1. Use basic apparatus and apply experimental methodologies used in the chemistry laboratory.
2. Demonstrate safe and proper handling of laboratory equipment and chemicals.
3. Conduct basic laboratory experiments with proper laboratory techniques.
4. Make careful and accurate experimental observations.
5. Relate physical observations and measurements to theoretical principles.
6. Interpret laboratory results and experimental data, and reach logical conclusions.
7. Record experimental work completely and accurately in laboratory notebooks and communicate experimental results clearly in written reports.
8. Design fundamental experiments involving principles of chemistry.
9.  Identify appropriate sources of information for conducting laboratory experiments involving principles of chemistry.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

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Expected Student Behavior

Safety equipment must be worn at all times:  long pants/skirt (covering at least the top half of the calf), apron or lab coat, hair back, safety goggles, and, if necessary, gloves.  No open-toed shoes, shoes with holes in them, shoes that leave the top of the foot exposed, hats of any sort, shorts, food or drink are allowed. Anyone acting in an unsafe manner will be warned once.  If seen without safety equipment or acting improperly a second time, they will be asked to leave the laboratory.  They will be allowed to return in 30 minutes to finish their work, if they can, but they must finish by the time all students who were not disciplined finish.  If they are asked to leave more than once for any given experiment, they will receive a zero for that experiment’s lab report.  Safety is the MOST important part of lab.  You must attend the safety lecture and pass the safety quiz (with an 80) before you will be allowed to perform experiments for lab.  Any experiments missed by failing to do this will be zeroes and cannot be made up.

        Use of previous semesters' work, from whatever source, is considered cheating.  If you have access to such papers, turn them in to the instructor at the beginning of the semester and they will be returned at the end.  If a student is seen to be using any other student’s work, past or present, they will receive a zero grade for that assignment and it cannot be dropped.

        Some labs will be done with partners and all will be done in close proximity to other students.  You are encouraged to discuss and/or work with your neighbors, however, working with a student does not give license to simply copy work/data.

        Please read and abide by the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

While I encourage you to come to me with questions about answers on assignments anytime, if you wish to dispute a grade or have a grade changed, you must contact me about it within two weeks of the grade being posted in AC Online or there will be no change to the grade.

Please be aware that this class is scheduled from 1 pm until 4:20 pm.  This is generally more than enough time to finish most labs, but please expect to be in class for the duration of the scheduled time, if not longer.

***This syllabus is subject to change.  You will be informed of any changes to the syllabus.***    

Grading Criteria

Lab. reports, 70%; Quizzes, 10%; Post-labs, 5% and Exam, 15%.  One low quiz and lab report grade will be dropped.  Attendance in the lab is required.  You must have completed and turned in the pre-lab from the text at the beginning of the lab period in order to be allowed to do the lab—you MUST come to lab prepared.  This means all blanks must be filled in with reasonable answers to be allowed to complete the experiment.  Generally, completion will be assessed while the class takes the quiz for that experiment.  Pre-labs will also be graded for correctness and incorrect answers will lower your lab report grade by up to 20 points.  If you arrive tardy and have missed too much of the pre-lab lecture (as determined by the instructor) you will not be allowed to begin the experiment.  Please, arrive ON TIME to avoid a zero grade.  If you do not complete the lab, you cannot turn in a lab report for that lab, but you may turn in the postlab.  A weekly quiz on the pre-lab may be given at the beginning of lab class—you must be prepared for lab before coming to lab.  Students are required to turn in the report for an experiment at the end of the lab period.  The post-lab is due the following week at the beginning of lab.  No late work is accepted.  Exact criteria for grading lab reports will be discussed during the pre-lab.  Dropping the course is the sole responsibility of the student.   The last day to drop without written permission is November 16.  You must clean up your area of the lab. It is not the instructor’s or Mr. Crofford’s job to clean up after you. Failure to leave a clean lab will result in a 10 point deduction on your lab report for that week.  If the lab in general is left messy rather than an individual’s area, the whole class may be docked points on their lab report.  All students are required to clean their laboratory equipment and check out of their locker.  Failure to check out of your locker will result in one letter grade deduction for the course.   Failure to officially withdraw will result in a grade of F.  Grades are based on 90.00+ = A, 80.00-89.99 = B, 70.00-79.99 = C, 60.00-69.99 = D, and 59.99 and lower = F.

        All grey areas of the lab reports must be in pen, only.  Whenever writing data or observations down, it must be written directly into your lab book.  Scratch paper may be used for calculations, if necessary, but if instructed to show all work, you must include it with the lab report.  You CANNOT write data (such as weights, measurements, etc.) on scratch paper then copy it into your lab book.  If you make a mistake while writing in pen, simply cross it out once and write the correct number in close-by.  Do NOT use correction fluid or tape.  If you do make a correction, it must first be approved by the instructor.

        Some possible areas to lose points in lab reports:

                no prelab turned in/insufficient answers cannot do lab/receive a zero

                incorrect answers on prelab                       up to 20 points off lab report grade

                not cleaning up lab                                              10 points

                error in experimental value                                variable (depends on class average, etc.)

      Neatness deductions:

                using white-out                                                     5 points

                writing in pencil in grey area                              5 points 

                not crossing out once only                                 1 to 5 points

                writing data on scratch paper                            5 points

                failure to have cross-out approved                  5 points

           Each incident of these in lab reports and post labs:

                incorrect significant figures                        up to 2 points

                missing labels/units                                             1 point

                calculation errors                                                 up to 5 points

                not showing all work when asked                     receive no points for that question/part of the lab

                reporting data that is not yours                        no points for any part of the lab which depends on these numbers

Make-up labs will not occur, but, with prior arrangements (at least 24 hours before) & permission of both instructors, a student may attend another section of the lab under special circumstances.  For most of the fall semester, you will need to attend a section that meets the previous week in order to complete the same experiment. 

Attendance

\ Attendance in the lab is required. 

\ Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements, should contact disAbility Services in Student Services Room 119 (Phone 371-5436) as soon as possible. 

Calendar

Additional Information

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