Chem 201 Syllabus - Spring 2008

Course
Description:

What we think you are saying at this point in your college career:

  Yes boys and girls, that is what we hope we have for you in this two course sequence, Chem 201 & 202.

• Infrared spectroscopy in lab 1 and again in labs 3 & 4
• NMR spectroscopy in lab 2 and again in lab 4
• UV/visible and excitation/emission (fluorimetry) spectrometry in lab 3
• Atomic emission and absorption spectrometry in lab 5
• Mass spectrometry in lab 6

Prerequisites that are important:

• CHEM 161 – Chem 201 is the place where we will put in practice all that knowledge about spectroscopy and quantum mechanics that you learned in physical chemistry
• CHEM 142 or 144 – means you have finished the 1st 2-years of chemistry. Note: it is possible to take Chem 201 concurrently with CHEM 144.
• CHEM 221 or concurrent enrollment. – CHEM 221 is not really a prerequisite for Chem 201, but what a waste of your time to play with instruments in Chem 201 and not know how they work!  You will learn all about instrumentation in CHEM 221 and get to play with these instruments in Chem 201.  What a combo: CHEM 221 + 201.

Lecture:

Mon., Wed., & Fri., 1:25-2:15 pm, Angell B203

The foci of Advanced Chem Lab are the laboratory experiments and the lab write-ups and presentation.  The purpose of the class time is to provide lectures about the chemistry and instrumentation that will be in each laboratory.  As such, we won't need to meet for 3 class days a week. 

Laboratory:

Tues., 1:00-7:00pm, Cook A105 & the 2nd floor NMR/GCMS room

Text:

Course
Instructor:

Dwight E. Matthews  656-8114  Cook A205

Graduate
Teaching
Assistants:

Scott Geddes  656-0901  Cook A206 & A224 – Expts 1 & 5

Michael Stewart  656-2130  Cook - room A207 – Expts 2, 4, & 6

Office hours:

How the course grade is determined:

More Information About Chem 201

Lab
safety:

• You will continue the same laboratory safety practices in Chem 201 as per your earlier labs at UVM in the Dept. of Chemistry.
• In addition, you will be responsible for looking to see what chemicals and what procedures are being used in advance of each laboratory.  You will be expected to come to the laboratory already equipped with the necessary safety information concerning chemicals to be used in that laboratory.
• You can get the necessary safety information from the Chem. Dept Lab Safety page including:
  • Material Safety Data (MSDS) Info.
  • NIOSH/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards
  • The UVM Chem Dept Chemistry Safety Bulletin (PDF file)

Lab
notebooks:

• The notebooks will be clearly marked with your name and address.
• Each day's entry will be preceded by an entry of the date of work.
• All entries will be in permanent ink.
• All entries will be readily readable!  Points will be deducted for bad hand-writing and ambiguous numbers.
• All data that needs to be written down (a weight from a balance), will be entered at the time you collect it, not on scraps of paper. 
• In this lab, many of the experiments will generate complex data sets using a PC controlling the instrument.  You can't write this material down.  It needs to be collected in a separate folder or 3-ring binder when it gets printed.  You may want to do a "reducing" xerox of critical pieces of information that need to go in your notebook and use a glue stick to affix them into your notebook.  You may also glue typed-procedures into the notebook in place of rewriting procedures, and you may make references to specific instrument operating instructions etc. in a specific manual or hand-out instead of recording this information directly into your notebook. 
• Although much of the data you collect will come from a computer controlling an instrument, you still need to record all of the operating parameters of an instrument at the time you are using it.
• You are better off if you organize for an experiment prior to starting it, and try to arrange space in your notebook for that day's experiment accordingly.
• You need your notebook with you at every laboratory available for your TA to check.

Lab reports:

 See the link in the menu above.

Lab oral
presentation:

• Each student chooses one of the six laboratory experiments to present orally to the class, rather than as a written lab report.  The basic format will be the same as the written lab reports.  Communication skills are critical to success in a career in science.  Everyone has to present their work during their careers.  Here is a perfect opportunity for you to begin in a less threatening environment.
• You will have ~30 min to present your work and 10 min for the audience (your class & instructors) to ask questions.  An overhead computer-projection device projector with a PC and an overhead display camera will be available for your talk.  You may bring your own laptop or check one out from the library.
• The schedule for the oral presentation will be 1st-come 1st-served.  You need to send an e-mail to me (DEM) stating which presentation date you wish to reserve and which laboratory you wish to present.
• See the link in the menu above for details about the oral presentation.

General
lab format:

• At the start of each lab, your TA will get together with you to discuss the experiment to be done.  This is your best chance to ask questions.  Preliminary reading assignments, the general plan for the experiment, etc. will have been given to you at least a week in advance of the experiment.
• Key to success in the course is a positive mental attitude when you arrive to start a lab.  We will have done the best we can in preparing an experiment, but Murphy's law will sometimes strike, causing delays or slowing completion of experiments.  Should extraordinary difficulties occur, your TA will work with you to extend working hours or to complete the experiment at another time.
• We have planned each laboratory so that all necessary data can be obtained well within the scheduled laboratory time.  Although you should plan on being present for the full-scheduled time, we hope to complete the experimental part of each lab in much less than the 6 hours of allotted time.

Brief Synopsis of the Laboratory Experiments

Lab:

Synopsis:

#1:
FT-IR

#2:
NMR

#3:
Molecular
Spec.

#4:
Vacuum
Chemistry

#5:
Atomic
Absorption
&
Emission

#6:
GCMS

#7:
Design
Your
Own
Lab

• You choose what instrumentation or techniques you want to use and what principle of chemistry you will demonstrate and test -- subject to instructor approval.
• You write up a brief proposal for the laboratory, discuss it with your instructor, and revise your proposal as required.  At this point you will have approval for the experiment, which you may perform with TA assistance on one of the optional lab days near the end of the semester.
• Note: this option will require advance planning and thinking because materials may need to be obtained, instrumentation time reserved, and instruments readied.  It will also take at least twice the time you think it will to complete (even if you think you have thought of everything).
• This laboratory must also be presented as an oral presentation to the class, rather than submitting it as a written report (the oral presentation is easier).