Chem 1151
General Chemistry
Summer 2008
Lab Syllabus
Laboratory is an essential part of this course and is scheduled once a week starting May
20, 2008. Future chemistry courses will build on the lab skills you learn in this course. If
you are repeating this course and have satisfactorily completed the laboratory, you need
to notify the instructor on or before the first day of class. The lab is worth 20% of the
course grade. Lab will be held in SSB 129, 131 or 133.
Prior to Lab on May 20, you need to activate your U-Card account and put at least $25 in
your account so you can purchase goggles.
Laboratory Rules
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You are responsible for knowing and obeying all safety rules. Safety glasses
(goggles) are required in the lab at all times when students are working outside of
the classroom area. They must be purchased in the Stockroom during check-in
and may be used for future chemistry lab courses at UMD.
Report accidents and medical problems (e.g. epilepsy, fainting, etc.) to your TA.
Individuals with a disability or physical condition (such as pregnancy or allergy),
which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform
their instructor at the start of the semester. Adaptation of the methods, materials
or testing may be made as required for equitable participation.
Unauthorized work in the lab may be cause for dismissal from this course.
On the first day of lab, you will be issued a lab drawer containing an inventory of
equipment needed to complete the laboratory portion of this course. You are
responsible for the drawer key and this equipment. Students enrolled in a
chemistry laboratory course at UMD should maintain a minimum of $25.00 on
their UCards to cover check-in and laboratory expenses including safety goggles.
If your UCard does not have sufficient funds for a necessary expenditure, you
must leave the laboratory and add sufficient funds to cover the costs.
During the last lab period, you will check out of the lab, verify that you have all
of the original equipment checked out to you on the first day of lab, and return the
lab drawer key. Lost and broken items must be replaced. Failure to check out of
lab at the end of the semester will result in a $25.00 fine plus the cost of missing
and broken items. Failure to return the lab drawer key at the end of the semester
or loss of the key will result in a $20.00 fine to change the lock.
Food and drink are not allowed in the laboratory.
Students may not wear shorts, short skirts or sandals in lab.
Your TA must sign and date your lab notebook before you leave lab each week.
The department recognizes that students may miss lab due to situations beyond
their control. If you miss a lab, you must complete the makeup lab July 1 and turn
it in on July 3.
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Lab Grade Distribution
(See Footnote [1] below)
Item
Experiments and
Lab Reports
Total Points
120: 10 points per lab
report except 20 pts for
Expt 11
Lab Notebook
Total
30
150
Comments
The pre-lab assignments are due at the
beginning of lab and are worth 10% of
the lab report grade. [2]
All lab reports are due one week after
the completion of the experiment. [3]
[4]
[1]
Students must successfully complete and pass both the lecture AND the lab
portions of this course to receive a passing grade in Chem 1151. You must complete
every experiment, turn in the associated lab report, and turn in your lab notebook to pass
the lab portion of this course.
[2]
Your TA will check your pre-lab work at the beginning of the lab period. If you
have not completed the pre-lab assignment, you may not start the assigned experiment
and your lab report will be penalized 10%.
[3]
Lab reports are penalized 5% of the grade for each day late.
[4
One of the goals of the laboratory portion of this course is to learn to keep a good,
accurate and complete lab notebook. See The Lab Notebook section below.
Students are expected to spend the entire three hours in lab completing the experiment,
working on the calculations, discussing the results with your lab partner, asking questions
of your TA, completing the post-lab questions.
The Lab Notebook
The lab notebook is an authentic and complete record of your work in the lab. The
notebook must be a bound notebook and entries must be in ink. Save the first few pages
for the Table of Contents. You may use this notebook in Chem 1152. The lab notebook
will be reviewed halfway through the session and then will be graded at the end of the
course for the notebook grade. The grade will be based on completeness, neatness, record
of observations, sample calculations, interpretations, and your pre-lab assignment work.
Lab Expectations
Before Coming to Lab, you must
 Read the lab handout.
 Revise the printed lab instructions if appropriate. See Lab Notes for revisions.
 Complete any pre-lab assignment if relevant.
 Write the following in your lab notebook:
o Title of experiment with date
o Purpose or objective of experiment
o Any comments or questions you have
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o Data Tables which you will fill in during lab (e.g. copy the printed Data
Sheets into notebook). Please note that all of your raw data will be entered
directly into the Data Tables you transferred to your lab notebook and
NOT on the Data Sheet in the lab handouts. The Data Sheets printed in
your lab manual will be filled in and turned in with your final lab report.
Remember, all original data should be entered into your lab notebook
during the laboratory period.
You are not required to write the experimental procedure or the list of material
and equipment in your lab notebook.
During Lab
 Take notes during the TA's pre-lab lecture; these should be recorded in your
notebook.
 Record all data, observations, comments, mistakes, sample numbers, unknown
numbers, etc. For some experiments, room temperature, atmospheric pressure, etc
may be needed.
 As you collect data, carry out the calculations, plot rough graphs, and/or evaluate
your data in order to determine if your results are satisfactory. If they are not, you
may need to repeat the experiment.
 Complete calculations and post-lab questions after the experiment as time
permits.
Lab Report
(See Sample Lab Report available on the website)
 Each student must turn in an individual lab report prepared on a word processor.
 Page 1 is the cover page and should include your name, lab section, title of
experiment, date of experiment, objective of lab. See Sample Lab Report page 1.
 Page 2, 3… contain experimental measurements in data tables as appropriate (e.g.
Data Sheets), observations, calculations, graphs, computer printouts, figures. See
Sample Lab Report Parts I-III.
 Last pages should include the conclusions, post-lab assignments and answers to
questions as appropriate. See Sample Lab Report Part IV.
 Do not include the experimental procedure or literature values unless specifically
required.
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