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Chemical & Physical Property Information

Information resources useful for finding chemical and physical properties.

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These resources collect information on the most commonly encountered compounds and their most basic properties.

If you have trouble finding the chemical name, try using a synonym for that same compound.  Or draw the structure of the compound you are looking for (NIST, ChemSpider). 

If either of those don't succeed, try the add'l sources tab listed to the left.

What About Wikipedia and Wolfram Alpha?

 

 

Both Wikipedia and Wolfram Alpha can be quick and easy to seach when it come to chemical and physical properties. Before you use these resources, consider the following:

Compound Searches

There are many ways you can describe a compound in order to search for it within a database:

  • Systematic Name (IUPAC, ACD)
  • Synonyms
  • Common Names
  • Molecular Formula
  • CAS Registry Number
  • Structure

For example, consider ethanol:

  • Ethanol, Ethyl Alcohol
  • Ethyl Hydroxide, Ethyl Hydrate, Anhydrol, Tecsol
  • Grain Alcohol, Alcohol
  • C2H6
  • 64-17-5

Consider your options and what types of descriptions a particular database will accept. 

If you get no results, try another synonym or another description, before moving on to another resource.