General Chemistry Lab

2 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

General Chemistry Lab is designed to introduce students to the knowledge and skills necessary to become an experimental scientist. The hands-on lab sessions are designed to teach students necessary techniques including safe handling of materials and effective use of instrumentation. A range of skills are developed: proper methods for mass and volume measurement, reagent transfer, careful observations, collecting and recording data, graphing and analyzing data. Special attention is given to laying a strong foundation in evaluating accuracy and precision of collected data, applying the stoichiometric calculations, and utilizing UV-Vis spectroscopy. Some labs involve guided inquiry/discovery-based protocols. Students discover the gas laws, measure reaction enthalpies and enthalpy of vaporization, and use different model kits to build and predict molecular and solid-state structures. Students are introduced to writing formal lab reports. Recitation is a critical part of the course experience. During recitations students have the opportunity to engage with lecture material in small class setting, ask questions and learn about the experiment of the week. There are weekly quizzes and assignments submitted during recitation. Two hours of recitation and one three-hour laboratory per week. Concurrent: - CHEM 1100 . Fall.