Tentative course schedule - CH109 - Fall 2018

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
W 9/5 Welcome to course, syllabus
  • Read section on "Professional standards" (LM)
Lecture on lab 1: tools, techniques, and approaches in quantitative analysis Optional worksheet and tutorial on dimensional analysis (PDF)
M 9/10,
T 9/11 		Lab check-in, safety tour, and orientation (in the lab)
  • TopHat assignments on Professional Standards due before lab today
Lab #1: Tools of the trade for quantitative labwork
               (post-labs are due two hours before the 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 one-on-one workshops on each technique. Before lab 1, 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).
When lab 1 is complete (and submitted), review basic statistics and data handling (also see Top Hat):
W 9/12 Lecture on lab 2: estimating molecular size (and experimental design)
  • Make sure to complete the reading/watching related to lab 2 that is listed above
  • 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 a strong effort to have the feedback available by Sunday night after the assignment has been submitted.
  • 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"
M 9/17,
T 9/18 		Lab #2: Determining the surface area of a molecule of stearic acid
               (post-labs are due two hours before the next lab, unless otherwise noted)

Techniques:
  • Glassware and measurement fundamentals (LM: Appendix A.2)
  • Glass transfer pipettes (LM: Appendix A.5), and
  • Burettes (LM: Appendix A.7).
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.
W 9/19 Lecture on lab 3: stoichiometry and titrations
M 9/24,
T 9/25 		Lab #3: redox titrations with permanganate

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)
W 9/26 Lecture on spectroscopy and light (lab 4)
M 10/1,
T 10/2		 Lab #4: Introduction to molecular spectroscopy
W 10/3 Lecture on lab 5: more fundamentals of molecular spectroscopy
M 10/8,
T 10/9		 No classes on Monday, Tuesday follows a Monday's schedule
Open Lab Hours on Tuesday (12:30pm until 9pm)
  • Meet one-on-one with lab instructors (TF and LA) to get progress update and feedback
  • Finalize work on lab 4
W 10/10 Lecture on lab 5: more fundamentals of molecular spectroscopy
M 10/15,
T 10/16 		Lab #5: Modeling conjugated dyes with the particle in a box model
W 10/17 Lecture on lab 7: logistics of gas laws in the lab, advanced statistical analysis
M 10/22,
T 10/23 		Lab #7: Stoichiometry of Mg and HCl reaction with gas laws
W 10/24 Lecture on lab 8: Beer's Law and colorimetry
  • 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).
M 10/29,
T 10/30 		Lab #8: Determination of aspirin by Beer's law

Techniques: review volumetric pipettes and volumetric flasks
W 10/31 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)
M 11/5,
T 11/6 		Writing workshop: making claims and crafting arguments.
Sections will not meet in the labs, but will instead work in "dry-lab" rooms:
  • Section L1 will meet on Monday at 12:20pm in PSY B53
  • Section L2 will meet on Monday at 12:20pm in PSY B53
  • Section L3 will meet on Monday at 5:30pm in CAS 214
  • Section L4 will meet on Monday at 5:30pm in CAS 220
  • Section L5 will meet on Tuesday at 12:30pm in FLR 134
  • Section L6 will meet on Tuesday at 12:30pm in FLR 134
  • Section L7 will meet on Tuesday at 5:30pm in CGS 421
  • Section L8 will meet on Tuesday at 5:30pm in PSY B40
W 11/7 Lecture on lab 9: thermochemistry and calorimetry
M 11/12,
T 11/13 		Lab #9: Hess's law and calorimetry
W 11/14 Lecture on lab 10: atomic absorption and emission spectroscopy
  • Atomic emission/absorption spectroscopy
  • Standard additions
M 11/19,
T 11/20 		Lab #10: Determination of iron in food samples
W 11/21-
Su 11/25		 No classes - Thanksgiving Recess
M 11/26,
T 11/27 		Lab #10: part 2
  • Section L1 will meet on Monday at 12:20pm in PSY B53
  • Section L2 will meet on Monday at 12:20pm in PSY B53
  • Section L3 will meet on Monday at 5:30pm in CGS 315
  • Section L4 will meet on Monday at 5:30pm in CGS 321
  • Section L5 will meet on Tuesday at 12:30pm in FLR 134
  • Section L6 will meet on Tuesday at 12:30pm in FLR 134
  • Section L7 will meet on Tuesday at 5:30pm in CGS 421
  • Section L8 will meet on Tuesday at 5:30pm in PSY B40
W 11/28 Lecture on scientific writing conventions
M 12/3,
T 12/4 		Mandatory conferences with TF and LA on lab 10 paper (in the labs)
  • Section L1 will meet on Monday at 12:20pm in PSY B53
  • Section L2 will meet on Monday at 12:20pm in PSY B53
  • Section L3 will meet on Monday at 5:30pm in CGS 315
  • Section L4 will meet on Monday at 5:30pm in CGS 321
  • Section L5 will meet on Tuesday at 12:30pm in FLR 134
  • Section L6 will meet on Tuesday at 12:30pm in FLR 134
  • Section L7 will meet on Tuesday at 5:30pm in CGS 421
  • Section L8 will meet on Tuesday at 5:30pm in PSY B40
W 12/5 Lecture on lab 11: qualitative analysis
M 12/10,
T 12/11 		Lab #11: Qualitative Analysis of solutions
W 12/12 Last pre-lab lecture of CH109
Last day of classes

Sunday, September 9, 2018 6:36 PM