Alder's BookForensic chemistry · A case
Meth lab, or a side business?
Police seized a white powder from a small lab on the edge of town. The owner says it's caffeine, leftovers from a side business. The investigator on the case has one tool to settle it: infrared spectroscopy. In about 5 minutes, you'll learn to read an IR spectrum well enough to make the call.
What you'll do
Read an IR spectrum and identify the diagnostic peaks.
Why it works
Different functional groups vibrate at different frequencies. The peaks tell you which bonds the molecule has.
Tools
Interactive spectra, real molecules, and 3 free hints from Diels, our AI tutor.