ABRAHAM BALDWIN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

 

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

 

CHEM 1211L PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I LAB

 

SUMMER 2010

 

Lab Times                              CRN

Mo, Wed 1:15 pm                  10128

 

SYLLABUS

 

READ THOROUGHLY and KEEP FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

 

INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Barry Miburo

Office: S-216 Gray Hall

Phone: 391-5117

e-mail: bmiburo@abac.edu

 

Note: this syllabus contains policies that will be enforced by the instructor of this course, in compliance with school policies, which may be found at this link: http://www.abac.edu/bmiburo/CHEM1211/CHEM1211Sm10GenericSyllabus.htm

 

INSTRUCTOR’S OFFICE HOURS:

The best times to see me if you need help from me are Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoons, starting around 1:00 pm. Unofficial office times include whenever my office is open. You can also come see me Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoons in the lab. The details of my schedule may be found at this link: http://www.abac.edu/bmiburo/ScheduleSm10.htm.

 

ATTENDANCE:

Lab attendance is mandatory. You must attend all labs and perform all experiments. The only acceptable reports are for labs that were actually attended and performed. By school regulation, instructors will keep accurate attendance records and must report the number of absences for each student when midterm and final grades are turned in. Two tardiness instances will be equated to one absence. 2% of the class grade will be attributed to attendance. Points will be deducted from the attendance grade proportionally to the number of documented unjustified days of absence. Four or more unjustified absences will result in loss of the 2% of the class grade will be attributed to attendance. To avoid penalty, any absence will have to be justified beforehand or immediately after it has happened.

 

A student who serves as an official representative of the college will not be penalized with unexcused absences when the absences result from regularly scheduled activities in which he/she represents the college. However, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor prior to the absence and to make arrangements to make up any work that will be missed, in a manner acceptable to the instructor.

 

More information on this and other issues may be found at the following link: http://www.abac.edu/catalog/2009_2010/index.cfm.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION, PRE/CO-REQUISITES, TOPICS, AND OBJECTIVES

CHEM 1211L is the laboratory component of the first semester chemistry course. Any student taking CHEM 1211L must also be registered in the corresponding class CHEM 1211. Departure from this rule must be allowed by the appropriate authority of the school. CHEM 1211L will meet twice a week for 3 hours each time.

 

Chemistry 1211L is used to fulfill course requirements in either Area D (Science, Mathematics, & Technology) or F (Major-Specific) of your core curriculum. In Area D, the CHEM 1211L may be used to meet the lab science requirement for science majors. Non-science majors may use it in Area D of the core curriculum.

 

The experiments conducted in this lab seek to illustrate the concepts covered in the lecture. As a result, the topics covered in this lab follow closely the topics covered in the lecture. Objectives for this lab include all the various topics covered in the corresponding class including calculations and an overview of the various techniques. Safety skills will also be addressed. The experiments are designed to help students understand the connection between the experimental phenomena and their underlying principles. Skills learned in this lab include concept understanding, synthesis, analysis, and application. Computational, drawing or diagramming skills will also be learned. 

 

REQUIRED MATERIAL:

Lab Manual purchased at the bookstore. This packet will contain the majority of lab materials needed in the course. During the semester, any additional handouts will be provided to students. Students must show the lab packet purchased at the bookstore to the teacher in order to earn any credit for the lab course.

A scientific calculator is also required in order to perform calculations related to lab experiments.

 

SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES

The laboratory work will include pre-labs, lab quizzes, laboratory reports, a lab mid-term, and a lab final exam. The lab final will be completely comprehensive, covering topics from all labs.

 

PRE-LAB REPORTS AND QUIZZES

Pre-labs and quizzes will be done together. They will be done mostly online on WebCT. They are designed to help students gain familiarity with the concepts underlying the experiments to be conducted as well as the various techniques and procedures involved in those experiments. Pre-labs and quizzes are to be completed before coming to the laboratory. Otherwise a zero point grade on the relevant activity will result.

 

POST-LAB REPORTS

Each lab performed will be subject to a report. Each lab team will write one report. The only names allowed on the report sheets are those of the team members who showed up for the experiment. Labs reports will be due on the same day the experiments will be performed. Late labs will receive a grade of zero.

 

TESTS.

There will be one lab mid-term and one lab final tests. Both tests have equal weights. The midterm will cover the material of the experiments performed up to that time. The final test will cover all the material of the semester. The tests will seek to assess students’ ability to understand the concepts which govern the experiments run in the lab, as well as the data processing and interpretation, and problem-solving skills gained. Test questions will be a combination of concept understanding and problem-solving questions. Each unit test will be made of two components: in-lab and online.

 

In-lab test questions will be a combination of multiple choice and essay types. Instead of a mere statement of facts, a typical multiple choice question will also include the justification of the statement. This not only better demonstrates knowledge of the material, but it also limits to a minimum the probability of obtaining a high grade through picking the correct answer by mere luck. Rather than rote memorization, the correct answers to the questions will combine knowledge and explanation of concepts, and /or ability to rationalize phenomena and procedures, which are better tools to assess mastery of concepts and problem solving procedures. 

 

Questions in the online test components will be mostly calculations, in addition to short answers, matching and fill-in-the-blank types. The main objective of the online components will be the assessment of students’ problem solving and experimental data processing skills.

 

Instead of a mere statement of facts, a typical multiple choice question will be a statement of fact and its justification. This not only better demonstrates knowledge of the material, but it also limits to a minimum the probability of obtaining a high grade through picking the correct answer by mere luck.

 

Even though they take a considerable amount of time to grade, essay questions provide better insight into student knowledge and thinking process, which allows for better intervention to improve student knowledge quality and level when such intervention is warranted.

 

Compelling and verifiable reasons only will be accepted in order to make up a missed midterm test. The make-up test will be done at the time of the final examination, only if it was pre-approved at the time the corresponding regular test was missed. No make-ups will be allowed for the final test.

 

EVALUATION.

The laboratory grade will be determined from the evaluation of pre-labs, lab quizzes, laboratory reports, lab mid-term, and lab final exam. 

 

The average grade from pre-labs and quizzes will count as one lab test on your final lab grade. The average grade from the lab reports will also have the weight of one lab test. The mid-term and the final exam will be the other major components. 2% of the lab grade will be reserved to the conduct in lab. Students will be evaluated also based on the way they follow the lab rules. 2 points will be deducted from the grade at every violation. 

 

The lab grade will be made of the following items:

1. Pre-labs = one test

2. Reports = one test

3. Mid-term test

4. Final test.

Overall: 4 performance items, each carrying 24% of the total lab grade.

5. Attendance and Conduct: 4% of total lab grade

Total %: 100%

 

Grading Scale & Percentage/grade conversion

Percentage       Grade

90-100 %         A

80-89               B

70-79               C

60-69               D

0-59                 F

 

LOWER MIDTERM  GRADES

If the final test is higher than the mid term grade, the mid term grade may be dropped, at the discretion of the instructor and if the conduct of the student justifies it. However the grade to be dropped must be in a position to affect the letter grade of the lab in order to justify its removal.  Also the grade to be dropped must correspond to a test that was actually taken. A skipped test does not apply.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

Special accommodations will be provided for students with learning disabilities on a case-by-case basis. The learning disability must be properly documented through Student Services. Any student who fulfills learning disabilities conditions must get in touch with the teacher in order to insure his/her case will be dealt with properly and in a timely manner.

 

 

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COURSE

If a student needs to withdraw from this lab, this should be done before the deadline date of July 1st , 2010 in order to avoid grade penalty. If the course is dropped by the deadline date, the student will be awarded a grade of W. After the withdrawal date, the course can be dropped with a grade of “W” only under very extenuating circumstances. In this case, the withdrawal must be approved by the instructor and the Division Chairman (Dr. Ray Barber of the Science-Mathematics Division). Otherwise, a grade of “WF” will be awarded. CHEM 1211L is a co-requisite of CHME 1211. Dropping one leads to dropping the other. A student who simply abandons the course may be withdrawn by the instructor based on the following schedule: between the beginning of the semester and the conclusion of one-third of the semester, a student may be withdrawn by the instructor with a grade of 'W'. Between the one-third point and the mid- semester, the grade will be a “W” or a “WF” at the instructor's discretion. After the mid-semester, the grade will be a “WF” . More information on this and other issues may be found at the following link: http://www.abac.edu/catalog/2009_2010/index.cfm.

 

Even though receiving a W has no negative effect on your grade, be aware that withdrawing from a class may impact negatively your eligibility for financial aid.

 

CHEM 1211L is a co-requisite of CHEM 1211. Dropping one leads to dropping the other.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Cheating, plagiarism or any other form of dishonesty is strictly prohibitedSanctions will be imposed on anybody caught in the act. The source and the beneficiary will be punished equally.  Academic dishonesty, as defined in the Abraham Baldwin Catalog, will not be tolerated. All infractions will be dealt with according to the procedures outlined in the Catalog. Depending on the gravity and / or frequency of misconduct, sanctions may include a zero on the assignment or even failure in the class. Students are recommended to read and review this material. More information on this and other issues may be found at the following link: http://www.abac.edu/catalog/2009_2010/index.cfm.

 

CAP/HAT/ELECTRONIC DEVICES POLICY

No caps/hats will be allowed on examination days and when/if quizzes are given. Furthermore, the use of any device which can deliver and/or receive electronic messages will be strictly prohibited. The source and the destination of the messages will be sanctioned equally.

 

EYE AND HAND PROTECTION:

Students are required to wear eye and hand protection at all times in the laboratory. Students not wearing goggles and gloves in the lab will be asked to leave and no credit will be given for that particular experiment. In requiring that students wear goggles and gloves, the need for safety in the lab outweighs the need for comfort.

 

General Safety and Laboratory Rules:

1. Be familiar with laboratory procedures and safety precautions to be carried out before coming to lab. If you are at all in doubt as to any procedures or safety measures, consult with your instructor.

2. Be aware of what is happening around you at all times.

3. Use common sense at all times when in the lab.

4. Listen very carefully to any safety procedures and cautionary measures discussed by your instructor. Ask questions if you still are uncertain of any safety procedures and cautionary

measures.

5. Wear older, less valuable clothing (preferably cotton or wool) if possible. If you must wear nicer clothing, wear a lab safety coat. Some safety coats will be made available in the lab.

6. Never eat or drink in the lab.

7. Wash your hands immediately after contact with any lab chemicals. Always wash your hands before leaving the lab.

8. Wear closed, leather shoes and long pants or skirts (something to protect your legs).

9. Don't wear eye contacts in lab if at all possible.

10. Tie up long hair.

11. Help look after your lab partner and others around you.

12. Exercise special care whenever you are using flammable chemicals.

13. Never perform unauthorized experiments.

14. Learn the location of the eyewash stations and safety shower.

15. THINK SAFETY AT ALL TIMES.

 

2% of the lecture grade will be reserved for lab conduct. Following the 1st two warnings, three lab conduct citations (by the teacher) will result in forfeiture of the lab conduct grade.

 

LEAVING THE LABORATORY:

See number 7 under General Safety and Lab Rules. Clean up your area before leaving. Points will be taken off for leaving the work place dirty.

 

MISSED LABS.

A missed lab can't be made up after the time when it was on schedule. A compelling and verifiable reason for missing the scheduled lab must be given and accepted before a student can make up a lab in section other than the one in which he/she is registered.  Any lab that is not done will receive the grade of zero.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Book: S&M Lab Manual

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to perform operations, process, analyze and interpret data associated with the concepts related to density of solids and liquids.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to perform operations, process, analyze and interpret data associated with the concepts related to stoichiometry.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to perform operations, process, analyze and interpret data associated with the concepts related to reactions in aqueous solutions.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to perform operations, process, analyze and interpret data associated with the concepts related to gas laws.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to perform operations, process, analyze and interpret data associated with the concepts related to Lewis structures & molecular shapes of molecules and polyatomic ions

 

 Summer 2010

 

CHEM 1211L Lab Schedule (Learning objectives: shown in parentheses after each lab)

Miburo                                                               

Gray 106

 

M-F Dates

Monday Lab Exercise

1:15-4:05pm

Wednesday Lab Exercise

1:15-4:05pm

June 7-11

Check-in, Safety, and Procedures

Mon June 7, First Class Day

Density of Liquids and Solids (1)

June 14-18

Nomenclature of Compounds*

Oxidation numbers*

June 21-25

Empirical Formula (2)

Balancing Chemical Equations*

 

June 28-July 2

Thurs. July 1, Midterm Day

Lab Midterm Exam

Synthesis of a Copper Compound (2)

July 5-9

Independence Day Holiday

No Lab

Analysis of a Copper Compound (2)

July 12-16

Reactions in Aqueous Solutions (3)

Solution Stoichiometry (2,3)

July 19-23

Molar Mass of a Gas (4)

 

Grahams’ Law of Diffusion (4)

July 26-30

Lewis Structures (5)*

Lab Final

Wed. July 28, Last Class Day

Final Lecture Exams

July 29 & 30

 

*Dry Labs