Learning Outcomes for the Integrated Lab Program,
Experimental Chemistry I & II
Department of Chemistry - Oregon State University
(last updated:
11/13/2004)
1. Develop and practice observational skills:
Develop observational skills and make discoveries in the laboratory
Be objective and keep an open mind, ask questions!
Recognize when an experiment is not working and be able to adjust amounts of reagents, conditions, equipment, etc., to make the experiment work successfully
Record observations in a logical order in research styled notebook while performing the experiment in the laboratory
Properly document your work including laboratory procedures, experimental conditions, materials used, equipment used and the results
Respect and acknowledge the intellectual property of others
2. Prepare for laboratory work:
- Come to lab prepared to start work and plan to make most of your laboratory experience
- Read and study the laboratory manual and other reading assignments
- Research topics that are unknown to you by studying the published scientific literature at the library and on-line before working in the lab
- Research and document laboratory cautions and hazards before starting lab work by consulting standard references such as the CRC, MSDS, and Merck Index
- Plan your experiment wisely so that you can work carefully, efficiently and successfully
3. Prepare professional scientific reports:
Recognize that writing is a process that develops from the practice of writing draft and revision copies to produce a final polished report
Compose and produce professional scientific reports that include well crafted sections on: abstract, introduction, experimental, results, discussion, references, supplemental information
Develop a concise scientific writing style that is suitable for publication by practice and example from the literature and with guidance from peer and instructor review
Critically review others work and offer helpful suggestions for improvement to style and content
Communicate with instructor for their feedback on how to improve report writing
Perform a statistical analysis of your results and calculate confidence limits to describe the precision and accuracy of your results
Compare and contrast your results with published results and use sound scientific principles as a basis of justifying differences or supporting agreement
Prepare reports using a word processor and use a spell checker
Prepare proper scientific tables, figures and charts using a spreadsheet and learn how to import these data directly into the report
Use commercial drawing programs like ISIS draw or ChemWindows to draw chemical structures and reaction schemes and import these into reports
4. Operate Scientific Instruments:
Operate a variety of scientific instruments from start-up to shut-down to get meaningful results. Examples of the scientific instruments available for use in Experimental Chemistry I & II are: FTIR, FTNMR, GC, oxygen bomb calorimeter, refractometer, diode array UV Visible, PTR modular spectrometer, HPLC, GCMS, AA, ICP, scanning fluorimeter and phosphorimeter, Parr Analyzer, TGA, DSC, digital oscilloscope, Nd-YAG pulsed laser, and dye laser
Recognize typical output from each instrument and be able to optimize adjustments in gain, detector voltage, scan range, etc., to produce an optimized output
Know how to find the performance characteristics for the types of cells and solvents used in each instrument
Recognize the useful concentration ranges for each analysis and know the limitations for the instrument
Operate a mechanical vacuum pump to produce a high vacuum
Use cryogenics and temperature baths to adjust the temperature of an instrument or cell
Use compressed gas cylinders equipped with regulators
Adjust stopcocks on a high vacuum line to control the vacuum and flow of gases
5. Prepare samples and standards for analysis:
Recognize when to use an analytical balance or a top loader to weigh samples
Use volumetric and automatic pipettes, volumetric flasks, and burettes to ensure appropriate precision
Develop techniques for proper sample preparation for analysis. For example, techniques include acid digestion using a heating block and using a microwave oven, grinding, dry ashing in muffle furnace, etc.
Recognize what the best standard is best for an analysis to be successful, compare standard addition, an internal standard, or external standard
Analyze standards data and use to report identity and % composition of unknown samples
Critically evaluate the quality of the results and suggest what improvements might be made in the future
6. Develop team work to divide project duties ensuring efficiency and quality of the final results:
Be a pro-active contributor to your group and ask questions of others
Work together for the common good of the project and organize materials to meet deadlines
Respect the opinions of others and recognize that different perspectives for a situation can lead to an improved understanding of the problem at hand
7. Design templates using spreadsheets:
Compose templates consisting of mathematical formulas to perform routine arithmetic calculations for multiple data points
Construct templates that make use of multiple step calculations and mathematical functions to perform higher level mathematical analysis of data
Prepare proper graphs (charts) and use them to discover trends and make predictions
Construct calibration curves and forecast results
Perform linear regression and other curve fitting for serial data
Prepare publication quality charts and tables
8. Use electronic forms of communication:
Use email to correspond with instructors and peers
Prepare and submit electronic pre-labs and quizzes posted on the web
Critically evaluate web information for truth and use the internet as a resource
Consult course web page for syllabus and supplemental reading assignments and other course materials
9. Critically search the scientific literature for information:
Conduct an efficient search of the scientific literature both on paper and on-line journals
Use cumulative indices to locate the primary literature
Use internet search engines to locate and evaluate scientific information
Use journal retrieval services such as SciFinder Scholar
List and cite references in journal style reports according to ACS conventions
For more information on the Integrated Laboratory Program in Chemistry at OSU, please contact:
Dr. Christine Pastorek
Director Integrated Lab Program
Gilbert 153
Department of Chemistry
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
email: christine.pastorek@oregonstate.edu