On the first day of class you will be given a statistics worksheet. It must be completed and returned by the third day of class. Many students find that the easiest way to complete the statistics worksheet is to use a statistics introduction which can be purchased in the stockroom. The text by Taylor on error analysis is an excellent resource for almost any query you may have in the future… many scientists swear by this book and it is especially written as a clear intro for students. I highly recommend that you invest in Taylor’s book.

You must do all of the work on the statistics worksheet by hand, not by using a program such as Excel! Using a program to plot data is o.k., but using it to generate values for statistics and errors is not. If you want to use a program, it has to be one you have written yourself and you must hand in documentation of the program or spreadsheet functions you use. The point is that you need to learn about statistics and the propagation of errors for yourself. This is so important that if you make a mistake on the worksheet, it will be handed back until you get it right. Your grade will be based on how many times it is handed back.

The experiments and their associated "Lab Reports" constitute the essence of this laboratory course. You will be required to perform one experiment from each of the four groups above (unless you are taking this class for 2 credits, in which case you must only perform three such experiments). You will be given four full lab days to complete each experiment. Your active and safe performance in the lab will be graded jointly by the professor, lab supervisor, and TA’s and summed into a lab evaluation grade (40 points).

The four experiments that each student must perform will be posted in Bagley 333 on the first day of lab. Don’t forget, you have to get your handout for the first experiment by that day too, so you can read it before the next lab meeting. Your first preliminary quiz will be at that meeting, on Apr. 2 (Sec. ZA/ZB) or Apr. 3 (Sec. ZC/ZD).

Consider your own safety as well as that of others while you work in the lab and dispose of chemicals. Note the safety precautions and waste handling procedures in the handouts. It is at this stage in your life that you must start making moral decisions about procedures that require more work for you, but will ensure the continued safe and enjoyable life on this planet for future generations. Before pouring something down the drain, consider whether anyone you care about likes to eat fish. Goggles are required in the lab at all times! A lab coat is a good idea, but not required.

Reports are due at the start of lab on the third day of your next experiment. Make sure to give your report to a TA and watch him/her sign in the record book and write the time and date your report was received. This will protect you if your report is misplaced. If reports are more than 15 minutes late, they will be assessed a 20 point penalty. If they are more than one week late, no credit will be given.

Lab reports should be graded within one week after they are submitted. Please ask the TA to show you your graded report one week after you have turned it in, so you can learn what is expected on the reports and fix conceptual problems. These will serve as valuable feedback in preparing your next report. The reports, however, cannot be removed from the lab. If your reports are not graded in time, please inform the instructor as soon as possible to the problem can be rectified. Any questions regarding grading policy should be directed to the instructor, not the TA.

I. Introduction = 11 points (up to 4 pages)

Describe what the experiments are to achieve. Show that you know the physical and chemical concepts behind the measurements and the apparatus, and introduce any theoretical calculations which will be necessary for data analysis in Section III. Show you’ve read the background material by correctly and heavily referencing it!

II. Experiment = 3 points (1 page)

Simply reference the handout, noting differences in actual procedure used and why you changed the procedure.

III. Results and Discussion = 60 points (up to 10 pages)

IV. Conclusion = 5 points (1 page)

Summarize in less than 1 page the experiments, results, and conclusions. (Like an abstract.)

V. Literature References = 1 point (1 page)

VI. Appendices = required for III (Points off if units and unit analysis are not clear!)

In addition, there are "Questions" sections in each lab handout. If these questions have not been answered in Sections I, III, or IV of your report, you must cover these in a separate section at the end of your report. If they have been answered in your report, please highlight each answer in the text with a large red "Q1" or "Q2", etc., in the left margin.

Finally, TA’s tend to give high grades and have a warm place in their hearts for students who have good penmanship and use clear, concise English (quantity ‚ quality). Do not feel obliged to write the maximum number of pages of lab report.

You must keep a lab notebook (available in the bookstore) which has carbon-copy pages behind each page. You should use this notebook to:

1) Take notes when reading the handout in preparation for each experiment.

2) Answer questions which occur in the handouts.

3) Outline your plans for each experiment before you enter the lab.

4) Neatly and carefully record data in ink as you acquire results in the lab. You should also put your name on each page you use, and date it.

At the end of each period, you must turn in the carbon-copy pages to the TA. As a point of note: careful versus sloppy record-keeping of lab notebooks has made the crucial difference in many billions of dollars in patent lawsuit decisions in recent years.