Lab Report Metric
Introduction (10%)
Explicitly state the goal(s) of the experiment and how it was accomplished. For synthesis,
the goal is typically the preparation of a particular compound. A figure outlining the
reactions used, accompanied by a brief narrative is sufficient. For technique experiments,
describe why it is important!
Materials (10%)
Construct a table of reactants used in the synthesis, including the amounts you actually
used (g or mL), MW and # of moles of all reagents except solvents and drying reagents,
mp/bp, concentrations! Think about what property is needed for each reagent!!!
 Include key physical properties of reagents like bp/mp for solvents.
 Don’t need bp/mp of acids and bases but you need # moles used.
 Don’t need drawing of apparatus or list of apparatus’
Mechanisms or discussion of theory behind the technique! (20%)
A figure depicting the mechanism of each reaction must be included. For the sake of
clarity, separate mechanisms for reactions in a multi-step synthesis. Include mechanism
for major by-products! Mechanism should be drawn by hand or computer program for
chemicals (Freeware@www.acdlabs.com). A cut and paste mechanism is not acceptable.
If a new technique is introduced, a ½-1 page discussion of key points about each
technique is needed.
Experimental (20%)
 Do not include a procedure that should be in your notebook.
 Bullet points including
o Key amounts of reagents used and products obtained
o Key temperatures, mp/bp of products, actual range of each
o Key physical observations about colors, cloudiness, etc.
o Purpose of each step of the experiment; wash with NaOH to remove acid
impurities, distillation to remove solvent, etc.
Results & Discussion (20%)
Construct a table containing relevant information for the compounds prepared,
including mass, MW, theoretical yield, % yield and observed mp/bp (all mp should be
given as a range). For multi-step reactions, include the overall % yield for the final
product. Also include calculations for theoretical yield and % yield for each reaction. For
multi-step reactions include a calculation for the overall % yield for the final product.
The discussion should comprise a detailed analysis of your results, including % yield,
mp, GC, NMR and IR if available. Your analysis should address the following areas:
Product Identity
1. For synthesis, did you make the intended product?
2. For unknowns, what is your proposed structure?
3. Does the data support your claim?
4. What impurities do you observe in spectra, IR/NMR? Where did they originate,
solvent, starting material, etc.?
Percent yield
Evaluate your yield…do you think it was high or low? If your yield was less than 100%,
describe where you think you lost material based on your observations.
Conclusion
Was the goal(s) of the experiment achieved? Summarize the overall result of the
experiment. For multi-step syntheses, this should include the overall percent yield for the
final product.
Technique grade based on yield/purity (20%)
Your technique will be evaluated based on two areas: the purity of your product by NMR
and your percent yield compared to the rest of the class
GENERAL COMMENTS
1) Use single spacing for your reports.
2) When describing potential errors or mistakes in your experiment, make statements
that are very specific. For example, it is much better to say:
“I know my yield was a little low because during the vacuum filtration step I noticed that
some of my precipitate went through the filter.”
Rather than:
“My yield was low and that could have been because I lost some of my product during
the procedure.”
3) Include a title page that has your name, experiment title, and date on it.