Overview
Explanation of Core Assessment Assignment Breakdown CHEM 1311 ***Lab report must be typed in 12pt font, Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, and single spaced. The formal lab report assignment in Chemistry is a typewritten document meant to simulate a report that would be generated in an industrial lab setting. This report will count as 2 separate lab grades. Lab Report must be organized exactly like the numbered sections below. I. TITLE: The title of the lab. It should indicate what the lab is about. II. PURPOSE: 1. State here the purpose of the lab in short, precise sentences. 2. This should be done in numbered sentences. Like this example 3. Should be in past tense with no people words (Do not use the following words: the student, the researcher, I, we etc…). III. MATERIALS/REAGENTS/SAFETY This section should be typed in the format of the following table below: Material/Equipment: Name Size Graduated cylinder Beaker Metal cylinder 50mL 25mL N/A Reagents: Chemical Name/ Formula Molecular Mass Boiling point/ Melting Point (If available) Solubility (If available) Water (liquid)/ H2O Unknown Solution A Sodium Bicarbonate/ NaHCO3 18 g/mol 36.5 84.0 g/mol BP: 100oC, MP:0oC BP: 50.5oC, MP:-25oC BP: N/A, MP:270oC N/A Miscible with water 9 g/100mL (20oC) Safety: Wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) such as googles, gloves and lab coat. Waste must be disposed in the inorganic waste bottle. IV. PROCEDURE -The procedure in a formal lab should be a narrative description of what was done in the lab rather than the step by step descriptions in your lab notebook/data sheets. - Should be in past tense with no people words (Do not use the following words: the student, the researcher, I, we etc…). Here’s an example of a successfully written procedure:
Explanation of Core Assessment Assignment Breakdown CHEM 1311 In order to achieve elimination of hydrogen bromide from 2-bromo-2- methylbutane, the base potassium hydroxide was used according to the following procedure. To a solution of 25 mL of 4 M potassium hydroxide in 1-propanol was added 2.5 mL of 2-bromo-2-methylbutane. The reaction was heated for 1-1.5 hours The resulting yellow colored mixture was then filtered using a Buchner funnel and filter flask. The collected was left to dry for 48 hours and then weighed on a digital balance. A Stuart melting point apparatus was then used to determine the melting point. Notice that observations are included in the narrative and are therefore not required in a separate table. If no observations were recorded, then do not include them. V. RESULTS/DATA TABLES: Type all data tables/ from your data sheets that you turned in with the correct titles. Include appropriate units for all numbers, and read all measuring devices using appropriate significant figures estimation. VI. ANALYSIS: This section is the empirical and quantitve sections parts identification, and analysis. Perform EVERY calculation needed for the lab. I should see every math step taken. For example: 2.00m-1.50m=0.5m Box the final answer in the calculation section. Be sure and include a formula, if applicable. If many calculations need to be repeated due to multiple trials or samples, again, all calculations must be included. You may include a neatly hand written section with these calculations in your report. VII. CONCLUSION/DISCUSSION: This section is the entire writing core assessment. The sources of uncertainty discussion is the empirical and quantitative conclusion part, and the discusion of the data and sources of uncertainty also qualify as the entire critical thinking core assessment. -This is the most important section, and must be at least 500 words long. -All parts of the conclusion should not include people words (Do not use the following words: the student, the researcher, I, we etc…). -Your conclusion should include a brief summary of the objectives/purpose of the lab, this should be written in the form of a thesis statement. (Ex. In this lab aspirin was synthesized with a purity of 98.5%.) Supporting sentences for this thesis statement should include a very brief summary of the lab, a summary of the data collected, and a comparison to the data expected (the theoretical value).
Explanation of Core Assessment Assignment Breakdown CHEM 1311 -Make sure you actually summarize and discuss the data in the results paragraph (do not a rewrite of your data tables). Calculations should not be presented in this section, but rather the results of any calculations should be presented. -Make sure that every pronoun used is clearly defined. Do not assume that the reader knows what you mean. The conclusion should include appropriate usage of pertinent vocabulary. Each topic in your conclusion should be in its own paragraph. - A discussion of circumstances that could cause misinterpretation of the data (this section will be referred to in this class as sources of error). Sources of error does not refer to human errors unless they are uncorrectable. For instance, spilling your product would significantly reduce your amount of product you isolated, it is a valid uncertainty to report in your conclusion. Reading the balance incorrectly is not a valid source of uncertainty to present in your conclusion. Your uncertainty must be linked to your data collection/procedure and the effect that uncertainty had on the end calculation. In other words, why was the calculated number too high or too low? What step caused the collected data to be off in such a manner that it would make the end calculation off in the manner determined in the lab? What would be the expected result if the mistake was corrected? -Grammar counts. Spelling counts. Use complete sentences and logical discussions. VIII. SOURCES References- Works cited within your lab report in the introduction or conclusion/discussion.
Whitmarsh, R. Chemistry II Lab Manual; San Jacinto College South, 2018