Talk:Iodoform

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[edit] Melting point

The melting point is given in the article as 119 degrees C and in the table as 118 degrees. One MSDS for iodoform that I viewed listed the melting point as 120 degrees, while another gave it as between 120 and 123 degrees. Does wikipedia have an accepted source that can be checked? Until someone can resolve this, I am leaving the temps. in the article unchanged. --71.227.190.111 22:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

There isn't any sole accepted source. The one I like, Merck Index, says "~120". In most cases measurements of boiling and melting points aren't precise enough to distinguish a one degree difference anyway, because thermometers can be difficult to calibrate and small differences in purity can lead to large differences in bp and mp. But we should at least be consistent within one article. --Ed (Edgar181) 23:16, 13 July 2006 (UTC). Thank you.

[edit] Diagram

I'm puzzled by the chemical diagram. It shows one carbon-iodine link as a straight line, one as a triangle, and one as a dotted line. The link to hydrogen is also a straight line. Carbon can make 4 links, as it does here, but shouldn't they all be similar? What are the triangle and dotted line trying to represent? Polymath69 22:30, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Indeed carbon makes four "links", usually. The wedge and the dashed line by convention convey the three dimensionality of the molecule. Wedges project out from the screen, dashes go back behind the screen.--Smokefoot 23:33, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

I wish the "watchlist" would have notified me of your reply, which was completely instructional and very helpful. Thank you very much.Polymath69 04:12, 27 September 2006 (UTC)