CH332 LABORATORY NOTES:
Laboratory pre-lab assignments are due in class on the Tuesday of the week of lab.
Laboratory reports are due at the beginning of the next lab after a completed rotation.
ALL EXCEL SHEETS MUST BE WELL DOCUMENTED WITH COLUMN/ROW HEADINGS
AND FORMULAS USED. PLEASE USE THE PROPER NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT FIGURES.
The reports will be of two types and the type of report will be specified in the experimental handout.
1. ACS format will follow the author's directions from the ACS guidelines. Please refer to the guidelines
on-line or using the ACS Style Guide present in the laboratory. The questions in the handout are to be
included in the report.
A. Use the author instructions for proper formatting. We will use the manuscript format: Do not use
columns like the sample paper (gallery print, etc.). The paper should be ten pages or less in length including
figures/legends, tables and references. Please be complete, yet concise. The figures and legends (properly
formatted) can be put in the text or at the end (as in the authors instructions-but can have more than one per
page to save paper). The properly formatted references go at the end of the text sample. References must be
properly cited in the text.
B. You should have at least two new references for the background information in the
introduction. Include all necessary other references.
C. Feel free to have fun with the acknowledgments!!!!!
2. The regular report style (which should be followed unless the ACS format is specified) should include
a short introduction that explains the objective of the lab exercise, background information and the
instrumental theory being used to complete the exercise. (How does the instrument operate, specialty
parts, etc.?) The experimental/methods section should include a brief (yet specific) explanation of the
samples/reagents and the name/model/make of the instrument and software used to collect the
data. Include a brief (yet specific) description of instrumental parts, settings, etc. and how they work. A
data section should include the raw data/spectra and excel spreadsheets used to analyze the data (can be
attached). Since this is not a journal article, calibration curves should be included. Please be sure to use
the proper statistics to evaluate your results. Use Linest, DeLevie macros, etc. to calculate standard
deviation, relative uncertainty and 95% confidence intervals in your results. (Ex. If we are measuring the
gain in a circuit and the slope is the gain, what is the standard deviation in the slope, the relative
uncertainty in the slope, the DeLevie macro will show the 95% uncertainty, or the interval can be
calculated using the student t-value, etc.) Use proper figure and table format/legends. The results section
should briefly recap your results in text including the statistical values for you results. The discussion
section includes the answers to any questions included with the handout and error analysis to account for
the variation in your results (are you confident in your data?). The conclusion will quickly describe the
effectiveness of the instrument used to complete the objective of the laboratory exercise. The narrative
should be presented in past tense and third person. References??!! Please use active verbs as often as
possible. Be concise, but complete. This report is meant to be only 2-3 pages in text (not including data and
excel spreadsheets, stats etc.).
Please refer to the CH332 Webpage (often) to be aware of any changes to the laboratory
handout. Both the instruments and the software are subject to change!!!