MARIST COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE

Special Topics: General Chemistry I Laboratory, CHEM 390, Fall 2002

INSTRUCTORS

Tuesday 2 – 4.45 (sections 111/112):

N. Fitzgerald                                     T. Kojinskaia
Office: DN229B                                 Email:kojinskaia@yahoo.com
Phone: 2491
Email: neil.fitzgerald@marist.edu

Tuesday 9.30 – 12.15 (section 115)
J. Galbraith
Office: DN231A
Phone: 2264
Email: john.galbraith@marist.edu

Thursday 2 – 4.45 (sections 113/114)

E. Woolridge                                     T. Kojinskaia
Office: 229A                                     Email:kojinskaia@yahoo.com
Phone: 2390
Email: elisa.woolridge@marist.edu

Required Laboratory Notebook

Dennison Stationary Products Co. Model #43-648 (or similar)

Course Website

http://www.academic.marist.edu/~jfjp (click ‘courses’ button then ‘general chemistry 1 lab’)

LIST OF EXPERIMENTS

1. Experimental Methods in Science

2. Glassware: a look at laboratory precision

3. Line Spectra

4. Magnetochemistry (video lab)

5. Qualitative Analysis: precipitation reactions

6. A Look at Airbags

7. The Copper Cycle

8. Titration of Vinegar

9. Molecular Shapes

10. A Look at Gas Behavior

12. Freezing Point Depression

13. Final Practical

Course Description

A beginning formal study of experimental methods and techniques. Experiments apply principles learned in General Chemistry I and furnish observations upon which lecture discussions are based.
 
 
 
 

Purpose

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to laboratory techniques and procedures as well as to develop skills in problems solving, scientific writing, and good scientific methodology. These skills are essential in all scientific disciplines and should benefit all science majors. The application of problem solving by development and testing of a hypothesis can have benefits in many areas of study and life in general. The course also aims to reinforce some chemistry theory with practical examples.
 
 

Goals and Assessment


 
 

Schedule of Laboratory Work and Assignments

The work for the course is summarized in the table below.
 
Date Experiment Assignment Due (before end of week)
9/3 9/5 E1:Experimental Methods None
9/10 9/12 E2: Glass: a look at laboratory precision

Safety tours and quiz

Check in

 E1: Journal article - discussion section.

E2: Safety quiz completed during lab period
9/17 9/19 E3: Line Spectra Excel worksheet
9/24 9/26 E4: Magnetochemistry (video experiment) E3: Journal article – introduction section
10/1 10/3 E5: Quantitative Analysis: Precipitation Reactions E4: Journal article – results section
10/8 10/10 E6: A Look at Airbags E5: Determination of unknown flow diagram. 
10/15 10/17 E7: Copper Cycle E6: Journal article – abstract section
10/22 10/24 E8: Titration of Vinegar E7: Balanced reactions
10/29 10/31 E9: Molecular Shapes E8: Journal article – experimental section

E9: Worksheet completed in lab period
11/5 11/7 E10: A Look at Gas Behavior None
11/12 11/14 E11: Freezing Point Depression E10: Graphs
11/19 11/21 Final Practical E11: Calculations
11/26 11/28 No Lab None
12/3 12/5 Final Practical None
12/10 12/12 Check out Final Practical: Full journal artcle

 
 
 

Academic and Scientific Honesty

Academic and scientific honesty is expected. Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism of work, and cheating in quizzes will result in a zero grade for the work and could result in failure in the course or dismissal from the college. In submitted written work, all sources of information should be referenced and the wording either rephrased or placed within quotations. Scientific dishonesty is treated very seriously in many professions (e.g. it could lead to job dismissal, the acquittal of a guilty criminal or being ostracized by the scientific community). Examples of scientific dishonesty include copying someone else’s results, fabricating or changing results to get the expected value (note that the expected result may well be incorrect) or erasing mistakes from a notebook (they should be crossed out, initialed and a brief explanation added). Your notebook will be inspected periodically to check for scientific dishonesty. Anyone found to have been scientifically dishonest will be asked to repeat the work or given a zero grade. A separate statement on academic dishonesty will be provided at the beginning of the semester and must be signed and returned before you will be allowed to continue with the course. Signing this statement certifies that you have read and understood it and that you agree to abide by all the regulations stated.

Excused Absences

Students should plan to attend all laboratory periods, lectures and quizzes at the scheduled times. The only accepted reasons for absences are a death in the family, illness or official college business. You must obtain the appropriate documentation for any such absence. Please give at least a week notice, if possible, of an excusable absence so that plans can be made to reschedule.

Grading Policy

10% Preparedness and understanding of material prior to each experiment. As judged by quality of prelab assignments.

20% Performance of all experiments, laboratory technique (including lab safety), understanding of the procedures and proper maintenance of the laboratory notebook. Judged by laboratory observation and examination of laboratory notebooks.

30% Development of writing skills in preparing journal articles and computer skills in using spreadsheets for computations; demonstration of understanding of the content of the course, including chemical principles and interpretation of experimental results, as judged from the quality of written assignments.

20% Demonstration of understanding of the content of the course, including chemical principles and interpretation of experimental results, as judged by final examination.

20% Ability to write professionally, especially to write a report of research in the form of journal articles, as judged from the quality of the Journal Article assignment.

 Your grade will be determined by calculating the percentage of points you have earned out of all available points, and comparing your percentage to the standard grading scale (A= >90.00%, B=80.00-89.99%, etc.) with appropriate adjustments made for + and - grades.

The instructor reserves the right to use subjective evaluations to elevate any student’s grade at the end of the semester, but I will not do this to lower any student’s grade. I will make every effort to ensure that your final grade corresponds to the Grading System as described in the program catalog. No grades will be dropped.

Points of Order

1. Assignments are due on time, and there is a late penalty. An assignment is considered late if it is not turned in on the due date. The late penalty is ten percent per day, with a minimum grade of forty percent. When the minimum grade is assigned, the student is not entitled to the instructor's critique of the work. If the assignment is not handed in by the time the student is eligible for the minimum grade, no credit at all will be awarded.

2. Remember to bring the key to your drawer every time; there is a twenty-five cent charge for having the laboratory assistant open your drawer with the master key.

3. Safety rules must be strictly complied with. These will be discussed at the first meeting. The instructor should not have to remind you to wear your lab coat, gloves, and safety glasses in the laboratory.

4. Please keep all public areas clean. Spills should be wiped up immediately; consult an instructor as to how to do this safely. Under no circumstances should spilled chemicals be left on the balances. If solution drips down the side of a dispensing bottle, please rinse it off so that the next student is not inconvenienced or endangered.

5. Keep your own work area neat and clean. Sloppy work habits beget accidents. Two or three sheets of paper towel may be used to define a "clean" area of your work space where you may lay clean glassware.

6. The only vessel to be filled from the carboys of distilled water in the laboratory is your laboratory wash bottle, and a clear glass bottle which you may keep in your desk for the purpose of making up solutions.

7. In the interest of safety, shoes must be properly laced and long hair tied back.