Guides: Chemistry & Biochemistry Research Guide: Properties

Physical Properties Data

Here's a selection of useful online and print resources for finding organic and inorganic chemical properties & reference data.

Remember also that the 'SciFinder,' 'ScienceDirect' & 'Web of Knowledge' databases are additional huge sources of chemical data:

ChemSpider This link opens in a new window
Freely accessible chemical data & structures from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
PubChem This link opens in a new window
A freely accessible collection of data relating to biologically-active small molecules, including compound structure, synonyms, descriptions, and bio-activity. Provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
Access note: Freely available to the public.
ChemIDPlus This link opens in a new window
Database of substance properties, structures & toxicity from the National Library of Medicine.
Access note: Freely available to the public.

CRC Press Interactive Periodic Table
Free online interactive Periodic Table of the elements, providing basic physical data, written description of discovery, occurrence, uses and applications. Site also provides free access to a detailed version of the Periodical Table in pdf format.
Lange's Handbook of Chemistry
16th Edition (2005): Richardson Library Call No. R. 540 L274L2005.
Yaws Handbook of Physical Properties for Hydrocarbons and Chemicals
Richardson Library Call No. R. 660.021 Y35h2005
Handbook of Environmental Data on Organic Chemicals
5th Edition, 2009 at the Richardson Library, Call No. R. 363.738 V562H
Merck Index
14th ed. (2006): Richardson Library Call No. R. 615.103 M555m
Physician's Desk Reference (PDR)
Richardson Library Call No. R. 615.058 P578.
Perry's Standard Tables & Formulas for Chemical Engineers
Richardson Library Call No. R. 540.21 S742p2003
MatWeb
Searchable database of engineering material properties data, including polymers, fibers, metals, & ceramics
KnowledgeDoor
Online handbook of elemental and chemical properties, an interactive periodic table, physical constants, chemical abundance data and a news feed.
NIST Chemistry WebBook
Extensive chemical properties data from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
SciFinder
Get access to the world's premier chemistry research resource for finding chemical information
International Critical Tables of Numerical Data, Physics, Chemistry and Technology
Searchable first electronic edition of all seven volumes of: International Critical Tables of Numerical Data, Physics, Chemistry and Technology. Washburn, E.W.. (1926 - 1930;2003).

Physical Constants, Laws, Rules

In addition to using the handbooks listed elsewhere on this page, here are some additional recommended sources of chemical and physical constants and laws.

Tables of Physical & Chemical Constants - Kaye & Laby
Freely-available physical & chemical data, units & constants
Fundamental Physical Constants (NIST)
Find values of basic constants and conversion factors and associated citations; see descriptions, conversion factors & style conventions for the International System of Units (SI), and find guidelines for evaluating and expressing measurement uncertainty.