Fall 2011 George Mason UniversityGeneral Chemistry Laboratory

Instructor: Tiffany Ha e-mail: tha4@gmu.edu

211 site: https://chem211209f2011.pbworks.com/ 212 site: http://chem212203and205f2011.pbworks.com/

Office: TBA Office hours: TBA

CHEM 211-209 Wednesday 7:20 pm-10:00 pm Room:# STI 401CHEM 212-203 Thursday 10:30 am-1:20 pm Room: STI 409CHEM 212-205 Thursday 3:30 pm-6:20 pm Room: STI 409

Lab Grade: 25% of your Overall Chem Grade

• Quizzes– cover the background and theory of the experiment,

reaction equations, procedural details, applicable computations.

• Lab Reports – In lab reports– Take home analysis reports

• Final Exam

Attendance/Tardiness/Late Labs• Must attend ten of the twelve lab experiment sessions and

satisfactory reports for them handed in on time to get passing grade

• If you have a valid excuse to miss lab, let me know ASAP.• Must make up lab in another section in that week to get

credit – (e-mail the instructor + me ahead of time for

arrangements)• If tardy, can’t make up quiz/signed pre-lab• Late Lab Report/Assignments: 25% off the 1st week it’s late,

10% off afterwards

Before you come to lab – prep!!!:

•Read syllabus study the reading assignment for the lab. •background information, the procedure, as well as knowing the calculations

•Write your pre-lab in your student lab notebook•In blue lab manual, the handouts from the wiki site and also the handouts within chem.gmu.edu/results

•Daily quizzes •on the assigned reading, including the background, theory, calculations, pre-lab write-up

•Lecture •Theory/ background, data analysis, demonstrate the procedure and note changes in experiment as well as the safety/proper disposal of chemicals

During the Lab: Safety and Cleanliness!

•MUST wear at all times in the lab: goggles/lab glasses, ankle-length pants, lab coat, enclosed shoes, hair tied back•Turn off and put away all cell phone/hand held devices

•Maintain: • your bench space – put bags away in desk• the instrument space• the balance area• Do not leave anything on the balance pan and re-zero

•There may be many sources of errors from sloppy lab practices.

•If you are not sure about the proper way of handling apparatus and equipment, ask your instructor for a demonstration.

At the end of lab:

•Examine your notebook • Be certain that you have all the data necessary to write a

complete formal lab report.

•Clean your bench space, instrument/balance area

•Input raw data in computers for later retrieval of class data + analysis•Will retrieve class data on chem.gmu.edu/results to do in-

home graphs, calculations, etc. to turn in a lab report/1-2 page conclusion about your results the following week.

•You must checkout with your instructor before you leave the laboratory.

Honor Code --- Don’t cheat.

All students are expected to adhere to the University Honor Code: “Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work.” If caught cheating on an exam and lab report, the assignment will be given a “0”. The violation will be reported to the Honor Committee and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.

My personal and general idea of cheating (that is an unofficial general consensus):•Complete plagiarism/copying of another quiz, another lab report, or another textbook/website (that has not been cited)

•Using someone else’s current/old lab report and “modifying the words” and “rewriting the numbers in the calculations”….even if it is your partners

•Using a cheat sheet, writing on hand/arm/under cap/on thigh under miniskirt/under table/on water bottle labels

•Inappropriate use of electronic devices (e.g. Storing equations or information related to test material on device, communication with fellow test takers using device)

Ask for help!!!

Writing the Laboratory Notebook•Laboratory notebooks should be bound in your student lab notebook•Writing must be done in ink. (NEVER Pencil) and legible

Organizing your notebook•Anyone should be able to pick up your notebook and understand what you have written. Title page. State your name, address, and a brief indication of its purpose - ‘General Chemistry Lab I'Table of Contents. Give two pages to the Contents so that you can list the experiments and find them easily when needed.Table of abbreviations. I use abbreviations a lot - they save time and effort. If you use them, give a table to explain them.

Start each new piece of work on a fresh page.

Title of the experiment

References – in proper notation.If from manual/in pre-lab handout: “Title of Handout", Author, Publisher. Pages

(Date).If from handout given(no author): "Title of Article.” Kort, David, GMU Chem. Dept

Pages (Date).

Apparatus, Equipment, Chemicals – write both the materials and the concentration of the material being used (i.e. 0.1 M NaOH solution)

Procedure and Observations - write-up that tells what you are going to do. Comment on any special features of the materials - special storage or handling, safety

Data and Results – tables should be large to fill in data NotesCalculations – Conclusions and/or discussion -

Observations and Data.•The observations and data you record will lead to the acceptance or rejection of your hypothesis.

•The observations and data are therefore central to the whole exercise.

•They need to be:•Recorded neatly and eligibly in ink, in your lab notebook•recorded honestly and in detail•recorded as you go conduct the experiment, immediately!. •data is precious – record as completely as possible•Take care with numbers - never write-over, always cross out erroneous material with a single line and re-write the correct data.•NEVER use white-out!!!

Format•Spread your work out - It is a necessary resource for research

•Tables must be written in vertical columns, each column being headed with the quantity and the appropriate units

•Drawings need only illustrate novel apparatus - everyone knows what a beaker looks like.• Drawings should be large enough to allow labeling• Drawings should be simple and to the point.

Graphs•each graph should have the experimental title and the date written clearly

•the axes must be labeled with the quantity and its unit

•give a clear table of the data you used to plot the graph

Discussion and Conclusion•write any calculations out clearly, showing all steps, and units

•relate your results to your hypothesis • do they support or refute it?

•record any ideas you have, however brief - if you don't write them down, you'll forget them

Conclusions should state:• what you found out• whether the hypothesis was supported or not• the error limits on your answer(s)• suggestions for improvement in experimental design, if

appropriate; the error analysis will be useful here.• what to do next, if appropriate.