Introduction to Chemistry Laboratory I, Chem 113

FALL 2009

Dr. Suzanne Theresa Mabrouk

General Information

Class Schedule: R 1:00-2:50 pm or 3:00-4:50 pm in Byrd Hall room 201 for lecture and room 204 for the laboratory
Office Number: Byrd Hall room 401
Office Hours: If you have difficulty with the course concepts or have questions, please feel free to drop by for help. If the office hours do not coincide with your free time, then make an appointment. Keep in mind that regular help will assist you in mastering the material. If you find that I am already helping other students during office hours, ask if you may join. I usually help more than one student at a time, with each student having the opportunity to interject questions.

M 10-11 am
W 1-2 pm
R 9-10 am
F 9-10 am
open door policy
appointments

Phone Number: 953-7788
Email Address: mabrouks@citadel.edu
If you need help at night, the best way to reach me is via email. I am never receptive to phone calls at home.

General Course Information

Required Text: Introduction to Chemistry in the LaboratoryI Chem 113 by the Department of Chemistry, The Citadel, 2009.
Blackboard Materials (Bb): Notes.
Required Equipment: Students must purchase the following items from the cadet bookstore and bring them to the laboratory for storage in student locker: laboratory goggles and apron. Students must also bring a calculator to each laboratory meeting, since calculations must be performed on the spot.
Co-requisite: Chem 103
Course Objective: By taking this course concurrently with Introduction to Chemistry I, Chem 103, the student will gain laboratory experience and the opportunity to verify or to invalidate concepts taught in lecture. By the end of this course, students will be able to:

write decimal numbers in scientific notation
identify how many significant figures a number has
convert units from one system of measurement to another
use the appropriate glassware for volume measurements
identify ions by their flame tests
write electronic configurations
name inorganic compounds
determine the amount of water in a compound
know the relationship between solubility and temperature
determine the concentration of a solution via titration and
determine the presence of ions in an unknown solution via chemical test reactions.

Lectures

Lecture notes can be found for most experiments in Bb. Student notes can be accessed using the student's six-digit CIT number without the letters CIT or any dashes as the username. Initially the password is set to the last four digits of a student's social security number; the password can be re-set at any time by the student.
Prior to class, students must print and study the notes in preparation for that day's quiz.

Course Notebook: Students should keep their lecture notes, graded laboratory reports, and quizzes in a three-ring notebook. By keeping all material pertaining to a class in the same place, students can easily find information whenever necessary. Students can also keep track of their own performance in class and calculate their grade to date.
Electronic devices: PDAs and laptop computers are allowed in the classroom for note taking only. Cell phones must be set on vibrate or silent. Students must bring a calculator to each class meeting for working problems. The calculator may not be pre-programmed with formulas and no conversion keys on the calculator may be used. Only calculators may be on the desk during a quiz. Only calculators may be used on quizzes (no PDAs, cell phones, and other alterantive electronic devices, which can contain additional aids. Calculators may not be shared. The instructor will not lend calculators to students.

Course Grading Policy

Honor in the Class: All students will adhere to the Citadel honor code described in The Guidon, and as such will not cheat on any work submitted to the instructor for a grade. Cheating will not be tolerated! Quizzes will be taken indepenedently of any people, written material, lecture notes, or textbooks. Lab reports will be written independently of any people or old reports.
Quizzes: The week following completion of each experiment, there will be a quiz addressing the related chemical concepts, terms, lab techniques and their purpose, relevant calculations, and safety practices of that experiment and the reading for the new experiment. The first quiz will address the course syllabus, the first 23 pages of the laboratory textbook (pp. ix-xxiv), the identification of glassware (pp. xxi-xxii), and the reading of the first experiment. At the end of the course, there will be an assessment quiz that addresses the major concepts of each experiment. Quizzes are used to assess a student's understanding of the experiment (the calculations, chemical reactions, concepts, purpose, terms/definitions, techniques, etc.). Quizzes can not be made up. Students are responsible for missed experiments and as such are required to take the next week's quiz. Quizzes will include multiple choice, short answer, and calculational questions. All quizzes to date count at mid semester. At the end of the semester, two quizzes will be dropped. Quizzes constitute 60% of the course grade.
Laboratory Reports: Report sheets are due the next lab meeting following completion of each experiment. Students are required to work independently of any people on the lab reports. Report sheets will not be accepted late, since students must learn how to meet deadlines and how to respect the time of others. If a student anticipates an absence, he/she should submit the report early or give it to a classmate for submission. Do not submit a report on an experiment that you did not perform; this action is an honor violation! At mid semester all reports count. At the end of the semester, two lab reports will be dropped. Reports constitute 40% of the course grade.
Final Exam: There is no final exam in this lab course.
Lab Duty: Each week, each student will sign-up for a specific clean-up duty . This task must be performed following completion of the experiment and before leaving the laboratory. The student must then have that area and their bench checked by the instructor before leaving . Until the instructor approves the work, the student may not leave.
Make-up: There are no make-up labs in this course regardless of circumstances, legitimate or not!. However, two quizzes and two reports will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Midterm Grade: At mid semester all current grades will count towards the mid term grade. The gradeing scale appears below.
Final Course Grade: At the end of the course, the two lowest quiz grades and the two lowest lab report grades will be dropped and the remainder averaged independently. The formula and scale that appears below will be used to assign grades.
Formula for Determining Midterm and Final Course Grade:

Final Course Grade = (Quiz Avg)(0.60) + (Lab Report Avg)(0.40)

Scale for Midterm and Final Course Grades:

A: 100-90
B: 89-80
C: 79-70
D: 69-60
F: 59-0

LD Students

It is the responsibility of these students to provide the professor with written documentation from OASIS regarding any special needs. According to Citadel policy, all letters addressing special needs must be processed by OASIS. Letters from OASIS must be received by this professor at least two days prior to the test and mutually acceptable arrangements must be made by this same timeframe between the professor and the student. All tests will be administered in the presence of this professor.

Laboratory Class Format

At 2:00 pm, students will be allowed to ask questions about the previous experiment and the reading for the new experiment.
The quiz will be adminstered for 15-20 minutes.
A brief and thorough lecture will be given on the day's experiment.
Students will then conduct the experiment in compliance with safety regulations.
Students will clean their bench space.
Students will return all standard issue equipment to the locked drawer and all borrowed equipment to the appropriate location in the lab room.
Students will perform a lab duty and obtain the professor's approval for all work before leaving lab.

Laboratory Attendance and Conduct (labcintro.htm)

Attendance at each lab is mandatory, as described in the college catalog p. 25. Students are not excused for any reason from lab. Students who miss a lab will earn a 0 on the missed quiz and unsubmitted report; they are still held accountable for the missed experiment and as such will be required to take the next quiz on their return. There are no make-ups, regardless of circumstances (legitimate or not)!

Students should arrive on-time if not early.
Tardy students should enter class quietly and take their seat. They should not ask the professor to repeat previously stated material.

Students are held repsonsible for learning all material discussed in class and performed in the laboratory, even when a student is absent. Absent students should copy the notes of classmates and discuss any difficulties with the professor before the next experiment, since the student will be required to take the quiz on the missed material.
Students should not speak while the professor or a classmate is speaking.
Students should speak respectfully to the professor and all classmates.
When a student has a question, the student should raise the hand and wait to be recognized.

Record the question in the margins of your notes along with the professor's response. This information will be invaluable as you study.

Sleeping is prohibited in this professor's classroom. The first time a student is caught sleeping the student will be directed to the back of the classroom. The second offense by any student will result in the removal of that student and any future sleeping student from the classroom. Sleeping during class prevents one from learning important concepts and the appropriate safety hazards of the experiment. Any student removed from the lecture will not be allowed to conduct the day's experiment, since critical safety information is given during the lecture.
I will take attendance in the lab room, about halfway through the experiment. Students who take the lab quiz but do not perform the experiment will be turned into the Commandant's Office as Leaving Class without permission.
Students will not be allowed to enter class late.
Food, drink, smoking, and tobacco are prohibited in Byrd Hall.
The use of profane language is unacceptable in the presence of this professor.
Uniforms should not be fixed in the lab room.

Student's Attitude

Since you may want a letter of recommendation in the future, conduct yourself in a professional way. Remember your words, attitude, and work ethic leave a lasting impression in the minds of those around you, including the professor. Therefore, ...

be present, both in body and mind (the latter being most important!)
be presentable (clean and kempt)
have a positive attitude
be friendly
be outgoing
ask genuine questions
try to learn the material
ask for help early
make good and effective use of your time and the time of others
have meaningful conversations
choose your words carefully and wisely
above all else be genuine

How to Study for Chem 113 Quizzes

Introductory chemistry laboratory classes require regular study. Students expecting to study the night before a quiz and do well will find that this technique results in a quiz score of F. If you would like to succeed in Chem 113, study regularly by doing the following...

attend all laboratory classes and if you miss a class copy missed notes from responsible and intelligent classmates and discuss any difficulties with the professor
read the related experiment in the laboratory manual, jotting questions into the margins
print and read laboratory notes from WebCT before the next class meeting, jotting questions into the margins
stop by the professor's office with questions; do not wait until the next class meeting
prepare and study flashcards of each term in the experiment using index cards (place the term on one side and the definition on the reverse side of the card)
study with classmates, taking turns to quiz each other on the experiment
think about the purpose of each step of the experimental procedure and how you conducted each step
know the name and appearance of each piece of equipment used in each step of the procedure
know the purpose of any chemical test reactions and the evidence and conclusion for a positive test
know how to interpret any collected data from the experiment
know how to perform any necessary calculations and their siginificance

Quiz Attendance and Etiquette

Quizzes can not be made up regardless of circumstances, legitimate or not!
Quizzes are closed book.
Quizzes will not be scaled, regardless of class performance.
Do not use red pen to write your quiz, since the professor will be using red ink to grade the test/final exam. Pencil is best, since you can erase mistakes.
Students may only use scrap paper provided by the professor. All used scrap paper must be submitted to the professor at the end of the quiz.
Be quiet during a quiz.
If you have a question during the quiz, leave your seat, bring your quiz, and whisper your question to the professor. The only legitimate questions are those for which the student is seeking clarification of a quiz question.
Print and sign your complete name on each quiz in order for a grade to be awarded.
After you have submitted your quiz, do not ask the professor to assess the quality of your quiz answers. Such discussions are distracting to classmates who are still writing the quiz.
Quiz scores will only be made available at the next class meeting and not before. Quizzes will not be given to classmates in compliance with FERPA.

Quiz Taking Strategies

Prior to starting the quiz, obtain scrap paper from the professor and jot down any charts or helpful information that may become mangled in your mind later. Then you can consult this information while writing the quiz.
Solve all problems that you know immediately, skipping all others at the present time. Place a star beside any questions that you are skipping temporarily.
After solving the easy problems, solve those with a star beside them.
Throughout the testing period look at the clock so that you work with regard to the availability of time. Do not expect nor demand extra time from the professor to complete your quiz. No extra time will be granted.
Solve mathematical problems multiple times, by covering up your original solution and solving the problem fresh. Enter the data into the calculator multiple times as well. Compare set-ups and final answers, selcting the most appropriate one if there is a difference. Also estimate the calculation, comparing the estimated value to the clauculated value, if they differ, re-check both. Both answers should be in agreement, outside of exactness and significant figures/units.

Lab Practices

To prevent food poisoning from chemicals in the lab, food, drink, tobacco, smoking, and gum are all prohibited in the lab.
To prevent eye loss, students must wear goggles at all times while working in the chemistry lab. Any student caught working without adequate eye protection will be required to wash their eyes at the eyewash station.
Sandals, crocs, or any other open toed shoe may not be worn in the lab, since they do not protect the feet from broken glass or chemical spills. Closed-toe shoes must be worn in the laboratory.
Long hair must be pulled back and secured behind the head.
Students will alert the professor of broken glassware, mercury spills, and any accidents that happen.
Students will adhere to the safety precautions given for each experiment to minimize risk.
Any student endangering the life of a classmate or the professor will be removed from the lab permanently.
To minimize exposure to harmful chemicals, students will recap bottles following usage.
Students will dump all chemicals in the appropriate waste bottle in the hood.
Students will clean their bench space after each expertiment, leaving it empty of all glassware and other paraphenalia.
After using weigh trays, the container will be placed in the trash, the ceramic crocks.
Students will return all of their issued equipment to their locked drawer.
Students will return all borrowed equipment to the appropriate location in the room before leaving each day. Students in other sections will use this same equipment, so if it is not returned they will not have it to use.
No chemicals or equipment may leave the laboratory.

This page was created by Dr. Suzanne T. Mabrouk (mabrouks@citadel.edu) on 8/98 (last updated: 8/21/09).