Subject: General Lab Help

I often get a number of questions about the pre-lab, notebook
and lab reports.  I hope this helps.

The pre-lab may consist of questions on Carmen or an online pre-lab.
This is listed in the syllabus.  These are also due before starting
the corresonding exp.  If turned in after that they are worth zero points.

For exps 5, 14 and 16 there are on-line prelabs.
These are not the same as the Carmen assignments.

You will go to the following link:
https://uglabs.cbc.osu.edu/1250/pre-postlabs.php

The pre-lab has you watch some videos, you answer questions pertaining
to those and the procedure and then do a numerical pre-lab given
randomly generated numbers in the ranges which you will obtain for your
experimental data for that exp.  This consists of a "sheet" with data
that looks similar to the report sheet for the exps.  This is supposed
to represent the data you collect for you unknown while doing the
exps.  You are supposed to take this data and do the necessary
calculations.

Also, for exps 5, 14 and 16 there is post-lab on-line data entry.

You will go to the same link as for the pre-labs: 
https://uglabs.cbc.osu.edu/1250/pre-postlabs.php

For these three post-labs you will enter your data and calculated values
This is for grading purposes.  You still need to turn in a lab report,
including the report page from the lab manual.  My suggestion is for
you to fill out the report page from the manual and your calculation
page and then do the on-line data entry.  These are due when
the lab report is due.  If done after the due date for the
report late points may apply.

For some of the other experiments there is a post-lab assignment
(quiz) on Carmen.  These, like lab reports, are due 1 week after
completing the exp.  The post-lab quiz on Carmen will receive zero
credit if done more than 1 week after completion of the lab (i.e
the lab period when the report is due).

You should read the whole experimental write up (discussion and
data analysis) and write your procedure before trying to do the
pre-lab.  Answering the pre-lab questions will be a lot easier if
you've read the material in the lab manual and written your procedure
in the notebook.


The notebook should have the following in it when you walk into lab:

1)  Exp #, title, your name, date.  These should be on every page.

2)  purpose (found in the lab manual)

3)  Procedure (from the lab manual), consisting of the following:

        a)  a bibliographic reference to the manual

        b)  procedure - this should be an outline in your own words.
                        Condense what's in the lab manual in such a
                        way that you (or someone) else can follow it
                        and do the experiment.  Be brief (like a
                        cookbook).  Use reasonable abbreviations that
                        would be understood by the average person taking
                        a chemistry course.  However, don't make it too
                        brief.  Someone should be able to pick up your
                        notebook and repeat the experiment using just
                        your notebook without having to refer to the
                        lab manual.

        c)  data tables where you will put your data during lab.
            The best thing to do here is often to just copy the
            report sheet from the lab manual (at least those lines
            representing the data you will collect in lab).  There are
            times you may need additional lines (as you do for exp 16
            for the temperature readings you will take for freezing
            point data).

The lab notebook comes with you to lab.  Do not tear out the pages
with the procedure and bring them with you.  The TAs will be checking
your notebook within the first 5-10 minutes of lab.  If you don't have
all of this done you will get points deducted from your notebook grade.

The notebook should be done in pen.  If you make a mistake you simply put
a single line through the mistake and write the correct number or observation
next to the incorrect number or observation. NEVER erase things, scribble
over them completely or use whiteout.  Points will be deducted.

Anything you write during the lab should be in the notebook, NOT the lab
manual or anywhere else.  If you write your data anywhere but in the
notebook it won't count (i.e. it doesn't exist as acceptable data for the
report or a grade).  You will have points deducted from the notebook grade
even if you transer the data to the notebook.

You need to type your lab reports and turn them in digitally to Carmen.
You will find instructions in the syllabus and on Carmen.  You can write
out the sample calculations, neatly, rather then type them.  You then need
to scan them or take a picture and include them in the report. If these
are hand written they should be neat and readable.  If not your TA will
not grade them.

Instructions for what should be in the report are in the syllabus and there
are links there and on my web pages with examples.

Never give one word answers to questions in a prelab or report.
You need to also give an explanation for your answer (in words or
using calculations).  For example, if a question asks whether your
molecular weight would be higher or lower if you made a certain mistake,
answering higher or lower is not sufficient.  You must give an
explanation for your answer.

You can find guidelines and examples in the Appendices of the lab manual.

There are web addresses in the syllabus to examples of good and bad
notebooks and lab reports (active links in the on-line syllabus and
our class web page).  Go to the following link and then click on the
links for the notebook or report.

https://uglabs.cbc.osu.edu/1250


You will also find some other useful links about lab on our class web page:

"My Suggestions for Writing a Notebook Procedure"

http://chemistry.osu.edu/~rzellmer/chem1250/lab/notebook_proc_1250.pdf

"Lab Report Format - Lab Report Example" (very helpful),

http://chemistry.osu.edu/~rzellmer/chem1250/lab/chem1250_sample_lab_report.pdf


"Laboratory Videos",

https://app.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/chemflashplayer/index.php

You will need Flash Player for these videos.

Many of the above links can be found on this page.

You may also want to look at my links about using Excel for calculations
and graphs.  You don't have to use Excel but it will come in handy for
several of the lab reports.

Dr. Zellmer