LABORATORY FOR GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (CHM135)
INSTRUCTORS:
Dr. William Steel
C-212 ext. 6485
Dr. Gregory Foy
C-214 ext. 1523 gfoy@ycp.edu
Mr. William Glenwright
Mr. Matthew Williams
Mr. Wesley LaPila
LABORATORY MANUAL:
TEXTBOOK:
WEBSITE:
General Chemistry I Laboratory Handbook, York College of PA,
Foresman and Smith
Martin Silberberg, "Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change"
3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, 2003, ISBN 0-07-239681-4.
http://jbfpc2.ycp.edu/gchem/labs.htm
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Each student should purchase the laboratory handbook listed
above. In addition, the student is required to purchase and use a laboratory notebook to record all
data obtained in the lab. This special notebook has carbon sheets for duplication. These yellow
copies can be attached to the formal report when submitted. DO NOT RECORD DATA IN THE
HANDBOOK, ONLY IN THE NOTEBOOK. ALSO DO NOT RECORD DATA ON LOOSE
SHEETS OF PAPER FOR COPYING LATER. The data blanks in the laboratory handbook are
there just to suggest to you what data you should record in your notebook.
ATTENDANCE: In order to receive a grade for the experiment, it is necessary for you to
perform the experiment. If you need to miss a scheduled laboratory time, it is your responsibility
to contact me and schedule a make-up time. Arrangements for make-up work must be made
within two weeks of your absence. Any experiments missed and not rescheduled will receive a
grade of zero. No more than two experiments may be rescheduled without special permission.
GRADING: Your laboratory grade will be 25% of your course grade. Your laboratory score will
be calculated from work submitted on 13 different experiments. These each require a formal
written report and most but not all also require a pre-lab assignment. All assignments are
documented in the lab handbook. Prelabs are due at the start of the laboratory period and are
worth one point each. The formal report for each experiment is worth 10 points and is due one
week after the experiment is performed.
SAFETY INFORMATION: Your instructor will discuss information on proper handling and
disposal at the start of each experiment. Safety rules will be discussed in class, and a quiz will be
taken by the students to verify that the rules are understood. There is a laboratory safety section
located on the chem lab webpage (see URL above). Consult the Material Safety Data Sheets for
each of the chemicals used in the experiments if you have additional questions about appropriate
use and the known hazards. Remember that the MSDS’s are typically available for the most
concentrated or purest form for the chemical. If the chemical is used in the laboratory in a diluted
form (or in a solution, instead of as a solid) some of the safety hazards are less than as listed on
the MSDS. However, the MSDS's are the standard form for communicating hazard information,
and we will use them and make note of the differences.
LATE WORK: Late formal reports will be graded -1 from after the due date until the day prior to
the next scheduled laboratory period. Reports received the day of the next laboratory period will
be -2. Reports later than this will be -4. No reports will be accepted for grading after the last
scheduled laboratory.
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY: Some of the experiments are group work. Others are
individual. In either case, you must do your own report. Laboratory reports will receive a zero if
there is evidence that work submitted was not your own. Also be aware that it is obvious to us
when someone is copying work from another student who was enrolled in the course previously.
We have made changes in the procedures and analyses, so don’t try it. The penalty is failure of
the entire course (lecture and lab).
LAB REPORTS: There will be 13 formal reports (see schedule) due at the start of the next lab
meeting following that experiment. These must be produced using a word processing program
such as Microsoft Word. The laboratory handbook contains details as to what is required for the
report for any given experiment. Some reports will be done individually and some will be done as
a group. All reports must contain the following:
1. a creative title
2. a brief (2-3 sentences) introduction of objectives and methods.
3. a data summary
4. data analysis (calculations can be hand-written). Any graphs needed should be
produced on a computer using a suitable graphing program such as Excel. Each
graph should have the data points distributed throughout a full page (8 ½ x11)
5. a summary of the results and/or successes of the experiment.
Formal reports are drafted by the student based on answering a series of questions printed in the
lab handbook. Be creative! Do not just answer the questions as if you were filling out a form. Use
the questions to write paragraphs in the summary section that demonstrate that you understand the
laboratory exercise. Remember, one of the goals of the course is to improve your writing skills.
Extra credit will be given for outstanding work!
LABORATORY CONDUCT: You are responsible for the equipment at your lab station. Be sure
to clean your work area and return all of the equipment when you finish the work for the day. We
supply safety glasses or goggles. YOU MUST WEAR THEM AT ALL TIMES IN THE LAB,
even if you wear prescription glasses. The safety glasses should be returned to the cabinet for
sterilization after each use. Sandals are not permitted in the laboratory. Many times chemical
waste cannot be flushed down the drain. Pay attention to the specific directions for each
experiment.
The balances used in the lab are quite expensive and should be used with care. USE CAUTION
TO AVOID SPILLS WHICH MAY PERMANENTLY DAMAGE THE BALANCE. Please
keep the balance area clean (there is a small brush nearby to remove spilled solids from the
balance area).
Enjoy yourself and work safely and considerately.