Organic Chemistry
Laboratory Notebook Guidance
You will maintain a laboratory notebook (carbonless duplicate pages) for organic chemistry. All writing in
the lab notebook is in ball-point pen. All writing goes into the notebook. DO NOT USE SCRAPS OF
PAPER TO RECORD INFORMATION SUCH AS WEIGHT OF A COMPOUND WITH THE
INTENT TO LATER RECORD IT IN YOUR NOTEBOOK. Record it directly in your notebook the
first time! For mistakes, line through once and initial. Your notebook should be set up as follows.
1. Table of Contents. If the lab notebook you are using provides a space for a Table of Contents, use
that. Otherwise, save the first two page sets for a Table of Contents. You will do 14 experiments (A-N) in
your two semesters of organic chemistry, so they will all be listed in the two pages for Table of Contents.
List the experiments by experiment letter, experiment title and the page in your lab notebook where you
begin the experiment.
2. Consolidated Reference List. After the Table of Contents, use the next five page sets for a
Consolidated Reference List. Maintain a consolidated list of references, numbering them starting with [1]
and continuing in sequence. For references used for multiple labs, only one entry is required in the
reference listing and in each lab report refer to the reference by number (e.g., [1]). ). For example, your
first reference for your first lab in the consolidated reference list might be a journal article, so it is listed as
follows.
[1] Z.C. Ying and W. Ho, Journal of Chemical Physics, 94, 5701 (1991).
Each time you use this reference in a subsequent lab, list only the reference number [1] for the specific lab
report, adding section headings and page numbers for the reference as appropriate.
3. Universal Table of Reagents and Products. After the Consolidated Reference List, save the next 8
page sets for your Universal Table of Reagents and Products (UTORP). The UTORP is a consolidated
listing of all reactants, solvents, catalysts, products, etc., that you use in the experiments and includes the
most useful chemical and physical properties of the compounds. Many of these properties are found at the
www.brookscole.com/chemistry/gilbert4 website in the properties or Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
sections. However, some of the properties are found only in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics,
which is located in the library and the lab. See page 12 for an example of headings to be used in preparing
the UTORP.
4. Laboratory Report Format. The laboratory reports for the experiments follow the UTORP section.
No cover sheet is required with your lab report. You will turn in the original pages upon completion of the
second lab period of each experiment. This will include information through section “3b. Data.” The
remainder of the report from “3c. Calculations” through “5. Conclusion” is due at the beginning of the next
lab period (e.g. one week later). You will use the data recorded on the lab notebook copy to complete your
report after finishing the experiment. Depending on whether the experiment is an investigative/techniques
experiment or a preparative/synthesis experiment, some of the standard report format will not be
applicable, so indicate by writing N/A. The standard format is listed below.
a. Common header information for each report:
Name
Date
Title
b. Following are the numbered sections for every report:
1. Introduction – Purpose/Goals with brief description of the experiment.
2. Experimental
a. Balanced equation (if experiment is a reaction) for the main reaction and reagent table. The reagent
table is placed immediately under the chemical equation and key data below are entered.
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Organic Chemistry
Laboratory Notebook Guidance
Example:
O
diethyl
MgBr ether
+
CO
HCl(aq)
3
2
(0.200)
3
(0.300)
3
4
5
5-10
156*
drops
182.22
181.20
74.84
259.02
36.46
260.03
Molar Mass
6.04x10-4
6.00x10-4 (3.0)
NA
(3.0)
Mols (Mol/L)
6.00x10-4
6.00x10-4
1
1
NA
1
NA
1
Mol Ratio
NA
NA
0.714
NA
NA
NA
 (g/mL)
* Max Theoretical yield in mg based on limiting reagent; Max Theoretical mols based on limiting reagent.
UTORP #
mg (mL)
1
110
COH
155*
Table Calculations:
do your calculations here
b. Mechanism of the main reaction.
c. Side/competing reactions. Include those reactions that may limit production of the anticipated
product.
d. Separation flow chart. A separation flow chart is a sketch drawing of the processes and techniques
you used to isolate the product from excess reactants, unwanted side products, and various purification
materials. The fate of all species is depicted in the flow chart. This should not be confused with a
procedural flow chart. See the general example below for use as a guide:
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Laboratory Notebook Guidance
A + B Reaction Mixture & ether solvent
Aqueous 5% NaOH
Organic layer (top): C (product)
Aqueous layer (bottom): NaOH(a), Cal-(a),
unrelated starting material A & B
Pipette out lower layer
Discard
Wet ether layer, C (product)
Aqueous lower layer
Na+, OH-,
Discard
Cal-, A(a), B(a)
Discard
Dry over Na2SO4
Wet Na2SO4
Dried ether layer, C (product)
Evaporate ether
w/ N2 gas
ether (g)
Dried C (product)
Analysis
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Organic Chemistry
Laboratory Notebook Guidance
d. Procedure. Complete this section while actually doing the experiment, not before, as this is a record
of what you actually did in the lab. Do not rewrite published procedures. If you followed the steps in the
referenced procedure exactly, state so or record only those exceptions. For example, if the procedure calls
for “reflux 30 minutes with a water-jacketed condenser” and you refluxed for 15 minutes with a Claisen
head adapter, your write-up would include “procedures in reference [1] were followed with the exception
of refluxing for 15 minutes with a Claisen head adapter.” If the written procedure calls for you to add
approximately 0.0150 g of A to approximately 200 microliters of B, this is where you should write in your
notebook ... "weighed out 0.0147 g of A and added to 200 μL of B dispensed by the ADP." Do not just
write "followed procedures, which implies you added exactly the quantities called for in the procedures.
Concisely specify what you actually did.
3. Results
a. Observations (completed while actually doing the experiment). You are a trained observer; use the
mnemonic SPEED CARAT (Separate; Precipitate; Evaporate; Evolve gas; Dissolve; Condense; Alter color;
Release heat; Absorb heat; Time of observation) for observations about what happened during a reaction.
As an example, you would report that the solution turned yellow; a white precipitate formed; or the reactant
dissolved. You may annotate observations directly on your flow chart.
b. Data (completed while actually doing the experiment). Record all data collected. The mass of a
reactant weighed out, the volume of solvent used to dissolve a reagent, the empty weight of a flask in which
you will collect the final product, the time required for the reaction mixture to change color, etc., will be
entered here.
c. Calculations (done as required). Includes theoretical yield (done prior to the experiment), % yield
or % recovery (done following the experiment). Theoretical yield is determined and placed in table in 2a.
above.
d. Spectra (some collected from outside resources before or after the experiment, others collected
during the experiment). Spectra must be labeled with your name, date, and a structure of the compound.
4. Discussion (after the experiment is completed). In this section, you analyze the data obtained during the
experiment. Each piece of data collected must be discussed considering the following:
a. Comparison to theory or previous work. This is where you discuss specified and implied tasks and
questions. For example,
(1) How well did your product melting/boiling point agree with literature values?
(2) How did your spectra (IR, NMR, etc) agree with literature spectra? A table of expected and
observed frequencies/absorptions is a good way to answer this. You may also analyze your experimentally
obtained spectrum by noting absorptions, chemical shifts, etc. directly on the spectrum print out.
(3) What is the purity of your product? This is based on melting point purity standards (T
2.0oC; T/t  2.0oC/min;  5.0oC difference between experimentally determined value and literature) and
spectral evidence to support your assessment.
b. Error Analysis. Comment on any error that may have contributed to product impurities, low yields
or recovery during the experiment. At a minimum, address melting/boiling point discrepancies, low percent
yield/recovery and spectral anomalies.
5. Conclusion.
This is a wrap-up. Were the objectives set forth in the introduction achieved? You must acknowledge
success or failure of the experiment and contributing factors from your analysis. This is a synopsis of the
key data that confirms or denies mission accomplishment. Be brief but complete.
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Organic Chemistry
Laboratory Notebook Guidance
Universal Table of Reagents and Products
Use all of the following entries for row headers in the UTORP.












reference*
compound name
compound structure
molecular formula
molar mass
mp
bp
density
color (max and log 
solubilities
IR/NMR spectroscopic ref #†
experiment number in which this compound was used/produced
*Reference: develop your own technique for establishing a reference number for the occasion on which
you have to look up the compound again. Make sure you annotate your technique so your professor can
interpret it.
†
Spectroscopic reference number will typically be from your lab text or an on line source (list the URL).
978C
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Organic Chemistry
Laboratory Notebook Guidance
Sample Universal Table of Reagents and Products Form in Notebook
Ref #
CAS #
CRC #
name(s)
structure
molecular
formula
mol wt,
g/mol
mp, ºC
bp, ºC
density, g/mL
color/
λmax, log ε
solubility in
w al eth other
solv
IR
ref # or URL
NMR
ref # or URL
Experiments
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