CHAPTER 6: Physical Properties and Spectra

Chemists often require physical properties and spectra for materials they are studying, yet finding that information can be a challenging task. Usually one desires specific properties for a specific substance measured under a particular set of conditions, such as temperature or pressure. With thousands of properties and millions of substances, the permutations are nearly endless even before one factors in a set of conditions. The searcher should begin with the realization that the particular data desired may have never been measured and, if measured, may never have been published. Even if published or otherwise available, the greater context of how data is produced and documented -why, how and by whom- can complicate both finding and using property data.