segments should probably ensure their students understand the appropriate use of this term as demonstrated here.

In summary, this video, if reasonably affordable, will be a valuable addition to any descriptive or experimental instrumental analysis course, on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. It could be improved, particularly in the animations that purport to show models of chemical absorption and emission of radiation, but most problems can be easily corrected by the instructor before or after showing a segment. If you choose to order it, make sure you get extra copies of the instructional brochure and that you specify the video standard you need to view it - European and U.S.A standards differ!