Chemistry Sets for Adults?

An Anonymous Coward asks "I've been pursuing a few different lines of study, to refresh myself in basic sciences before I return to school. Right now I am reading up on Chemistry, and thought it would be fun to acquire a chemistry set just to play around with and maybe learn a few things from. Do any science geeks here have any suggestions?" My childhood garage probably still has purple and black stains all over it (lucky I was wearing glasses). 300 in one electronics kits, anyone?

Comments

do you really want to do titrations?

[black_widow]

Personally, I never learned any practical info in chemistry labs... Come to think of it, high school chemistry is all you're ever going to need unless you're going to be a chem engineer.

Re:Why?

[kingkade]

Well a book and hands-on experimentation don't have to be exclusive of each other. Actually performing and validating guided experiments or coming up with your own to answer problems posed or your curiosity can be fulfilling.

Modern chem sets useless

[Walt Dismal]

Modern chemistry sets are crap; they have been gutted because of fear of lawsuits. So the materials and the experiments are bland and useless unless you're 8 years old.

Learn to home brew�

[(H)elix1]

I'd be real careful about buying 'chemistry' kits these days. If the war on drugs does not send the suits to your door, I'm sure the war on terror will.

Brewing - wine and beer are a good start. A fair amount of chemistry (and biology) involved when you think about it. Taking the alcohol content above 15% or so lets you play with even more toys.

Best college experience was making moonshine from captain crunch in the dorms. A bit of enzymes to convert the starch to sugar, let bubble, then we pulled out the still. Nothing like a mass spectrometer to assure you don't go blind....

As a Chemist....

[BadlandZ]

You asked for recommendations, so here's mine. As a chemist, I recommend not getting one at all. There is nothing that fun in a chemistry set anymore (for legal reasons, almost everything fun is dangerous, so not in any set). You'll probably find more stuff in your own kitchen cabinet now days anyway if you know what your looking for.

I would recommend a molecular model kit though if you really want something to play with, or if you want to be more geeky, you can get some molecular modeling software.

Keep a Lab book? Yes!

[Vinson Massif]

Keeping proper care of a --bound-- lab logbook is something I'll carry with me always, regardless of my career path. I still hand-number RH pages in ink; TOC in front; notes on left page; --dated-- documentation on the right. My only backslide is the occasional use of pencil. (I no longer wrangle instruments, now sysadmin.)

Good logbook habits avoid the WTF syndrome.