Tentative course schedule - CH111 - Fall 2019

You will get the most of lectures if you have done the appropriate preparation beforehand. In this course, the preparation ahead of lecture will include:

  • Reading the lab that will be discussed;
  • Watching some short videos (links in the schedule below are to helpful review videos that you should watch before lecture); and
  • Reading additional parts of the lab manual (LM), or the writing guide (WC) at the end of the lab manual.

Also, make sure to prepare for upcoming technique workshops during the labs by working through the sections in the Appendix for each technique/skill before arriving at the lab.

Date Details
T 9/3 Introductory lecture -- welcome to the course

Lecture on lab 1: tools, techniques, and dimensional analysis in quantitative analysis
W 9/4 Lab check-in, safety tour, and orientation (in the lab)
  • TopHat assignments on Professional Standards due before lab next Wednesday
Lab #1: Tools of the trade for quantitative labwork
               (post-lab for lab #1 is due two hours before the start of lab on 9/11)
T 9/10 Lecture on lab 2: estimating molecular size (and experimental design)
  • Significant figures (definition, rules)
  • Basic statistics -- mean, standard deviation
  • Concentration units
  • Types of error (uncertainty)
  • Relative standard deviation (video)
  • Make sure to read in lab manual (LM Lab 2):
    • Accuracy, Precision, Uncertainty, and Error
    • Estimating error from measurements (Type B uncertainty)
    • Other sources of experimental uncertainty
  • Preparing lab research notebooks (LM section on Notebook and Assignments, video)
  • TopHat pre-lecture assignment is due 1 hour before lecture (this will typically be the case for each lecture, unless otherwise announced)
Feedback:
  • Lab TFs provide detailed feedback and guidance on the post-lab assignments
  • Typically, TFs make an effort to have the feedback available by late Monday or Tuesday of the week following submission
  • Imporant details on how to access and interpret the feedback are presented in the "Turnitin Assignments - Getting Feedback" document posted on blackboard in the "Course Documents"
W 9/11 Lab #2: Determining the surface area of a molecule of stearic acid
               (post-labs are due two hours before the start of next lab, unless otherwise noted)

Techniques: as new techniques are being introduced in lab, you will be asked to work through the section of your lab manual about each new technique before lab. Then, in lab, there will be workshops on each technique. Before lab 2, please make sure to review the material about:
  • Laboratory practices (LM: Appendix A.1)
  • Micropipettes (LM: Appendix A.4), and
  • Balances (LM: Appendix A.3; skip A.3.2 and A.3.4).
Self-assessment of assignments: technical documents, especially in the sciences, can be challenging to perfect -- that is normal. A detailed rubric designed to help you polish your work is posted under "Course Documents" in blackboard. Use the "Post-lab Assignment Rubric" to help you assess and refine your work.
T 9/17 Lecture on lab 3: experimental design and gravimetric analysis
  • Principles of gravimetric analysis (video)
  • Hydrates (video)
Statistical analysis of experimental data (1)
W 9/18 Lab #3: Gravimetric analysis of calcium
               (post-lab is NOT due next week -- see details under W 9/25)

Techniques:
  • Glassware and measurement fundamentals (LM: Appendix A.2)
  • Glass transfer pipettes (LM: Appendix A.5), and
  • Vacuum filtration
M 9/23 Pre-lab lecture during normal lecture time (Monday, 23 September 2019 at 9:05am)

Lecture on scientific communication and argumentation
  • Introduction to scientific writing (WC 1)
  • Claims and Argument (WC 3, GRA1, GRA2)
  • Structure of scientific arguments (WC 4)
T 9/24 Midterm #1 during pre-lab lecture (Tuesday, 24 September 2019, 11am-12:15pm)
W 9/25 Lab #3: Self-efficacy and metacognition workshop
Lab #3: Data-analysis during lab
               (post-labs are due two hours before the start of next lab)
WR #1: preparing to make a strong argument (work on writing assignment #1 in lab, due next Wednesday)

Meet TFs and LAs in these rooms:
  • L1 and L2 (12:20pm) will meet in PSY B33
  • L3 and L4 (5:30pm) will meet in SCI 512

Meet one-on-one with lab instructors (TF and LA) to get progress update and feedback
T 10/1 Regular lecture (with Prof. Cui) during normal pre-lab lecture time

Recorded lecture on synthesis and stoichiometry (Lab 6) will be posted to prepare for lab 6
W 10/2 Lab #6: Synthesis and Analysis of Vanadium Compounds (Part 1)
               (no post-lab due next week)

Techniques:
  • Mass by diference (LM: Appendix A.3.2)
M 10/7 Pre-lab during normal lecture time (Monday 9:05am)

Lecture on redox reactions, yield, and stoichiometry (Lab 6)
T 10/8 Lecture on Spectroscopy -- light and matter interactions (Lab 4)
W 10/9 Lab #6: Synthesis and Analysis of Vanadium Compounds (Part 2)
               (post-labs are due two hours before the start of next lab)

Techniques:
  • Burettes (LM: Appendix A.7)
WR #2: structure of scientific papers (due next Wednesday)
M 10/14,
T 10/15		 No classes on Monday (Columbus Day), Tuesday follows a Monday's schedule at BU

No pre-lab lecture this week
W 10/16 Lab #4: Introduction to molecular spectroscopy Techniques:
  • Volumetric flasks and solutions (LM: Appendix A.6)
  • Benchtop spectrophotometers (LM: Appendix A.9)
  • Cary 60 Research-grade UV-Vis spectrophotometer (LM: Appendix A.10)
T 10/22 Lecture on lab 5: more fundamentals of molecular spectroscopy
W 10/23 Lab #5: Modeling conjugated dyes with the particle in a box model
               (post-labs are due two hours before the start of next lab on 10/30)
M 10/28 Pre-lab lecture during normal lecture time (Monday, 28 October 2019 at 9:05am)

Lecture on the structure of scientific papers and research
  • Review: structure of scientific papers (WC 4)
  • Conventions of scientific communication (WC 5)
  • Research and the scientific literature (WC 6, sections 6.1-6.3)
T 10/29 Midterm #2 during pre-lab lecture (Tuesday, 29 October 2019, 11am-12:15pm)
W 10/30 Lab #5: crafting a strong paper based on experimental results
WR #3: voice and style of scholarly papers (due next Wednesday)

Meet TFs and LAs in these rooms:
  • L1 and L2 (12:20pm) will meet in PSY B33
  • L3 and L4 (5:30pm) will meet in SCI 512
T 11/5 Lecture on lab 7: colorimetric analysis
  • Linear regression (using Excel)
  • Uncertainty from linear regression
  • Review: Solution preparation (videos 2.1-2.3)
  • It would be helpful to review the readings for lab 2 (LM).
W 11/6 Lab #7: colorimetric determination of iron
               (data analysis and questions for thought (no paper) due two hours before next lab)

Techniques: review volumetric pipettes and volumetric flasks
T 11/12 Lecture on lab 9: logistics of gas laws in the lab, back-titrations Lecture on advanced statistical analysis
  • F-tests for comparing variances of distributions
  • Two-sample (paired) t-tests for comparing distributions
W 11/13 Lab #9: Stoichiometry of Mg and HCl reaction
               (data analysis and questions for thought (no paper) due next Wednesday 2 hr before lab)

WR #4: conventions in technical writing (due after Thanksgiving: Wed, 4 December 2019 at 12noon)
F 11/15 Pre-lab lecture during normal lecture time (Friday, 15 November 2019 at 9:05am)

Lecture on lab 8: atomic spectroscopy and standard additions
  • Atomic emission/absorption spectroscopy
  • Standard additions
T 11/19 Regular lecture (with Prof. Cui) during normal pre-lab lecture time
W 11/20 Lab #8: Determination of iron in food samples
               (data analysis and questions for thought (no paper) due by Tuesday 11/26 at 11:59pm)
M 11/25 Pre-lab lecture during normal lecture time (Monday, 25 November 2019 at 9:05am)

Lecture on scientific communication in groups and peer review
  • Effective strategies for self- and peer-review
  • Working with value rubrics for assessment
T 11/26 Midterm #3 during pre-lab lecture (Tuesday, 26 November 2019, 11am-12:15pm)
W 11/27- Su 12/1 No classes, Thanksgiving recess
T 12/3 Lecture on lab 10: thermochemistry and calorimetry
W 12/4 Lab #10: Hess's law and calorimetry
T 12/10 Lecture on lab practical
W 12/11 Lab Practical

Tuesday, November 12, 2019 10:38 AM