Methods applied in a chemistry laboratory setting that are intended to cut corners and save time. It is also done frequently in poorly funded laboratories due to lack of materials.
Some examples include:
Sparging a solvent for an air sensitive reaction for 30 minutes rather than the recommended 1.5-2 hours.
Rinsing used glassware once with an organic solvent and reusing.
Choosing an acid/base on the basis of availability, rather than literature precedence.
Preceding to the next synthetic step without thorough purification.
Negative root causes for adapting these methods are typically hunger, tiredness, laziness or depression. On the other hand, these methods are often efficiently applied by those who have achieved a well developed intuition for the chemistries.
Some examples include:
Sparging a solvent for an air sensitive reaction for 30 minutes rather than the recommended 1.5-2 hours.
Rinsing used glassware once with an organic solvent and reusing.
Choosing an acid/base on the basis of availability, rather than literature precedence.
Preceding to the next synthetic step without thorough purification.
Negative root causes for adapting these methods are typically hunger, tiredness, laziness or depression. On the other hand, these methods are often efficiently applied by those who have achieved a well developed intuition for the chemistries.
"Dude I am so hungry, I'm just gunna cowboy chem this work-up so I can get some taco-bell before they close."
"I told Dr. ______ my reaction didn't work because the starting material was oxidized, but honestly I cowboy chem'd the work-up and I think I decomposed the product."
"Rules are made so that the less adept make as few mistakes as possible. If you're smart you can do some cowboy chemistry to save a lot of time and materials."
"How did you finish the synthesis that fast?" -- "Cowboy chemistry lol".
"I told Dr. ______ my reaction didn't work because the starting material was oxidized, but honestly I cowboy chem'd the work-up and I think I decomposed the product."
"Rules are made so that the less adept make as few mistakes as possible. If you're smart you can do some cowboy chemistry to save a lot of time and materials."
"How did you finish the synthesis that fast?" -- "Cowboy chemistry lol".
by hermite March 1, 2020
Get the Cowboy Chemistrymug. A term coined in November of 2020 referring to the men on social media pretending to be cowboys, or pretending to do activities most generally considered to be those of actual landowners and beef producers. They most generally live in a populated urban center (town), renters, drive a truck that has the suspension altered in way to guarantee life-long front end problems, gives free advertising to hunting/outdoor companies (Salt Life) in the form of stickers on the back windshield of said wore-out truck, wears apparel designed for those who rodeo and/or work cattle when in actuality they are sacred of large animals. Other characteristics: Avid hunters of other people’s land, over extended on credit, 50% chance non-completion of high school, when asked what there favorite music is...it’s always Red Dirt.
Kyle, Chad, and Derek have really turned into a bunch of internet cowboys since they retired from gay porn.
by Tipofthedtoya November 10, 2020
Get the Internet Cowboymug. Someone, who can zone out in every situation.
They are bad at multitasking, but have thousands of thoughts at the same time.
They are bad at multitasking, but have thousands of thoughts at the same time.
by Space cowboy itself October 14, 2021
Get the Space Cowboymug. It’s the answer to dumb questions or questions you do not want to answer. Mostly to personal questions, but this is the answer to any serious question.
by Thatplayer58 January 20, 2021
Get the Go Cowboys!mug. I thought I would have a short wait to get a local vaccination, but when I arrived at the vaccination site there was one Vaccine Cowboy after another who had ridden in from god knows where, standing in line in front of me.
by LaughingAloud April 4, 2021
Get the Vaccine Cowboymug. People from the U.P who dress in a flannel, work boots, and a Stormy Kromer while sometimes carrying a gun.
Yo what's with all these Yooper Cowboys lately?
You can tell when it's buck season because the Yooper Cowboys come out in full force.
You can tell when it's buck season because the Yooper Cowboys come out in full force.
by tilsby November 12, 2018
Get the Yooper Cowboymug. A homosexual male that has the ejaculate of other men on his face, while riding other men's penises for large periods of time, encompassing entire days.
by HazardousHap November 24, 2010
Get the Sticky Cowboymug.