Chemistry is a "discovery" science. The laboratory component of an introductory chemistry course provides students with the opportunity not only to reinforce and demonstrate the theoretical concepts that are presented in the lecture component, but also to experience personally the "discovery" of chemical principles. It should be noted that the Chem 119H/M laboratory syllabi are only partially coordinated with the accompanying Chem 119H/M lecture syllabi. As a result, some of the experiments performed in the laboratory may require an understanding of principles and theory that are not formally covered in the lecture courses. In such cases, the laboratory text (as well as relevant sections of the lecture texts) must be studied to obtain the necessary background information. Each experiment on the laboratory calendars contains a reference to corresponding pages in the lecture texts.

Among the essential features of working in a laboratory are the accurate recording of experimental observations in a properly maintained laboratory notebook and the preparation of written reports that describe the experimental observations and the conclusions derived from them. Details regarding notebook maintenance and of the format and content of the required reports are provided in Chapter 4 (pp. 67-72) of your laboratory textbook. The latter chapter, as well as Chapter 2, "Mathematical Methods and Manipulation of Data" (pp. 13-27) should be studied carefully prior to preparing your first report. The "Prelaboratory Report" and "Prelaboratory Problems" for each experiment must be completed prior to the class meeting in which the experiment is performed and will be checked by your instructor at the beginning of each class period. These pages should be submitted as part of the final report. Each report should contain the components described in Section 4.4 of your laboratory text (p. 70), including all "Postlaboratory Problems."

You will submit a written report for each of the 10 experiments performed. Two of the experiments (No. 19 and the Spectrochemical Series) require two laboratory periods in consecutive weeks for completion. In these cases, only a single report describing all parts of the experiment will be submitted. For Chem 119M, the maximum grade for each of the 10 reports is 20.  For Chem 119H, the maximum grade for each report is 18, and the maximum grade for the assigned pre-laboratory homework problems that are to be submitted at the second lab meeting, is 20. Thus, the maximum total points for both the honors and majors sections is 200.  [NOTE: A grade of zero will be assigned for any experiment that you miss due to an unexcused absence, or for which you do not submit a report (even if you performed the experiment).]

Laboratory reports are due no later than the beginning of the laboratory period one week after completion of the experiment. (Reports for the last experiment, completed during the week of Nov. 18, are due by 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, Dec. 5.)  Any report submitted after its due date will be considered late, and will be graded as follows:

Grade = G x (1/2)^0.2n

where G is the grade that the report would have received had it been submitted on time, and n is the number of class days that the report is late (where n ≤ 5). Reports submitted more than five class days after the due date will not be accepted for grading.

Your total points in the laboratory portion of the course will be added to those in the lecture portion to determine your final letter grade for the course. The laboratory portion of the course represents one credit, and the lecture portion three credits. Hence, points earned for the laboratory portion will constitute approximately 25% of the total points for the course.