<div> We consider the existence of a force that could produce a non-null result in the Eötvös experiment while producing a null result in the Eöt-Wash experiment. We introduce a general force, in the form of its Taylor series expansion, and determine the response of each experiment to that force. We can then determine which terms of the expansion are important to each experiment. A trial force, in the form of a mixed vector-scalar interaction is introduced and we analyze the resulting Eötvös parameters for various values of the strengths and ranges of the interactions. We find that under certain conditions the Eötvös parameter for the Eöt-Wash experiment can be made zero while the Eötvös parameter for the Eötvös experiment is nonzero.</div><div> </div><div><br></div><div> Next, we examine the possibility of a wind force appearing in the MICROSCOPE experiment. This wind would be due to the satellite's motion through a particle background which couples to the differential accelerometer through a baryon-number dependent interaction. We determine the signal that would be measured by MICROSCOPE satellite and compare the power spectrum density of this signal to the published power spectrum density of the experiment. </div><div> </div><div><br></div><div> Additionally, we present a new theoretical framework for the time-variation of nuclear decay rates. This new framework is motivated by the results of numerous experiments which show a periodicity of one year. The fractional decay rate of these experiments are constant, regardless of isotope. We find that a novel neutrino interaction, in the form of an index of refraction, successfully generates the constant fractional decay rates. Using the optical theorem and the relativistic Breit-Wigner distribution makes the index of refraction consistent with neutrino speed measurements. We conclude by describing other systems where the index of refraction could create observable oscillations.</div><div><br></div><div> </div><div> Finally, we consider the suppression of beta decay rates through the Pauli exclusion principle due to the presence of background cosmic and solar neutrinos. We derive the suppression factor for both thermalized and non-thermalized neutrinos.</div>

Non-covalent interactions in solution are subject to modulation by surrounding solvent molecules. This thesis presents two experimental molecular balances that have been used to quantify solvent effects on non-covalent interactions, including electrostatic and dispersion interactions. The first chapter introduces literature where non-covalent interactions have been studied in a range of solvents, particularly those where the effects of aqueous or fluorous solvents have been investigated. These solvents are of particular interest as they both invoke solvophobic effects on organic molecules, but have differing chemical and physical properties. The second chapter describes the adaptation of the Wilcox molecular torsion balance to study interactions between organic and fluorinated carbon chains in a range of solvents. Solvent cohesion was found to be the principle force driving both the alkyl and fluorous chains together in aqueous solvents, where no contribution to the interaction energy arising from dispersion forces could be detected. In fluorous and polar organic solvents evidence was found for weak favourable dispersion interactions between the alkyl chains. In contrast dispersion forces between the chains were found to be disrupted by competitive van der Waals interactions with surrounding solvent molecules in apolar organic solvents. Association of the fluorous chains was found to be solely driven by solvent cohesion. The final chapter describes the design and synthesis of a novel synthetic molecular-balance framework and describes its application to simultaneously measure solvent and substituent effects on the position of conformational equilibria. Despite the simplicity of the model system, surprisingly complicated behaviour emerged from the interplay of conformational, intramolecular and solvent effects. Nonetheless, a large data set of experimental equilibrium constants was analysed using a simple solvent model, which was able to account for both the intuitive and more unusual patterns observed. A means of dissecting electrostatic and solvent effects to reveal pseudo gas-phase behaviour has resulted from the analysis of experimental data obtained in many solvents.