CH112 Lab Schedule (updated: 15 March 2020)

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 1/21 Classes begin on Tuesday; First lecture at 11am in SCI 109

Capstone Project:
  • Project introduction, guidelines, and timeline
  • Collaboration and group work
Lecture on liquid chromatography and separations:
W 1/22 Meet in lab for check-in and orientation, and then move to:
  • L1 and L2: TBA
  • L3 and L3: move to SCI 512 after check-in
Capstone Project:
  • Groups form today - each group submits group information online
  • Groups work on group contract (due today) and then pick project topics
  • Remainder of lab time is devoted to project research (individual work) and initial mentor consultations (as a group)
  • Annotated bibliographies (one per student) are due next lab (read WC 6 ahead of lab)
T 1/28 Lecture on ion-exchange chromatography and complex ions:
  • Ion-exchange chromatography (Lab 13 in LM)
  • Review: Complex ions
  • Review: titrations
  • Fajans chloride titration
  • Propagation of uncertainty (video)
W 1/29 Lab #13: Argentometric titrations and ion-exchange chromatography
               (analysis and questions for thought are due two hours before lab on 2/5)
Capstone: Meeting with TF to discuss progress, research, and direction
T 2/4 Lecture on chemical equilibrium and Le Chatelier's principle:
W 2/5 Lab #12: Studying the effect of ionic strength on equilibrium
               (post-lab assignment is due two hours before lab on 2/12)
  • Helpful video on Keq for post-lab: video
WR #5, 6, and 7: writing a full journal article step-by-step (assignments due: 2/19, 3/4, and 3/25)
T 2/11 Review acid-base chemistry fundamentals before lecture: Lecture on Capstone Project:
  • Chemical safety and waste handling
  • Suggestions for organization of first work week
Lecture on lab 15: difference between endpoint and equivalence point
  • Acid-base indicators (LM Intro to lab 15)
  • Statistical significance with t-test and F-tests
W 2/12 Capstone: week #1
  • Groups must bring MSDS sheets for all reagents to be used
  • Groups should bring a detailed plan with procedures
Capstone: mandatory consultations with course instructors next week
M 2/17
T 2/18		 No classes Monday -- Tuesday is Monday's schedule (no scheduled lecture)
W 2/19 Lab #15: Statistical survey of the use of indicators in acid-base titrations
               (post-lab assignment is due two hours before lab on 2/26)

WR #5 is due to Writing Fellow (WF) by 12noon today (Abridged paper on lab 13 or 12)
M 2/24 Pre-lab lecture during normal lecture time (Monday, 24 February 2020 at 9:05am)

Lecture on lab 16: titrations of polyprotic acids
  • Polyprotic acids and bases
  • Finding equivalence points with pH meters
  • Derivative plots in Excel (video)
  • Review: titrations of weak acids (videos 5.21-5.23)
T 2/25 Midterm #1 during pre-lab lecture (Tuesday, 25 February 2020, 11am-12:15pm)
W 2/26 Lab #16: Potentiometric titrations of weak polyprotic acids (part 1)
               (one post-lab for the full experiment is due before lab on 3/18)

Techniques:
  • pH meters (LM: Appendix A.8)
  • ChemDraw (LM: Appendix A.11)
M 3/2 Capstone: Reagents, materials, and equipment list due by email before today. You must use the form posted to blackboard and follow the instructions provided there.
T 3/3 Lecture on lab 16: speciation of biomolecules
  • Percent protonation of acidic and basic sites
  • Why we only observe one inflection sometimes (video)
W 3/4 Lab #16: Potentiometric titrations of weak polyprotic acids (part 2)
               (one post-lab for the full experiment is due before lab on 3/18)

WR #6 is due to WF by 12noon today (revised abridged paper + Experimental section)
M 3/9 to
F 3/13		 Spring Break - No classes this week
T 3/17 Discussion of how the Capstone project will change
Lecture on Research Proposals (WC 9)
Lecture on group-meeting-style presentations
W 3/18 Capstone: work on proposal and group meeting presentation during lab
Capstone: mandatory consultations with mentors (TFs and LAs) during/after lab
Capstone: Research Proposal due before M 3/30
T 3/24 Lecture on lab 17: spectra of mixtures
  • UV/Vis of mixtures, isosbestic points
  • Buffers
W 3/25 Lab #17: Spectroscopic investigation of acid-base indicators
               (analysis and questions for thought are due two hours before lab on 4/1)

WR #7 is due to WF by 12noon today (revised abridged paper with Experimental + Introduction section)
T 3/31 Lecture on lab 14: using kinetics to determine a mechanism
W 4/1 Lab #14: Kinetics of the decomposition of an indicator
               (analysis and questions for thought are due on 4/8)

Capstone: Group meeting presentations run throughout lab (breakout rooms from "lab" Zoom)
R 4/2 Final, revised WR #7 is due to WF by 11:59pm today

WR #8: final individual paper - a full scholarly paper on lab 17 or 14
               (submission to writing fellows: 4/13 before noon)
T 4/7 Midterm #2 during pre-lab lecture (Tuesday, 6 April 2020, 11am-12:15pm)
W 4/8 Pre-lab lecture during normal lecture time (Wednesday, 8 April 2020 at 9:05am)

Capstone Project:
  • Discussing the project timeline for the remainder of the semester
  • Capstone presentations (WC)
  • Starting to conceive of the capstone paper
W 4/8 Capstone: work on paper and presentation outlines during lab
WR #8: Work on writing assignment 8 paper
M 4/13 WR #8 (full paper on lab 17 or 14) is due to WF by 12noon. Final revision is due on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 11:59pm.
T 4/14 T.B.A.
W 4/15 T.B.A.
M 4/20
W 4/22		 No classes on Monday - Wednesday is Monday's schedule
M 4/20 Capstone: First (graded) drafts of paper due to writing fellows (by 11:59pm)

Capstone conferences this week with writing fellows (scheduled out-of-class time, Tuesday-Thursday). Send a PDF of the PowerPoint slides and paper to your group's writing fellow before the conference. The conference will last one hour at a time when all group members can attend.
T 4/21 Pre-lab lecture at 11am
W 4/22 Final, revised WR #8 is due to WF by 11:59pm today.
M 4/27 Pre-lab lecture during normal lecture time (Monday, 27 April 2020 at 9:05am)

Capstone: second round of graded presentations to writing fellows this week (Monday or Tuesday; schedules out of class time with WF)
T 4/28 Midterm #3 during pre-lab lecture (Tuesday, 28 April 2020, 11am-12:15pm)
W 4/29 Capstone: presentations during lab times
  • L1 and L2 presentations are in CGS 515, starting at 12:20pm
  • L3 and L4 presentations are in PSY B33, starting at 5:30pm
Capstone: final draft of paper and slides due (PDF by email to course instructor, and hardcopy of paper to instructor as well)
R 4/30 Last day of classes (Thursday)

Updated Sunday, April 5, 2020 11:26 AM