Chem 260 Lab Schedule

Chemistry and biochemistry are experimental sciences and experience working in lab is an essential part of most courses in our department. The particular focus of the Chem 260 lab is investigating the thermodynamic, equilibrium, and kinetic properties of reactions. During the semester you will learn how to make quantitative measurements with appropriate precision and accuracy, learn how to use several routine quantitative methods of analysis, learn how to design and carry out experiments, learn how to evaluate critically experimental data, learn how to report responsibly the results of an experiment, and learn how to work as part of a small research team.

Weekly Schedule

The schedule below outlines the work we will complete during our lab sessions. The title of each experiment is a link to a shared Google Drive folder with documents and files that you will need to complete your work.

Preliminary Experiments

• • (week of January 29th): Essential Lab Skills

  • (week of February 5th): Modeling Experimental  Data

  • (week of February 12th): Quantitative Analysis Using Titrimetry

  • (week of February 19th): Studying a Reaction Using Spectrophotometry

Open-Ended Project-Based Experiments

• • (weeks of February 26th, March 4th, and March 11th): Thermodynamics of Hydrogen Peroxide's Decomposition 

  • (weeks of March 18th, April 1st, and April 8th): Acid Dissociation of Organic Dyes 

  • (weeks of April 15th, April 22nd, and April 29th): Kinetics of the Bleaching of Dyes 

General Lab Policies

Laboratory Notebook

Our collective confidence in chemistry and biochemistry depends on experimentation that is well documented; for this reason, you will maintain a permanent electronic record of your work in lab that is accessible at all times to each member of your group and to your instructor via a shared folder on a Google Drive. 

Lab Reports

You will present the results of your work in lab through a series of reports. The reports for the preliminary experiment emphasize how to use spreadsheets to organize and summarize data,  and how to communicate results using well-designed figures and tables. For each of the three project-based experiments you will prepare, as a group, a poster that presents your collective work. For one of the three project-based experiments you also will present your group's poster to me as an oral report. 

Grading

The reports for the preliminary experiments are worth 25 points each. For the project-based experiments, each poster is worth 100 points, and the oral report is worth 50 points.  An assessment of your contributions to group work by your peers accounts for 25 points. Attendance is worth 25 points, with one point deducted each time you are up to 10 minutes late, three points each time you are up to 20 minutes late, and five points each time you are more than 20 minutes late.

Making Good Use of Time

You can complete all laboratory work in the time available if you come to lab prepared. At a minimum you should read the experiment before coming to lab and think through what you need to accomplish during the laboratory period. You also should familiarize yourself with the instrumentation and software by reading the relevant materials accessible through this web page. For project-based experiments, it is essential that you meet with your group before you begin work and to meet between laboratory sessions to evaluate your data and to make plans for further work; this planning and discussion is critical to your success.

Safety in the Laboratory

Although a chemistry or biochemistry laboratory is equipped with chemicals and equipment that can result in injuries, there is no reason that a laboratory is inherently less safe than other environments where one is exposed to caustic and/or reactive materials, sharp objects, and hot items. You can work safely in a laboratory if you pay attention to how you dress for lab, how you prepare for lab, how you work while in the lab, and how you clean up at the end of lab. You will receive a copy of the department's policy regarding laboratory safety; an additional essay on working safely in lab is included in your group's shared Google Drive folder.

Working as Part of a Team

Working with other students as part of a small research team is a rewarding experience. There is an abundance of evidence in the educational literature that the process of discussing an experiment with peers leads to a deeper understanding of the specific experiment and the broader science that underlies the experiment. In addition, working as part of a group is a valuable skill that is of increasing importance to employers, to graduate programs, and to health professionals. Indeed, you will spend most of your professional career working closely with others. An effective group, however, does not happen without some effort on your part. Some tips on working as a group that will help you get more out of this experience is included in your group's shared Google Drive folder.