Aluminum + HCl experiment assignment

A few people have asked questions that lead me to believe that there may be a little confusion about the assignment that is due for "The Reaction of Aluminum with a Strong Acid".
This semester in Gen Chem Lab I, you will not have to write a full lab report for any of the experiments. Each experiment will have a hand-in assignment provided in MSWord format with questions that you will have to answer. {All answers and calculations must be typed. No exceptions.} For a number of these assignments, there will be a part of a full lab report included as one of the questions, but you will not have to do all the parts of a formal lab report for any single experiment.
The questions that are included in the lab procedure (either inserted in the experiment or at the end of the procedure) do not have to be included or handed in separately, the only things that have to be turned in are your carbons and the hand-in assignment. The questions in the experimental procedure are often similar to the questions on the hand-in, so it's a good idea to jot down some answers to the questions in the procedure while you're in lab, but these do not have to be turned in separately.
To help with some of the questions that might come up, I've posted "Features of a Sample Lab Report Format" (http://www.drbodwin.com/teaching/genchemlab/labrep01.pdf) so you can see what each part of a lab report looks like when you need it. A couple questions or problems that come up are...

Drawing the experimental setup - A drawing can be helpful for complex setups that are difficult to describe well with words. A drawing is a waste of space if the setup can be described effectively and concisely with words. For example: "The test tube was filled approximately half full with the mysterious blue liquid, see figure 1."

Figure 1: A half full test tube

Hopefully this is ridiculous enough to make my point... Is the figure really needed to clearly communicate what a test tube half full of blue liquid looks like? Um, no. The same is true for your "Experimental" section when you eventually have to write one. Don't draw trivial things unless your intent is to be trivial, which should never be your intent in a lab report.

Can I hand draw/write in by hand? - This question often comes up regarding drawing experimental setups and showing sample calculations. The quick answer is... no. Why not? There are a few reasons, but the most important one is for your own reference. If you just leave a big blank space for a hand-drawn experimental setup and then "the dog ate my homework" happens before you turn it in, you have to redraw everything rather than just re-print. Similarly, if later in the semester or year you want to look back at an experiment but you can't find the paper copy that you turned in, opening up the computer file and seeing a big blank box isn't too helpful. This is even more important with calculations, if you write out 2 pages of carefully thought out sample calculations and then spill your coffee (or juice or lasagne) on them, you'll have to re-think and re-write 2 pages of calculations. Just do everything electronically in the first place and at least 4 things will happen: 1) you'll have nice looking assignments; 2) you'll actually catch a few errors you might have missed; 3) you'll never have to re-write a page that gets lost or destroyed; 4) with a little practice, you'll get good at doing all these things electronically. Speaking of calculations...

Do I have to use one of those equation editor thingies or can I just use tabs and spaces to type my sample calculations? - Use an equation editor. They're not that hard to use (with a little practice) and they can make really nice looking equations. If the sample calculation you're trying to show is very simple, it's OK to just type it in-line, for example:

7.3 + 2.9 + 14.82 + 1.4 = 26.4

There's no reason to use an equation editor for that one, it's perfectly clear and clean typed in-line. On the other hand...

(2.635g Cu)(1 mole Cu / 63.546g Cu)(4 moles NH₃ / 1 mole Cu)(1L NH₃(aq) / 2.83 moles NH₃) = 0.0586L NH₃(aq)

Looks horrible and is hard to follow when typed in-line, it would look much better if an equation editor was used:

There are a couple good equation editor options. MSWord has at least one (sometimes 2) built in, Open Office has a good one built in, and the Daum Equation Editor (I got it in the Chrome web store...) also does a good job. As with any software, practice makes these things easier to use.

Good luck and let me know if there are any other questions.

Posting and removing info

A few people have had some questions about info that's posted in D2L, so...

Removing files - The hand-in files will not be removed from D2L before lab. It would usually be a good idea for you to download and read over the hand-in before your lab, but it will be available. I do remove the experimental procedures for 2 reasons:
1. To encourage everyone to read over the experimental procedure before coming to lab, and maybe even take a couple notes on it when you're watching the pre-lab video
2. To discourage people from printing out the experimental procedure over and over and over again. Poor little trees died to make all that paper, I always feel bad when I throw piles of excess printouts in the recycle bins...

Files not opening - D2L is a very helpful system, but sometimes it gets a little grumpy. With the exception of the quizzes, everything that's in D2L is just a link to something that's on my webpage (http://www.drbodwin.com/teaching/genchemlab.php). If a D2L link isn't working, pop over to my webpage and you should be able to find it there. If there's a broken link on my webpage, let me know so I can fix it.

Those were the two big questions that people have had. If there are others, let me know. Good luck in lab this week.

Still some confusion...

Hmm, I think a few people are still confused about what is due this week. Let me try to be very clear so that we all (hopefully) get the same message:

The assignment that is due this week by Wednesday at noon is:
http://www.drbodwin.com/teaching/genchemlab/c150L2012d01DandE1hi1.docx
It's a MSWord document. It needs to be typed. It should be printed and turned in to the assignment box for your lab section located outside HA103. Make sure you indicate your section/room/Lab Assistant. This is the hand-in assignment that is based upon the Data and Error activity we did in lab last week. You do not have to turn in anything else, your lab notebook carbons were turned in before you left lab last week.

There is also a pre-lab quiz due by Wednesday noon. It covers the MSExcel activity that we will be doing this week in lab as well as the safety info you should be looking at.
http://www.drbodwin.com/teaching/genchemlab/c150L2012d02excel1.pdf
http://www.drbodwin.com/teaching/genchemlab/safetyslides01a.pdf
http://www.drbodwin.com/teaching/genchemlab/safetyslides02a.pdf

OK, that might have sounded a little blunt. I wasn't trying to sound grumpy, I just wanted to be as clear as possible to (again, hopefully) avoid any confusion. I know these first couple weeks of lab can be a little busy because we're doing a bunch of different things to get caught up on safety and general lab issues, next week we'll be starting our first "wet" experiment. And yes, it will have the potential to get very wet!

First Lab

CHEM 150L labs will start this week. There have been a few questions, I'll try to answer all of them here:

1. Pre-lab Quiz - As of this morning, there are quite a few people who have not taken the pre-lab quiz. This first quiz is largely on the syllabus and the first week's Data and Error activity. Read these, have them handy, and make sure you take the quiz. Read over the part of the syllabus that describes pre-lab quizzes and the results of not taking them. Skipping quizzes will have a very quick and very negative impact on your grade.

2. A number of people have asked about what to bring to lab. I've moved/copied a couple of things into the "Week 1" content section in D2L that should help... You should print out this week's activity ("Data and Error"), the "Safety Map", and the two "Video Guides". Make sure you print these out BEFORE LAB. To discourage repeated and excessive printing, these links will not be available after NOON WEDNESDAYS. Also, bring your "carbon copy" lab notebook to lab with youand a pen.

2a. If you're a eBook/eReader user, feel free to use electronic versions of the lab procedures on your personal devices. If you choose to use a tablet or eReader in lab, be careful, there are numerous opportunities to spill things that will turn your device into an expensive paperweight.

2b. If you choose to print procedures out on paper, I would encourage you double-side or use 2-pages-per-sheet format.

3. Watch the "Safety Tour (video)". It goes over some of the safety features and/or equipment in the labs you will be in.

4. IF YOU ARE IN DR. MARASINGHE'S CLASS (Wed 2:30pm or Thurs 3:00pm), your class will meet in SL118 to begin class before moving up to the labs (SL302 and SL306)

5. IF YOU ARE IN DR. PROVOST'S CLASS (Thurs 9:00am) OR DR. EDVENSON'S CLASS (Thurs noon), your class will meet in the hallway outside of SL302 and SL306 for a minute before going directly into the labs.

6. Proper Lab Attire - There will be more details on this during some of the safety discussions that we have during the first couple weeks in lab, but there are a couple things to remember: 1) Open-toed shoes are not allowed in lab. The best option for safe lab footwear is probably something like leather (durable and liquids don't soak through), but as long as your footwear is closed-toe it should be OK. 2) Lab coats or aprons are not required, but you are welcome to wear them if you choose.

If there are other questions, let me know. Have a great first week in lab!