Lecture 1a
Course Overview I
• Why do students take chemistry labs?
• Most lecture courses provide a theoretical background
in general and in organic chemistry but usually do not
consider the practical aspects of the experiment much
• Conducting an experiment in lab is often times much
more complicated than chemistry conducted on paper
because many details have a significant impact on the
overall outcome of the experiment
• Performing an actual experiment in the lab is a learning
experience on how to combine many theoretical and
practical aspects together (i.e., theory of the reaction,
Le Châtelier Principle, polarity, acidity, kinetics, etc.)
Course Overview II
• Experiments and Activities
• Meeting 1 : Check-in, Coenzyme Synthesis of Benzoin, Molecular Modeling (I)
• Meeting 2: Elimination Reaction: Cyclohexene (Simple Distillation)
• Meeting 3: Reduction of D-(+)-Camphor: (-)-Isoborneol/(+)-Borneol
(GC Analysis, Polarimetry)
• Meeting 4: Oxidation of Benzoin (Phase Transfer Catalysis), Molecular
Modeling (II) (Recrystallization, Column Chromatography, HPLC)
• Meeting 5: Aldol Condensation (TLC analysis, UV-Vis, Recrystallization)
• Meeting 6: Diels-Alder Reaction (Recrystallization)
• Meeting 7: Synthesis and Identification of an Ester (Extraction, Vacuum
Distillation, NMR spectroscopy)
• Meeting 8: Grignard Reaction (Asymmetric Synthesis) (Recrystallization,
GC analysis)
• Meeting 9: Finish up Grignard Reaction/ NMR Simulations (ACD)
• Meeting 10: Clean-up, Check-out, Web Spectra – Combined Spectra Problems
Administrative Issues
• Make sure that you arrive on time to your first in-lab meeting
because if you are more than 15 minutes late, you will lose your
spot in the course.Excuses do not count later on i.e., “I did not
think that the lab meets during week 1” or “I did not find the lab”.
The first labs will meet on 1/6/2015 at 1 pm.
• Wait-listed students will be accommodated if space becomes
available (N<20): chemistry, biochemistry > other majors >
extension students, priority in within a group will be given to
seniority
• If you are added to the roster, the instructor will report you to
the department to been enrolled (usually at the end of week 1),
so do not ask about this issue before beginning of meeting 2.
• Note that the online quiz system is independent from URSA
and is administered by the instructor! It will not be active
before the end of meeting 1.
Textbooks/Readers
• The course reader bundle (= main reader (dark red), the
Survival Kit reader (=SKR, orange) and the exam collection
(light red)) is available from Course Reader Materials (1081
Westwood Blvd.) for $60. It is highly advisable to have the
latest version (Winter 2015) because this is the basis for the
experiments and the quizzes/final exam.
• Recommended: Mohrig et al., Techniques in Organic
Chemistry (online: $33.99 (3rd edition, 360 days) or $43.99
(4th edition, 180 days) via coursesmart), most students
usually have a copy already if they were recently enrolled
in Chem 30AL
• Organic textbook for reference i.e., Brown and Foote,
McMurry, Wade, Vollhardt and Schore, etc.
Preparation for In-lab Meeting I
• Pre-lab write-up (for more details consult your TA)
• Title
• Purpose
• Introduction (balanced chemical equations, mechanism,
key steps in the procedure)
• Detailed procedure
• Safety information of ALL chemicals used in the project
• Physical properties of ALL chemicals (melting point, boiling point,
solubility, etc.)
• Spectroscopic information (Xerox copy of infrared spectra (reactants
and product) have to be included)
• Reference section
• Answers to pre-lab questions posted on the course website
(for sample report see SKR 9)
Preparation for In-lab Meeting II
• Online quizzes
• Take the online quiz if is required (meeting 2 through meeting 8)
until 60 minutes before your in-lab meeting. However, it is not
advisable to wait until 12 pm to take the online quiz in case
technically difficulties arise.
• The link to the online quiz is posted on the homework assignment.
• Note that even though you can view/print the online quiz several
times, you can take the quiz only once.
• No answer keys will be posted. If you have problems with the
quizzes (less than 7 points), you should see the teaching assistant
or the instructor to clarify topics before you attend the lab.
• The first quiz will not be active before 1/9/2015 at 2 pm due
to enrollment issues. Please check early if you can log on to
the system so that any problems can be resolved if needed.
Preparation for In-lab Meeting III
• Bottom line: The better you understand what you
are about to do, the easier it will be in the lab. If
you put in the time beforehand, you will be less
stressed in the lab. Copying reports from
friends/room mates, etc. might safe time initially,
but it will show in the end (=final exam), where
many of these students have experienced a
Waterloo in the final exams.
Grades
• In-lab quiz (20 points max, starting meeting 2, seven total)
• Online quiz (10 points max, starting meeting 2, seven total)
• Infrared assignment (40 points max, due January 23, 2015 at 4:30 pm,
no late submissions will be accepted)
• Extra credit project (20 points= 5 points pre-lab + 15 points report, no late
submissions will be accepted)
• Library assignment (10 points, no late submissions will be accepted)
• Lab notebook (20 points max, due immediately after final exam)
• Pre-lab (5 points max)
• Post-lab (5 points max, no post-lab questions!)
• TA/Instructor evaluation (10 points max per meeting, average student
7-8 points)
• Final Exam (March 18, 2015 from 3:00-6:00 pm, room tba)
(210 points max). There will be no make-up final exam.
• Bottom line: Both the in-lab portion and the final exam have to be
passed to pass the course. In order to get a high grade in the course,
the student has to perform very well in both portions, not just in one
portion.
Instructor Information
• Office: Young Hall 3077E
• Office hours: M-F 10-11 am and M 3-4 pm in YH 3077 or by appointment
(please do not schedule an appointment before 8 am or after 4:30 pm, if you
do make an appointment, make sure to show up on time!)
• Email: bacher@chem.ucla.edu
• Course website: www.chem.ucla.edu/~bacher (Please note that the
instructor does not use CCLE website)
• Course discussion board: www.piazza.com/ucla/winter2015/chem30bl
• The course discussion board has to be used for general questions only.
This means that you cannot post homework or quiz questions!
• Sign up for Scifinder asap