Organic Chemistry
Laboratory Notebook
Maintenance
Before coming to class…
• Review the POWERPOINT
presentation on the course
website for the experiment.
• Complete PRE-LAB assignment
section of laboratory notebook.
• Remember, without a
COMPLETE PRE-LAB
assignment, you will not be
allowed to do experiment!
Pre-lab Assignments
• Located at
the end of the
POWERPOINT
presentation
for each
experiment!
•Pre-lab and inlab notebook
entries vary
depending on
experiment.
Step 1:
Complete Information at top of page
Experiment title and number
Date
1. Structure, Intermolecular Forces, and Solubility
8/8/08
Name
Course
Section
Lab partner
Jane Doe
211
M 11
Joe Doe
Give lab day and time here
Step 2:
Objectives
• Always include a header.
• Give brief description of what you
are attempting to do and how you are
going to do it.
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationship between molecular
structure, intermolecular forces and solubility of
various organic and aqueous solvents using
solubility testing.
Step 3:
Table of Physical Data
• Prepare a single, organized table
including physical constants and hazards
for all chemicals in list as instructed.
• Physical data is available from MSDS
sheets! (see WWW Links on course website).
• WIKIPEDIA IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE
SOURCE!
Step 3:
Finding Physical Data
• Can use one of two sites…
– http://hazard.com/msds
– http://www.chemexper.com/
Step 4:
Reference to Procedure
• You are responsible for reading the procedure
thoroughly before coming to lab, however only need to
reference the procedure and the manual from which
it came in the PRE-LAB portion!
Experimental Procedure
(from CHML 211-212 Laboratory Manual for
Organic Chemistry, Fall 2010 , Seaton and
McCreery , p. 7)
full name of manual, publication date, and authors, and page number of
procedure!
Step 5:
Day of lab…
• Your lab instructor will initial the pre-lab
portion of your lab notebook prior to the
lab briefing.
• Without a COMPLETE pre-lab, you will
NOT be allowed to perform the
experiment.
Step 6:
During the lab…
• Note the list of requirements for the
experiment.
• Write information down in notebook as you
do it, not after you leave the room!
•DATA/CALCULATIONS
• Record which unknown was used
• Record distillation range of each fraction collected
• Record GC vial slot number for fraction #1
• Record GC vial slot number for fraction #4
• Record GC sample solvent used
• Show one EXAMPLE of an adjusted area percent
calculation
Step 7:
During and after the lab…
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
•In paragraph form, briefly describe the procedure that you actually
followed during the lab.
•Paragraph must be written in PAST TENSE, PASSIVE VOICE.
•Include any mistakes, accidents or observations if necessary.
• Each student will submit their own typewritten copy of
the procedure as performed in the lab.
• This written procedure should be based on what you
actually did, not what the lab manual told you to do
(YOUR story, not mine).
•This procedure will be due along with any lab notebook
pages along with the final lab report.
Step 8:
After the lab…
• Remove the YELLOW lab notebook
pages containing all pre-lab and in-lab
entries for the experiment and attach
them to your FINAL LAB REPORT for
grading.