Neil Fitzgerald

MARIST COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE

Special Topics: General Chemistry II Laboratory, CHEM 394, Spring 2003

INSTRUCTORS

Tuesday 9.30 – 12.15 (section 111) & Thursday 9.30 – 12.15 (section 113)

E. Woolridge

Office: 229A

Phone: 2390

Email: elisa.woolridge@marist.edu

Tuesday 2.00 – 4.45 (section 112) & Thursday 2.00 – 4.45 (section 114)

N. Fitzgerald

Office: DN229B

Phone: 2491

Email: neil.fitzgerald@marist.edu

Required Laboratory Notebook

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

LIST OF EXPERIMENTS

1. E1: Heats of Reaction

2. E2: Heat of Reaction Part 2 – Heat of Combustion

3. E3: Kinetics of the Hydrogen Peroxide/Iodide Reaction (2 week experiment)

4. E4: A Study of Reversible Reaction (2 week experiment)

5. E5: How Acidic is Cola?

6. E6: A Quantitative Study of Buffers

7. E7: Making a Buffer

8. E8: Qualitative Analysis

9. Final Practical (2 week experiment)

Course Description

A continuation of General Chemistry Lab I. The application of theories taught in General Chemistry II. Working knowledge of spreadsheets required.

Purpose

This course is a continuation of General Chemistry I Lab. The purpose of this course is to continue to develop and reinforce laboratory techniques and procedures as well as 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

To provide experience of laboratory methodology using inquiry based experiments. Assessed by laboratory exercises and observation.

To improve mathematical, computer, data analysis, and literature skills. Assessed by examination and assignments.

To improve problem solving skills. Assessed by examination, assignments and laboratory observation.

To increase students ability in scientific writing and keeping a scientific workbook. Assessed by examination of notebooks and journal article assignments.

To increase laboratory skills. Assessed by laboratory observation.

To introduce students to experimental design. Assessed by final project and some laboratory exercises.

To increase students understanding of chemistry theory. Assessed by examination and assignments.

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)
1/21	1/23	Check-in	None
1/28	1/30	E1: Heats of Reaction	None
2/4	2/6	E2: Heat of Reaction Part 2 – Heat of Combustion	None
2/11	2/13	E3: Kinetics of the Hydrogen Peroxide/Iodide Reaction, Part 1	E1: Journal Article
2/18	2/20	E3: Kinetics of the Hydrogen Peroxide/Iodide Reaction, Part 2	E2: Assignment
2/25	2/27	E4: A Study of Reversible Reaction, Part 1	E3: Assignment
3/4	3/6	E4: A Study of Reversible Reaction, Part 2	None
3/11	3/13	E5: How Acidic is Cola?	E4: Journal Article
3/25	3/27	E6: A Quantitative Study of Buffers	E5: Assignment
4/1	4/3	E7: Making a Buffer	E6: Assignment
4/8	4/10	E8: Qualitative Analysis	E7: Assignment
4/15	4/17	Final Project	E8: Assignment
4/22	4/24	Final Project	None
4/29	5/1	Final Exam and Practical	Final Project Journal Article

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.

15% Development of 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% Development of scientific writing skills, ability to interpret results, clearly and intelligently discuss experimental results in the form of a journal article. Judged by journal article assignments (not including the project journal article).

15% 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 design and conduct an experiment to solve an assigned problem, interpret results obtained, and write professionally in the style of a journal article, as judged from the quality of the project work and Journal Article.

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