Columbia University
S1500Q General Chemistry Laboratory
Summer 2015
*Please note that this syllabus is tentative, the final
syllabus will be provided on the first day of class.
Instructors:
Sarah Hansen
sjh2115@columbia.edu
Mailbox: #3184
Office: 452 Chandler Hall
Joseph C. Ulichny
jcu2102@columbia.edu
(212) 854-8120
(212) 854-4122
Teaching Assistants: TBD
Undergraduate Chemistry Office:
340 Havemeyer
(212) 854-2163
The basis of our understanding of the chemical world comes from controlled
experimentation and observations made in the laboratory. This course is designed to
introduce you to common laboratory techniques and procedures used in the chemistry lab.
This learning experience will focus on developing laboratory skills and strengthening your
understanding of the concepts behind the experimental findings.
We will operate common lab instruments, such as the balance, spectrometer, and pH
meter. We will perform experiments that demonstrate fundamental concepts in chemistry,
such as kinetics, solubility, acid-base theory, coordination chemistry, and electrochemistry.
In addition to familiarizing you with common lab practices, we hope to increase your
comfort level and self-confidence in the lab.
Regardless of your purpose in taking this course, we hope you will encounter practical
applications of chemistry to the non-laboratory world and that your chemical understanding
will increase.
Course Objectives
This laboratory course introduces standard techniques basic to chemistry laboratory work,
such as weighing, filtering, and operating analytical instruments. You will also learn to
accurately record scientific data and to derive results from that data. This course seeks to
provide you with opportunities to develop your chemical reasoning skills.
Course Organization
Each section of students is taught by a Teaching Assistant (TA) and supervised by an
Lecturer in Chemistry.
You must be registered for BOTH lab lecture (S1501.002), as well as a lab section
(S1500.002). The REQUIRED lab lecture will be held in 209 Havemeyer Hall from 1:00 PM
– 2:15 PM followed by a laboratory session from 2:25 PM - 6:00 PM to complete the
experiments.
Course Materials
On the first day in the lab, you will be provided with goggles and a lab coat.
The required textbook for this course is Laboratory Manual for General Chemistry, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2012. This book is a Wiley Custom Manual derived from Jo Allan
Beran, Laboratory Manual for Principles of General Chemistry, 10th Edition, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc, 2011.
There are several options available through which you can purchase this book. The lab
manual will be available at the Columbia Bookstore in hard copy. You can also order the
lab manual directly from Wiley in either hard copy or eBook at the following link:
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-811660.html
It is advisable that you consult a General Chemistry textbook in addition to the manual.
Following is a list of possible references that are on reserve in the Science and
Engineering Library (Northwest Corner Building).
- Zumdahl, S.S. & DeCoste, D. J. Chemical Principles (7th Edition). Brooks/Cole,
Cengage Learning, 2013.
- Zumdahl, S. S. Chemical Principles (6th Edition). Houghton Mifflin Co, 2009.
- Oxtoby, D.W., Gillis, H.P., and Campion, A., Principles of Modern Chemistry (6th
Edition). Brooks Cole, 2008.
Grading of the Course
The average grade in this course over the past few years has been B+. Most students who
completed this course have received grades between B- and A.
Questions about all graded assignments need to be asked within one week of receiving
the graded item (quiz, lab report, etc.) back. Such questions should be brought to the
attention of the person who graded that assignment. Questions brought one week after
the material is returned will not be considered.
Full Lab Reports: Exp. 3, 4, 5, & 9
Pre-Lab Notebook Preparation
4 x 35 pts = 140
10
Safety, Technique,
Knowledge of Procedure & Clean-up
3
Observations & Data
2
Calculations & Graphs
10
Results & Discussion
10
Full Lab Report Total
Notebook Lab Reports: Exp. 1, 2, & 7
35
3 x 30 pts = 90
Pre-Lab Notebook Preparation
Safety, Technique,
Knowledge of Procedure & Clean-up
10
Observations & Data
Calculations & Results
2
10
Notebook Discussion
5
Notebook Report Total
Partial Lab Report: Exp. 6 & 8
Pre-Lab Notebook Preparation
Safety, Technique,
Knowledge of Procedure & Clean-up
3
30
2 x 25 pts = 50
10
3
Observations & Data
2
Calculations, Graphs, & Results
10
Partial Lab Report Total
9 Quizzes (10 points each)
Writing Assignment (10 points each)
Quiz Questions (2 x 5 points each)
Dry Lab 2A (5 pts); Dry Lab #3 (10 pts);
Titration Simulation (5 pts); Excel Activity (5 pts);
Bio. Chem. Worksheet (15 pts)
Midterm (Experiments 1-6)
Final Exam (All Experiments)
Lab Lecture Participation (3 points each lecture)
Design your own experiment
25
90
10
10
TOTAL
40
45
90
9 x 3 pts = 27
18
610
Course Information
Calculator
The only calculator permitted for use on exams and quizzes is the TI-30XS MultiView.
This is the policy of the Chemistry Department. You should label your calculator with your
name and UNI.
Lab Locker
You will have access to a locker outside the lab only for the duration of your lab session.
You may only store your belongings in the locker during your lab session since other lab
sessions use the same lockers. You must bring a lock for this locker. We reserve the right
to cut off any locks after your lab session has ended.
Proper Lab Attire
You are required to wear completely closed (toes, heels, tops and sides), non-absorbent
shoes in the chemistry laboratory; completely closed tennis shoes are permissible. You
must wear ankle length attire (no shorts, nylons, leggings, spandex, short skirts, Capri
pants, etc.) that reaches your shoes, and remove contact lenses before entering the lab.
Long hair should be pulled back and all jewelry removed. You must wear lab
glasses/goggles at all times in the lab, even if experimentation is complete.
Late Work
A three-point deduction will be imposed for the first day a laboratory report is late. An
additional two points will be deducted for each day thereafter (excluding weekends and
holidays). The last day to turn in any work is the day of the final exam.
Note: If a legitimate reason prevents you from completing an assignment on time or if you
cannot attend lab due to an acceptable excuse, email Sarah as soon as possible.
Makeup Policy
Due to the nature of a six-week course it is critical you email your Associate as soon as
you miss a lab session or know you will be absent. A legitimate excuse (medical/family
emergency/religious holiday) grants you the right to make up the missed lab for full credit.
No make-up days are included in the schedule, if you are absent or know you will be
absent contact Sarah ASAP as a make-up cannot be guaranteed and completion of ALL
experiments is required to receive a grade in this course.
Unexcused absences result in a 5-point penalty (i.e. the lab is worth a possible 35 points
instead of 40 or 25 points instead of 30) when you make up the lab. Even if you have
already missed the lab, you must speak to Sarah regarding the absence.
Recording the Course Lecture
All students who would like to record the class lecture must contact Sarah to fill out a
waiver form.
Office Hours (Schedule is available on Courseworks)
Teaching Assistants and Instructors will hold weekly office hours in Chandler 454 and the
schedule will be posted online once the semester begins. You may ask any TA or
Instructor about the experimental write-ups, Post Laboratory Questions, Study Problems or
Prelaboratory Assignments. However, all questions about grading must be discussed with
the person who actually graded the assignment within one week of receiving the graded
item.
Calculation and conceptual questions must be addressed at office hours and
not through email. Email is reserved for notification of class absences,
administrative issues and related items that lend themselves to electronic
correspondence.
Email Communication
The University expects that every student will receive email at his or her Columbia
University email address and will read email on a frequent and consistent basis. A
student's failure to receive and read University communications in a timely manner does
not absolve that student from knowing and complying with the content of such
communications.
For more information, please see: http://www.essential-policies.columbia.edu/studentemail-communication-policy.
Academic Integrity
Cheating of any form will not be condoned in this course. Students are expected to work
in accordance with the Honor Code (https://www.college.columbia.edu/ccschonorcode).
Some relevant examples of cheating (this list is not comprehensive) that pertain to S1500
General Chemistry Laboratory include:
• copying answers from another student during quizzes, exams or for lab reports,
• talking to another student during a quiz or exam,
• possessing course material (quizzes, lab reports, exams, lab data) from a previous
semester of W1500 or S1500 General Chemistry Lab,
• plagiarizing in lab reports.
All instances of cheating will be brought to the attention of the Office of Academic Affairs.
For more information, see:
https://www.college.columbia.edu/academics/academicintegrity
https://www.college.columbia.edu/academics/integrity-statement
In addition to hard copy submission of all lab reports, we will be using TurnItIn, an online
evaluation program. Your writing assignment will also be uploaded to TurnItIn, along with a
copy in the dropbox on courseworks. You will be submitting the discussions and writing
assignment to this program. To submit your discussion, go to www.turnitin.com. You will
need to create a free account in order to access the program. The login information for this
class will be provided once the semester begins.
General Chemistry Laboratory (S1500D)
Summer 2015 Course Schedule
DATES
W.05.27
F.05.29
M.06.01
W.06.03
M.06.08
ACTIVITIES / EXPERIMENTS
QUIZ
Course Intro/Lab Check-in
No
Lab warm-up: Biological Chemistry Experiment
Quiz
Exp. 1: Basic Lab Operations (1) & Identification of an
No
Unknown Compound (2)
Quiz
Exp. 2: Limiting Reactant (8) + Dry Lab 3
*Technique demonstration/video sign up
Exp. 3: Vitamin C Analysis (30) + Dry Lab 2A
Simulations and Excel Lab
Exp. 4: Spectrophotometric Metal Ion Analysis (35) +
Preparing a Vitamin Sample (from pdf on Courseworks)
W.06.10 Exp. 5: Acid/Base (9 and 18)
M.06.15
Exp. 6: Transition Metal Complexes (36) + Malachite
Synthesis (see pdf on Courseworks)
W.06.17 Exp. 7: Galvanic Cells (32) + Electrolytic Cells (33)
Biological Chem. Worksheet
Exp. 1* Exp. 1 Report (Notebook)
Exp. 2*
Exp. 3*
Exp. 4*
Exp. 2 Report (Notebook)
Dry Lab 3
Exp. 3 Report (Full)
Dry Lab 2A
Exp. 4 Report (Full)
Simulations Worksheet Due
Exp. 5* Exp. 5 Report (Full)
Quiz 6* Exp. 6 Report (Partial)
M.06.22 Midterm Exam: 1-2 pm in 209 Havemeyer Hall
W.06.24 Exp. 8: Kinetics (24) & Catalyst (23)
ASSIGNMENT DUE
Quiz Question #1
Exp. 7*
Exp. 7 Report (Notebook)
Excel Lab Due (Dropbox)
Exp. 8 Report (Partial)
M.06.29 Exp. 9: Aspirin Synthesis and Analysis (19)
+ check-out
Exp. 8* Design your own exp. due
T.06.30
Exp. 9* Exp. 9 Report (Full)
No class, assignments due online
W.07.01 Final Exam: 1 – 3 pm in 309 Havemeyer Hall
Writing Assignment due by midnight
Quiz Question #2
† Quizzes may include questions from the prelab assignment for the experiment being carried out that day;
although these prelab assignments are not graded, it is suggested you complete them.