Introduction of mass Spectrometry in a first-semester general chemistry laboratory course: Quantification of MTBE or DMSO in water

At City College of San Francisco, two related experiments introduce first-semester general chemistry students to mass spectrometry. The firs experiment involves quantification of DMSO or MTBE in water using GC-MS and the second concerns quantification of MTBE in water. These experiments are designed to lay the groundwork for experiments of greater complexity later in general and organic chemistry courses. In addition, both highlight the relevance of chemistry to assessing and solving environmental problems.