Macro view of NMR

NMR at the level of the sample rather than the nucleus requires a complete change of thinking and a lot of math. The focus on the main page will be the thinking part, the math can be accessed on separate pages via links.

First the sample has to be defined. Ethanol is a good starting sample for analysis. It is a simple molecule, a liquid at room temperature with good flow rate (low viscosity) and slow evaporation rate (low vapor pressure). The molecule has 6 hydrogens, 2 carbons and an oxygen (CH₃CH₂OH), and there is not much self-association at room temperature. The sample container will be a 5mm glass tube: picture of NMR tube

About 0.75ml of ethanol in the tube will make a perfect sample for introduction to NMR.