Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Course

CHEM-1111-001 Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: CHEM 1311 or concurrent enrollment

Course Description

Basic laboratory experiments supporting theoretical principles presented in CHEM 1311; introduction of the scientific method, experimental design, data collection and analysis, and preparation of laboratory reports.

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Department Expectations

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Hours

(1 sem hr; 3 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Laboratory Manual:  Principles of General Chemistry, A. G. Foster, 2003 Revision

Supplies

Materials supplied by the Student:  safety goggles, lab coat or apron, pencil, pen, scratch paper, calculator

Student Performance

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

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

Student Rights and Responsibilities

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In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Safety equipment must be worn at all times:  long pants/skirt (coming to at least mid-calf), apron or lab coat, long hair tied back, safety goggles, and, if necessary, gloves (will be specified).  No open-toed shoes, shoes with holes in them, shoes that leave the top of the foot exposed, hats, shorts, food, drink, tobacco, or gum are allowed. Shirts should cover the back and torso. Students should move carefully in lab, use caution with open flames, and clean thieir work spaces before leaving. Violations of safety rules will lead to point deductions; for repeated violations of safety rules, a student will be asked to leave the laboratory. Safety is the MOST important part of lab.  You must attend the safety presentation, pass the safety quiz (with an 80) and complete prelab material 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 a previous semester’s 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. Students will not receive credit for any part of an experiment where data has been shared/copied with another group.

You must clean up your area of the lab. It is not the instructor’s or Dr. Jia’s job to clean up after you. Points will be deducted from the lab if your lab area must be cleaned up for you.

Efficient Use of Time:  Please be aware that this class is scheduled for three hours and twenty minutes.  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.

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

Grading Criteria

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. 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 post lab.  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 lecture. Any student wishing to withdraw from the course must contact the instructor.   The last day to drop is November 22.

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 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, and 59 and lower = F.  Final grades will be rounded to the nearest whole number and will not be curved.

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, show it to the instructor for approval.  Please write legibly; if I can’t read an answer, it is wrong.

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.)]

Each incident of these in lab reports:

using white-out  [5 points]

writing in pencil in grey area  [5 points (even if you go back and write over in ink or erase)]

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  [1 points]

missing labels/units  [1 point]

missing reaction states [ 1 point]

calculation errors  [5 points]

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

 

Grade Disputes:  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 one week of the paper being returned or there will be no change to the grade.

Overall Grade:  It is the students’ responsibility to keep track of their overall grade based on Lab Reports - 65%, Post Labs - 10%, Quizzes – 10%, Exam - 15%.  The lowest quiz, lab report, and post lab grade will all be dropped.

Attendance

Attendance in the lab is required.

There are no make-up labs. For any lab involving actual work with chemicals, the student must be present for the duration of the activity. If there is a one-time conflict, a student might be able to attend lab with another section. This requires advance permission from the instructor(s) and a section which is not completely full.  The lowest lab grade will be dropped.

According to Amarillo College policy, any student who has not attended class by the 12^th class day will be automatically dropped and will not be allowed to re-enroll.

Calendar

Additional Information

INFORMATION SHEET/SIGNATURE:  You must fill out and return the information sheet for this class.  You must also sign it to signify that you have read and understand the syllabus.  

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