Chem E-1bxl: Laboratory Introduction and General Information

Introduction:
Welcome to the Chem E-1bxl Laboratory. This week you will complete seven lab experiments.
This introduction will give you a brief outline of what you need to do before you start working in the
laboratory. There are three basic rules to the lab, presented here in order of importance:

1. Be Safe. Follow all safety guidelines outlined in the “Laboratory Safety” handout, in the
lab manual, and discussed by your TF. (This is by far the most important rule in the lab!)

2. Observe and learn

3. Enjoy Science

Before The First Lab:

The first lab (“Experiment #9”) will meet on Monday May 18th and subsequent labs will meet on Monday
May 18th through Thursday May 21st according to the schedule in the Course Syllabus. Before you arrive
at the laboratory for your first lab, you must complete the following:

• Read the “Laboratory Safety” document that follows this introduction (and is posted on the
website) and answer all of the questions on the “Lab Safety Assessment” that is the last page of
this document. Have this page of questions ready to hand in to your TF when you arrive in the lab.

• Read “Experiment 9” and complete the Prelab, which is at the end of the lab experiment.
Have this Prelab ready to turn in to your TF as you arrive in the lab.

The Lab Guidelines

Each day you have a laboratory this semester:
1. Before you arrive in the lab, read the experiment while paying close attention to the Discussion,
the Procedure, and the Safety Information.

2. Before you arrive in lab, fill in answers to the Prelab questions, tear out that sheet, and bring it
with you when you come to lab. The prelab is your “admission ticket” to the laboratory. For
safety reasons, students without a satisfactory prelab will not be admitted to the laboratory and will
receive a zero.

3. Wear appropriate lab attire and bring your safety glasses with you to lab. You must wear long
pants, socks, and shoes that cover your entire foot at all times in the lab. You must wear safety
glasses at all times in the lab. Students who are not wearing appropriate attire will not be allowed
in the lab and will receive a zero.

4. You will work in groups of two for all experiments, but each person must turn in their own prelab
and lab report. Once you complete the procedure and finish collecting data, you should clean up
your lab area and then start working on the Lab Report. You will typically complete the lab report
and turn it in to your lab TF before you leave the lab. Each student will submit their own lab report,
even though people will be working with lab partners. If you do not finish the lab report by the end
of lab, you may turn it in the following morning at 9:30 am before the start of the morning lab.

5. Once you have turned in your lab report and cleaned your lab area you may leave the lab.
Chem E-1bxl Laboratory Grading Rubric

Each Lab will be worth a total of 35 points, broken down into the following components:

•Prelab – 10 points
The Prelab will be the last page of each laboratory, and must be completed prior to your
arrival in the lab. The Prelab questions will be based on material in the “Discussion” and
“Procedure” portions of the laboratory, as well as on material that you have seen in
lecture. The Prelab must be handed in to your TF as you arrive in lab, before the
laboratory introduction and safety talk. Late Prelabs will not be accepted for any reason.
If your Prelab is not completed when you arrive in lab, it will receive a zero. If you arrive
late to lab, you will not be admitted to the laboratory, and you will receive a zero for the
entire lab.

•Lab Report – 20 points

The Lab Report will consist of the pages of the lab manual where you have recorded your
data, performed any calculations with your data, and answered questions about the
laboratory. You will typically complete the lab report and turn it in to your lab TF before
you leave the lab. Each student will submit their own lab report, even though people will
be working with lab partners. If you do not finish the lab report by the end of lab, you
may leave it in your TF’s mailbox prior to the following lecture (i.e. by 6 pm on Thursday
evening).

•Safety – 3 points
Students will start each lab with 3 safety points. Any violations of the laboratory safety
policies will result in a loss of these safety points. Examples of safety violations that will
result in a loss of points include, but are not limited to: failure to wear safety glasses or
goggles, working in the lab while wearing inappropriate attire, failure to wear a lab coat
while in the lab, failure to wear gloves while performing experiments, consuming food or
drink in the lab, chewing gum in the lab, and inappropriately disposing of chemical waste.
Note that, as per the laboratory safety policy, serious or repeated safety violations will
result in immediate expulsion from the laboratory, a grade of zero on the entire lab, and a
written warning of the possibility of exclusion from the course in the event of a
subsequent violation.

•Cleanup – 2 points
When you have finished writing up the lab report and are ready to submit it to your TF,
have your TF check over your lab bench to make sure that everything has been cleaned up
properly. Proper cleanup includes the proper disposal of all chemical waste and the return
of any lab equipment that was obtained from your TF or from the center lab bench. Any
lab equipment that was at your lab bench when you arrived in the lab should be left at your
lab bench. A good rule of thumb is that, when you leave the lab, your lab bench should
look exactly as it did when you arrived. If everything has been cleaned-up appropriately,
you will receive 2 points for cleanup. However, if you leave without having your TF
check your lab bench, or if any equipment or chemicals are left at your lab bench that
should not be there, you will not receive any cleanup points.

(Note: Experiment #9 includes a Postlab worth 10 points that will be due the morning after you
have completed the laboratory. This experiment is consequently worth a total of 45 points.)