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Interpreting a Handbook:
There are many handbooks to look up information for the molecules that you will be using or
synthesizing in lab. Some of them are harder to use than others. In the lab there are two handbooks for
your use. One is the CRC handbook and the other is the Merck Index. These are also available in the
library. You can also purchase used copies of older editions at the Friends of the Library Book sales.

For most students, until they learn organic nomenclature, the Merck Index is easier to use. Most
manuals use a lot of symbols to convey information concisely. There will be a page (usually at the
beginning) which explains all the symbols.
The Merck Index
The Merck Index is usually about drugs and their physiological effects. Many of the compounds we use
may be found there. It is organized alphabetically. Lets look at an entry.
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The CRC (Handbook of Chemistry and Physics

This is a bit harder to use since compounds are listed by parent name rather than simply alphabetical; as
you learn organic nomenclature this will become easier. First you must find the section titled Physical
Constants of Organic Compounds.
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Look at compound no. a199 above. Notice that the parent name is acetic acid but this compound is an
ester . The common name is ethyl acetate and you have a condensed structural formula for it. You have
the molecular weight (Mol wt.) . If it is crystalline there will be a description of the crystals. The melting
point , boiling point, density, and refractive index(nD) follow. Solubility in common solvents is given.
There is a list of what the abbreviations mean at the beginning of the Physical Constants section. For
example, in the solubility columns, i means insoluble in that solvent , s soluble, etc.