Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Course Description

Laboratory work to accompany CHE 205. Corequisite: CHE 205

Syllabus

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

  • Understand the common safety issues and hazards associated with organic chemicals and running organic chemistry experiments.
  • Know how to find appropriate safety and physical data about known organic compounds.
  • Learn how to keep reproducible experimental records in accordance with expected local standards.
  • Be able to set-up simple and fractional distillations.
  • Understand the basic process of running organic synthesis experiments. Plan, execute, workup, purify and analyze.
  • Be able to summarize laboratory work in a formal report that includes an introduction with literature references and uses Chemdraw to draw clean structures in the ACS 1996 format.
  • Be able to complete one or two step organic reactions in a timely manner. Be able to determine a reasonable work-up and purification approach to isolate a reaction product.
  • Be able to calculate theoretical and experimental yields. Be able to speculate on reasons for poor reaction yields.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure Percentage/Points
Homework, course assignments, lab reports and pre-lab assignments and quizzes 90%
Lab Performance 10%

Grading Scale

Percentage Letter Grade
92-100%A
90.5-91.9%A–
89-90.4%B+
82-88.9%B
80.5-81.9%B–
79-80.4%C+
72-78.9%C
70.5-71.9%C–
69-70.4%D+
62-68.9%D
60-61.9%D–
< 60%F

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance is required for all labs. We schedule to make-up labs during the regular class hours for missed labs. Unexcused labs will receive a score of zero points.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Safety Goggles (buy from the bookstore or online)

Scholarly Perspectives

This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.