Course Syllabus
Chemistry 217: Principles of Chemistry Laboratory I
(1538 – CHM 217 – 105, 1539 – CHM 217 – 106)
Department of Chemistry, Marshall University
Fall 2008
Instructor:
Dr. Anne Howells
Phone: (304) 696 - 2307
Office: 403 Science Building
Email: howellsa@marshall.edu
Office Hours: 11 AM -12 AM, MWF
Course Web Page: see MU Online
3 PM – 4 PM TR
Course Time & Location:
Prelab
8 - 9 AM R, Science Building 465
Lab
9 - ll AM R Science Building 474/476
Co or prerequisites: Enrollment in or successful completion of Chemistry 211.
Catalog Description: A laboratory course that demonstrates the application of concepts
introduced in Chemistry 2ll.
Learning Objectives: During this course, students will learn basic laboratory skills and
procedures. They will also perform experiments that illustrate concepts of chemistry that are
introduced in the general chemistry lecture.
Course Curriculum : Experiments 1-14 in the lab manual.
Blackboard Page / Announcements : Material distributed in class will be posted on the course
web site (see course page on MU Online). A list of assigned labs will also be posted, along with
the answer keys to exams and other assignments. Grades will be posted weekly on Blackboard.
Special announcements, such as class cancellations, will be sent by email.
Required Texts and Materials:
1. Laboratory manual.
2. A bound laboratory notebook. All experimental data must be recorded directly in this
notebook during you laboratory period. The laboratory manual provides a description of how
this should be done.
3. Safety glasses with side shields: these glasses are required for those who do not wear
ordinary glasses. Contact lenses should not be worn in the chemistry laboratory. If they are
absolutely necessary, a good set of safety goggles must be worn at all times while in the
laboratory. If a student wears contact lenses, he or she must notify your instructor and the
teaching assistants. Students who wear normal glasses should purchase side shields.
4. An apron is optional, but desirable.
5. A hand-held spectrometer that will be available from the bookstore later in the semester.
6. Access to the general chemistry course textbook (Chemistry: The Central Science by Brown,
LeMay, and Bursten). The introductions to the experiments are generally brief. Students
must read the pertinent material from the textbook in preparation for the day’s quiz and
experiment.
2
Determination of Course Grade :
Grade point distribution:
Prelab Quizzes*
Midterm exam
Final exam
Post-lab write-ups and experimental results*
Laboratory notebook
30%
20%
25%
20%
5%
* Students may drop the lowest score.
Course grade assignment (The letter grade is based on per cent of grade points earned.)
Scale
A: 90-100%
B: 80-89%
C: 70-79%
D: 60-69%
F: <60%
Policies
The instructor will adhere to the University Policies and Procedures described in the Marshall
University General Undergraduate Catalog. The items listed below are of special significance.
Attendance: Regular attendance is essential for adequate performance and is required. In
situations where the student is aware of the absence in advance (athletic events, field trips, etc.),
arrangement for accommodations must be made prior to the absence. Otherwise, the
designation of an absence as excused and any accommodation for that absence will be decided
by the Dean of Students. If a student decides to not complete the course, he or she must visit the
registrar and complete the appropriate paperwork to remove the course from his or her schedule.
Make-up Labs, Quizzes, and Exams: There will be no make-up labs or quizzes. Students can
drop their lowest quiz and lab score. Any student involved in an official school function or an
unavoidable commitment to his or her employer can arrange to take exams in advance of the
scheduled date.
Electronic Device Policy: During exams and quizzes, all electronic devices except calculators
must be inaccessible. Students MUST BRING A CALCULATOR to class for all prelab, lectures,
labs, and exams. Calculators that are part of a cell phone or PDA are not acceptable for exams
or quizzes.
Safety Precautions:
1. Students must complete and the Chemistry Laboratory Questionaire and turn in a signed
copy to the instructor.
2. Students needs to read department policies posted on the course web site and pass the online safety quiz.
3
Course Schedule
Exp. # *
Date
Experiment / Assignment
1 (part 1)
8/28
Laboratory Check-In
Determination of Sugar in Soft Drinks, part I (Density of Water)
1 (parts 2 & 3) 9/4
Determination of Sugar in Soft Drinks, parts II & III
2
9/11
Separating the Components of a Heterogeneous Mixture
3
9/18
Determination of the Percent Oxygen in Air.
4
9/25
Determination of Avogardro’s Number
5
10/2
Determination of Empirical Formulas
6
10/9, 10/16
Synthesis of an Alum
10/16
Mid-Term Exam
7
10/23
Analysis of Commercial Antacids
8
10/30
Determination of Water Hardness
9
11/6
Combustion! – synthesis and the reactions of oxygen
12
11/13
Energy in Context: Synthesis of an Ester
13
11/20
Energy in a Peanut: Calorimetry
12/4
Lab Check-Out, Final Exam
• Experiments will be conducted on the day listed above. (* Exp. # corresponds to the number
listed in the lab manual.)