CHEM 1111 – General Chemistry I Lab
Syllabus for In-Person Class
Summer 2024

Instructor: Dr. Debbie Sackett
e-mail address: dsackett@austincc.edu
office: HLC 1.1431 (see FAQ folder in Blackboard for directions on how to find my office)
office phone number: 512-223-3314

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is the laboratory to accompany CHEM 1311 lecture. Emphasis is placed on techniques, properties and reactions, and reinforcing principles offered in the lecture portion of the course.

Prerequisites: One year of high school chemistry or CHEM 1405 (CHEM 1305 & 1105) AND MATH 1314 (college algebra) OR MATH 1324 (business math) or the equivalent. Students may need to show proof of adequate math preparation. In lieu of college algebra/elementary statistics, an ALEKS test score or appropriate high school math preparation can be evaluated by the instructor. Students who do not have the proper prerequisites will be dropped from the class.

Co-requisite: CHEM 1311

Instructional Methodology – This is an in-person lab class.

Course Rationale
This course covers the fundamental facts; laws, principles, theories and concepts of chemistry necessary for further work in science or science related subjects.

REQUIRED TEXTS/MATERIALS

Textbook: There is no lab book. All lab materials will be provided either on Blackboard at least one week in advance of the lab.

Calculator: You will need a scientific or graphing calculator for lab activities.

Internet and computer access: You will need to have internet access in order to watch pre-recorded lab lecture videos. You will need to print prelab assignments and lab report forms. Both options can be accomplished on campus.

LAB OUTLINE/CALENDAR

Other important dates include:
Last day to drop without receiving a ‘W’ on your transcript: 7/5/24
Last day to withdraw from the class: 7/29/24

COURSE PREPARATION AND GRADING

Graded Components

• Lab Safety (40 points). This is a one-time, mandatory assignment (composed of a report and quiz) that you will complete on the first day of lab.

• Prelab assignment (10 points) takes the student through sample calculations that reflect the calculations in the lab activity.

• Report form (20 points) includes data collected during the lab (automatically provided this semester). Students will complete the calculations and answer questions.

• Quiz (10 points) will include summary calculations/questions covering the lab discussion/procedures, prelab, and lab video. The quiz will be timed, typically 15-20 minutes. It will be administered at the beginning of lab.

• Lab Final (80 points). This is a mandatory, timed exercise, covering many of the main concepts and calculations covered in the lab throughout the semester. More details will be offered through the lab folder in Blackboard.

All graded materials will due by the end of the lab period.

Late Assignments: There will be a 10% penalty, per day, for late assignments. I will not accept material that are more than 3 calendar days late.

Grading

In addition to the mandatory activities, there are 12 scheduled labs. You will be allowed to drop one lab, so only 11 labs will count toward your grade. There is no extra credit.

Class time
I want to be efficient with the time we spend in lab. As a result, there will be significant preparation required before attending lab.

Before lab:

• Read: The experiment discussion and procedures.
• Watch: Lab lecture video.
• Write: A stepwise procedure for the experiment. Be prepared to show this to your instructor at the beginning of lab. 
• Complete: The prelab. Please bring a printed, paper copy to lab. It will be turned in by the end of lab.

All of these activities must be complete by the beginning of lab on the day the lab is scheduled.

During lab:

• Complete the lab quiz, which will be administered at the beginning of lab.
• Complete the experiment and record relevant data and observations.
• Complete the report form. You will turn it in by the end of lab.

GENERAL COURSE POLICIES

Attendance:

• Students must complete the mandatory exercises (outlined on page 2, above) and perform a minimum of 8 of the wet labs (labs using chemicals) in order to pass the lab. If you miss more than 3 wet labs, you will automatically fail the class.

• Being on time to lab is critical. Lab will begin with a few minutes of Q and A. After that, we will begin the quiz, which will require 10-20 minutes. Next, I will complete the lab safety and demonstration lecture. If you are a little late, it will cut into your quiz time. If you are sufficiently late that you miss the safety discussion, you will not be permitted to perform the experiment. It is imperative you make every effort to be on time to lab; your safety and the safety of your classmates is very important to me.

Incomplete Grade Policy: An instructor may award a grade of “I” (Incomplete) if a student was unable to complete all of the objectives for the passing grade in a course due to medical/emergency reasons. Incompletes can be given if you complete 75% (9 labs) of the course work with at least a 70% average. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.

Withdrawal Policy: It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decides to withdraw from the class. The instructor will not drop students, except if the student:

• does not have the proper prerequisites for the class
• has not successfully completed the lab safety report form and quiz

If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their copy of the withdrawal form for their records. Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate, for that course. State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities. With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count towards this limit. Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog.

The drop deadline is July 29th, 2024. The lecture and the lab are required in each chemistry course. If a student drops/withdraws from one section of the course, they must drop/withdraw from the corequisite.

If you stop attending class and do not withdraw yourself from the course, you will receive a grade of F for the semester. Reinstatement into a course after withdrawing is only possible if the student was withdrawn through college error. 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be able to perform the following skills:

1. Understand and demonstrate safe laboratory practices.
2. Read NFPA, HMIS labels and understand the hazard of chemicals used.
3. Transfer sample to balance for weighing and tare the balance.
4. Measure temperature with a thermometer.
5. Correctly read a meniscus and accurately measure a liquid volume.
6. Light and adjust Bunsen burners.
7. Observe and interpret chemical reactions: color change, temperature change, precipitate formation, and gas evolution.
8. Correctly use a hot plate.
9. Use capillary tubes to transfer liquid samples used in paper chromatography.
10. Use laboratory generated data to reach sound conclusions about chemical phenomena.
11. Meaningfully connect laboratory activities to models and concepts learned in class.
12. Develop good laboratory practices in conducting experiments and reporting experimental results.
13. Use a buret to perform a standard titration and observe color change to define the end point of the titration.
14. Use centrifuge and decanting techniques to separate solids from liquids.
15. Use a coffee cup calorimeter to measure heat flow.
16. Access and use peer-reviewed periodicals, journals and reference sources to write a paper on a chemistry topic.

GENERAL EDUCATION COMPETENCIES

Upon completion of this course, students will demonstrate competence in:

• Critical Thinking

Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.

• Interpersonal Skills

Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.

• Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning

Applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and methods.

• Technology Skills

Using appropriate technology to retrieve, manage, analyze, and present information.

• Written, Oral and Visual Communication
  Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and media

The information for this section is listed in the syllabus above.

The information for this section is listed in the syllabus above.

The information for this section is listed in the syllabus above.