Part 1.

 1.  Dedication

 2.  Introduction and Intent

 3.  Contributors
      Jason Bruce Chin    
      Jim Corton              
      Neil Flatter
      Bruce Hamilton      
      Vince Hamner        
      Theodore Heise      
      Knut Irgum          
      Jim Oliver          
      Yogi Shan           
      Mark Perks          
      Dave Young          

 4.  Table of Contents

 5.  Sci.chem
     5.1  What topics does sci.chem cover?. 
     5.2  What guidelines are available about posting to sci.chem?.  
     5.3  Should I post my homework question?. 
     5.4  Should I answer an obvious homework question?.
     5.5  I'm offering or seeking employment. Can I post here?. 
     5.6  Can I post here if my news feed doesn't include the correct group?. 
     5.7  Can I post here if my library doesn't have the specified reference?.
     5.8  Can I post articles I found in Usenet or on the Internet?.
     5.9  Should I post the email address of an expert I found?. 
     5.10 Should I post corporate advertising material?.
     5.11 Should I state why I require the requested information?.   
     5.12 What other chemistry-focused newsgroups exist?. 
     5.13 What questions are best answered elsewhere in Usenet?.
     5.14 Why is the sci.chem.* hierarchy not rational?. 
     5.15 How do I create a sub-group for my pet topic?. 
     5.16 Where are the sci.chem archives?.
     5.17 Who was Larry Lippman?. 

 6.  Common terms and abbreviations frequently used in sci.chem.
     6.1  Abbreviations used in this FAQ.
     6.2  Common Terms used in this FAQ.

Part 2.

 7.  General Chemistry-related Information on the Internet 
     7.1  How can I access databases such as Chemical Abstracts?. 
*    7.2  What chemistry-related material is on the WWW?.
     7.3  What information is available commercially on-line?.
     7.4  What information is available free on-line?.
     7.5  What chemical patent information is available on-line?.
     7.6  Which FTP sites contain chemistry-related material?.
     7.7  What chemistry-focused mailing lists exist?.
     7.8  How can I contact Chemical Societies electronically?. 
     7.9  How can I contact large chemical companies?.
     7.10 How can I contact chemical suppliers?.
     7.11 How can I contact equipment suppliers?. 
     7.12 How can I contact US government agencies?. 
     7.13 Where can I find compilations of science humour?.
     7.14 Where can I purchase scientific software?.

 8.  Laboratory and Chemical Safety Information on the Internet
     8.1  Where can I find Material Safety Data Sheets?.
     8.2  Where can I find detailed safety & toxicity data?. 
     8.3  Where can I find occupational exposure limits?.
     8.4  Where can I find hazard information for a chemical?. 
     8.5  Where can I find laboratory safety guides?.
     8.6  Where can I find other safety information?.

 9.  Traditional ( Non-Internet ) General Chemistry Information Sources 
     9.1  When can I find Chemical Abstracts?.
     9.2  Where can I obtain chemical patent information?. 
     9.3  Where can I purchase chemicals?.
     9.4  Where can I purchase laboratory equipment?. 
     9.5  What reference texts should I search first?. 
     9.6  Where can I find physical and spectral properties of chemicals?.
     9.7  Where can I find production data for commercial chemicals?.
     9.8  Where can I find the composition of a proprietary chemical?.
     9.9  Where can I find out about the history of Chemistry?.
     9.10 Where can I find out about the discovery of an element?.
     9.11 What inspirational books about chemistry should I read?.

 10. Traditional Laboratory and Chemical Safety Information Sources 
     10.1  Where can I find Material Safety Data Sheets?.
     10.2  Where can I find detailed safety & toxicity data?. 
     10.3  Where can I find occupational exposure limits?.
     10.4  Where can I find hazard information for a chemical?.
     10.5  What is the most poisonous compound?.
     10.6  Where can I find laboratory safety guides?. 
     10.7  Are contact lenses a hazard in laboratories?.

Part 3.

 11. Traditional Specialist Chemical Information Sources
     11.1  Where can I find spectral libraries/databases?. 
     11.2  Where can I find polymer chemistry information?. 
     11.3  Where can I find analytical chemistry information?. 
     11.4  Where can I find environmental chemistry information?. 
     11.5  Where can I find physical chemistry information?.
     11.6  Where can I find inorganic chemistry information?. 
     11.7  Where can I find organic chemistry information?.
     11.8  Where can I find industrial chemistry information?.
     11.9  Where can I find pharmaceutical chemistry information?.   
 
 12. Nomenclature
     12.1  What are CAS Registry Numbers?.
     12.2  What are the correct names of recently-discovered elements?. 
     12.3  What is the nomenclature system for CFCs/HCFCs/HFCs?.
     12.4  How can I get the IUPAC chemical name from traditional names?. 
     12.5  What does "omega-3 fatty acids" mean?.
     12.6  What is Conjugated Linoleic Acid?.
     12.7  What are "heavy" metals?.
     12.8  What is the difference between Molarity and Normality?.
     12.9  Where can I find the composition of common named reagents?.

 13. Illicit and Government-Controlled Substances  
     13.1  What news groups/mailing lists discuss illegal drugs?.  
     13.2  Where can I obtain a list of illegal drugs?.
     13.3  What is the chemical structure of common illegal drugs?.
     13.4  How do I obtain chemical information on illegal drugs?.
     13.5  Where are the synthesis instructions for illegal drugs?.
     13.6  Should I post detailed recipes for illegal chemicals?.
     13.7  What news groups/mailing lists discuss explosives?.
     13.8  What is the chemical structure of common explosives?. 
     13.9  How do I obtain chemical information on common explosives?.
     13.10 What news groups/mailing lists discuss pyrotechnics?.

 14. Academic Course Information
**   14.1  Where do I find information on US courses?.
**   14.2  Where do I find information on other nations' courses?. 

Part 4.
   
 15. Chemical Demonstrations 
     15.1  Are there any good compilations of demonstrations?.
*    15.2  What are good outdoor demonstrations for under 12s?.
*    15.3  What are good outdoor demonstrations for over 12s?.
*    15.4  What are good indoor demonstrations for under 12s?. 
*    15.5  What are good indoor demonstrations for over 12s?.
     15.6  How do I safely perform the Glowing Pickle experiment?. 
     15.7  How do I make Slime?. 

 16. Laboratory Procedures
     16.1  What are the best drying agents for liquids and gases?.
     16.2  What is the effect of oven drying on volumetric glassware?. 
     16.3  What does the Karl Fischer titration measure?.
     16.4  What does the Dean and Stark distillation measure?. 
     16.5  What does Kjeldahl nitrogen measure?.
     16.6  What does a Soxhlet extractor do?.
     16.7  What is the best method for cleaning glassware?.
 
 17. Preparation of chemicals
     17.1  Where do I find laboratory-scale procedures for organics?. 
     17.2  Where do I find laboratory-scale procedures for inorganics?. 
     17.3  Where do I find industrial chemical process details?. 
 
 18. Sensory properties of chemicals
     18.1  How do light sticks work?, and how can I make one?.
     18.2  How do hand warmers work?, and how can I make one?.
     18.3  What are the chemicals that give fruity aromas?. 
     18.4  What is the most obnoxious smelling compound?.
     18.5  What is the nicest smelling compound?.

Part 5.

     18.6  What is the most bitter compound?.
     18.7  What is the sweetest compound?.
     18.8  What salts change the colour of flames?.  
     18.9  What chemicals change colour with heat, light, or pressure?. 

 19. Physical properties of chemicals
     19.1  Rheological properties and terminology 
     19.2  Flammability properties and terminology 
     19.3  Supercritical properties and terminology
     19.4  Formation of gaseous bubbles in liquids
     19.5  Why is Mercury a liquid at room temperature?.

 20. Optical properties of chemicals
     20.1  Refractive Index properties and terminology 
     20.2  Polarimetry properties and terminology 

 21. Molecular and Structural Modelling
     21.1  What hardware do I need to run modelling programmes?.
     21.2  Where can I find a free modelling programme?.
     21.3  Where can I find structural databanks?.
     21.4  Where can I find ChemDraw or ChemWindows?.

 22. Spectroscopic Techniques
     22.1  Ultra-Violet/Visible properties and terminology
     22.2  Infra-Red properties and terminology
     22.3  Nuclear Magnetic Resonance properties and terminology
     22.4  Mass Spectrometry properties and terminology 
     22.5  X-Ray Fluorescence properties and terminology 
     22.6  X-Ray Diffraction properties and terminology 
     22.7  Fluorescence/Phosphorescence properties and terminology

 23. Chromatographic Techniques   
     23.1  What is Paper Chromatography?.
     23.2  What is Thin Layer Chromatography?.
     23.3  What is Gas Chromatography?.
     23.4  What is Column Chromatography?.
     23.5  What is High Pressure Liquid Chromatography?. 
     23.6  What is Ion Chromatography?.
     23.7  What is Gel Permeation Chromatography?. 
     23.8  What is Capillary Electrophoresis?.
     23.9  How do I degas chromatographic solvents?. 
     23.10 What is chromatographic solvent "polarity"?.  
 
 24. Extraction Techniques   
     24.1  What is Solvent Extraction?.
     24.2  What is Solid Phase Extraction?.
     24.3  What is Supercritical Fluid Extraction?.
     24.4  What traditional process extracted perfume from flower petals?.

 25. Radiochemical Techniques
**   25.1  What is radiochemistry?.
  
Part 6. 

 26. Electrochemical Techniques
     26.1  What is pH?.
     26.2  How do pH electrodes work?. 
     26.3  What are ion-selective electrodes?.
     26.4  Who supplies pH and ion-selective electrodes?.

 27. Fuel Chemistry
     27.1  Where does crude oil come from?.
     27.2  What are CNG/LPG/gasoline/kerosine/diesel?. 
     27.3  What are oxygenates?.
     27.4  What is petroleum ether?.
     27.5  What is naphtha?.
     27.6  What is white spirits?.
     27.7  What are biofuels?.
     27.8  How can I convert cooking oil into diesel fuel?. 

 28. Pharmaceutical Chemistry
**   28.1  Does Thalidomide racemise in humans?.

 29. Adhesive Chemistry
**

 30. Polymer Chemistry 
     30.1  How can I simply identify common plastics?. 
     30.2  What do the plastics recycling codes mean? .

 31. Others
     31.1  How does remote sensing of chemical pollutants work?.
     31.2  How does a Lava Lamp work?.
     31.3  How do I make a Lava Lamp?.
     31.4  What is Goretex?.
     31.5  What causes an automobile airbag to inflate?.
     31.6  How hazardous is spilt mercury?.
     31.7  Did molasses really kill 21 people in Boston?.
     31.8  What is the active ingredient in mothballs?.
     31.9  Is vinegar just acetic acid?.
     31.10 What are the different grades of laboratory water?. 

Part 7.

     31.11 What is Sarin nerve gas?.
     31.12 What are Dioxins?.
     31.13 What is Red Mercury?.
     31.14 How do I remove stains and deposits?.
     31.15 How do I remove rust?.
     31.16 How do I remove silver tarnish?.
     31.17 How do I electroplate or anodise materials?.
     31.18 How fast do solvents pass through human skin?.
     31.19 What is the pH of Coca-Cola?.
     
 32. References