General Chemistry Lab
CHEM 151-BCD
Paine 211, 414 152B: T 2:00, 152C: W 2:00, 152D: R 2:00 Instructor: Chris Jordan, Paine 408 Email (preferred): christopher.jordan@houghton.edu Phone (if you must): 585-­‐567-­‐9300 (or x3000) Office Hours: Monday, Friday: 2:00 – 3:00 Thursday: 10:00 – 12:00 …or email for an appointment! Course Objective: To gain experience and proficiency with common techniques for the chemical laboratory; to develop a better understanding of the scientific process; tor reinforce key concepts from lecture; and to learn the art of scientific writing. Required Materials (all available in bookstore): Custom Chemistry Lab Manual Bound laboratory notebook Safety glasses Pen Why are there two rooms for this class?: We will begin every laboratory period by meeting in room 207 for a brief pre-­‐lab talk. This will allow us to review relevant background material, practice any necessary calculations, and discuss safety hazards unique to that week’s experiment. Once this is finished, we will move to the laboratory so you can begin! Grading: This course consists of ten experiments and one practical. Seven of these experiments are worth 15 points. The remaining three, which will require you to write a formal lab report, are worth 30 points. The lab practical, worth 1 25 points, is a test of the skills you have accumulated during the semester, and will take place the week before finals. There are also three notebook checks worth 10 points each. Overall, the laboratory portion of General Chemistry I contributes 25% (250/1000) of the total points in this course. In-­‐lab Performance: You will be gaining a lot of practical knowledge this semester in lab. Mastering this knowledge and translating it into competent laboratory skills will require different skills than those you utilize by doing homework or taking a test. I will be monitoring you throughout the lab period to make sure you are developing these skills. I will not expect perfection, but I will expect effort, concentration, and improvement. I also expect you to be properly dressed and prepared for class, with your notebook and pen. Your performance in lab contributes to your score for each lab. Short labs (7 labs x 15 points = 105 points total): The seven short labs will be graded in three parts. Your in-­‐lab performance is worth 3 points and your pre-­‐lab assignment is worth 2. To earn the remaining ten points, you will complete a short report form that will be handed out at the start of lab. Hopefully you will have enough time to complete this form in lab – if not, you may hand it in up to 24 hours after lab. You will also hand in your notebook. Long Labs (3 labs x 30 points = 90 points total): Three labs are emphasized this semester, and are worth twice as much as the others. Performance is worth 6 points, your prelab is worth 4, and the report is worth 20. Your report will be a complete, formal report that includes an abstract, introduction, procedure, data and calculations section, and discussion. These will be all in the same format as the purification of water reports from CHEM 151BCD, and they should always be submitted as an email attachment. More instructions will be given during the pre-­‐lab talk on the week of February 4. Lab Practical (25 points): 2 At the end of the semester, I will ask you to demonstrate competency in a number of the laboratory skills we will cover. You will be informed of all of these tasks the week before your practical. More details will be given the week before the practical. Notebook Checks (3 checks x 10 points = 30 points total): One new skill we will be emphasizing this semester is keeping clear, organized, and legible notebooks. Notebook organization will be discussed in the first week of lab. At three randomly chosen points during the semester, your notebook will be checked and scored for content and organization. This check is unrelated to items that contribute to your performance grade, like remembering to bring your notebook to class. Make-­‐Up Labs: As a general rule, there will not be any make-­‐up labs. If you have a conflict with your lab period, let me know ahead of time and we may be able to move you into a different section for that week. In the case of an unplanned, unavoidable absence (e.g., an illness or a family emergency), your grade for that lab will be the average of your other lab grades. Lateness Policy: Short labs will be considered on time if I haven’t yet collected the forms from the drop box. If they are delivered between when I collect them and when I leave the building for the night, I will assess a penalty of one point. If I find them when I check the box the next morning, the penalty is two points. At any later time, the penalty is 5 points. Long labs will be submitted by email and should arrive in my inbox by 5 pm, one week from the day of the experiment. Late labs will be penalized at half a point per hour, up to a maximum penalty of 12 points. (That is, if your lab report is due on Tuesday and you send it to me at 1 AM Wednesday morning, the penalty will be 4 points.) You may have an extension of up to a week on ONE long lab. If you choose to use this extension, email me by the due date to let me know. A second extension will only be given in extenuating circumstances. 3 Proper Attire: Safety is the primary concern in any chemistry lab. To ensure that you are safe in the event of a spill or other accident, you must always wear the following to lab: 1. Close-­‐toed shoes 2. Long pants (with no holes!) 3. Shirt with sleeves 4. Safety glasses The department has also provided lab coats to help protect you and your clothing. These should not be considered a replacement for the items listed above. IF YOU ARE NOT PROPERLY DRESSED AT THE START OF LAB, YOU WILL BE SENT HOME TO CHANGE. Lab Schedule: Week Experiment Page # Points 1/14 Re-­‐introductions; Safety; Check-­‐ins 1/21 Safety quiz; Redox Titration (handout) -­‐-­‐ -­‐-­‐ -­‐-­‐ 15 153 167 221 -­‐ 235 15 30 15 2/18 Qualitative Analysis II (handout) 2/25 FEBRUARY BREAK – NO LAB 3/4 Titration of 7UP -­‐-­‐ -­‐-­‐ 177 30 -­‐-­‐ 15 3/11 HELP DAY – NO LAB 3/18 Hydrogen Phosphate Buffer Systems 3/25 SPRING BREAK – NO LAB -­‐-­‐ 187 -­‐-­‐ -­‐-­‐ 15 -­‐-­‐ 4/1 Entropy, Free Energy, and Chemical Equilibrium 4/8 Redox Reactions in Voltaic Cells 4/15 Electrochemistry: The Nernst Equation 199 85 209 30 15 15 -­‐-­‐ 25 1/28 Kinetics: The Iodine Clock 2/4 Determination of an Equilibrium Constant 2/11 Qualitative Analysis I 4/22 Lab Practical (Individual) 4