Lab Notebooks:

Use a duplicate page notebook (if possible) to record your lab work. Duplicate pages (or Xerox copies) will be turned in for grading; do not tear other pages out! Record all of your observations in your notebook as you do the experiment; notes on loose pieces of paper may be thrown away. Write in pen. If you make an error, simply draw a line through it (do not obliterate it or use white-out).

Write your notebook in two-column format, with the first column for procedures and the second column for observations.  However, you do not have to write the Introduction, Table of Chemicals, Results and Discussion or Conclusion sections in two-column format.  The two column format is designed to give you flexibility in fulfilling your pre-lab assignments and the actual conducting of your experiment. When setting up your experiment, be sure to allow enough space to write down all your observations and collected data while doing your experiment. Do not feel bad about leaving white-space on your pages because its always best to have extra space to writing things down than not having enough.

Grading of each experiment is as follows:

• You get 10 points for just being in the lab and doing the experiment (these points are part of the total grade for your notebook), so simply being in the lab but not doing the notebook will yield a zero (0) grade for that experiment.
• The write up of the experiment (described below) accounts for the remainder of points.
• You get six points for putting your lab notebook together as described below.
• You get two points for writing an acceptable Result & Discussion section.
• You get two points for writing an acceptable Conclusions section

Total points for a lab notebook for each experiment is 20 points.

Remember that lab notebooks are due one week after the experiment was completed according to the syllabus schedule. If your lab notebook is not turned in on the day it was due, you will have a 20% reduction in the score for that lab, if turned in within one week of the original due date. If turned in after one week but before the second week after the lab notebook was due, a 40% deduction will occur. Lab notebooks turned in after the two week period after the time it was originally due, you will receive no credit for your laboratory notebook. I do not accept emailed reports under any condition. Other lab exercises, such as VSEPR, molecular models, and ChemDraw, are due the day they are performed, and if not turned in that day are subject to the 20% penalty as for late notebooks.

For each experiment, include:

• Your Name (you can also include name of your lab partner, but not necessary)
• Experiment Number and Title
• Introduction (the essence of what you anticipate you will be doing for this experiment; it's also good to bring in the objectives for the experiment as well)
• Table of Chemicals or Materials Used
• Description of Experiment, Including Procedures, in 2-column format
  • first column is used to what you will be doing (allow enough space in second column to write observations; leaving white space is okay)
  • second column is used to report your observations and make comments while doing the experiment (e.g., record masses of chemicals used, color and other descriptions of experiment)
• Results and Discussion (recap what you did during the experiment what you observed and discuss your experimental results; include yield, %yield, melt point, etc.)
• Conclusions section is the most important part of your post-lab write up, and should include:
  • what you learned by doing this experiment
  • what was the purpose of this experiment?
  • were the objectives of this experiment met?
  • why was this experiment part of this course
  • You do not include actual experiment data, only information about purpose, etc.

Before class:

1. Read through the day's lab and write a brief introduction to the experiment in your notebook as outlined above. Include at least: the origin of the synthetic procedure, the name of the reaction, the full reaction mechanism (showing the specific molecules used in the actual experiment), a general explanation of the reaction, the expected product.
2. Copy the table that lists all the chemicals used in the experiment, the amounts used, and their properties.
3. Write out the procedure for the experiment in the first column. You should be able to do the experiment from your notebook alone; however, do not just copy the manual into your lab notebook. That is a waste of time and effort.

During class:

Record your observations and any minor changes in the procedure in the second column of your notebook. Include:

1. The actual amount you use of each reagent (to the correct number of decimal places)
2. Reactions times
3. Colors and odors
4. Spills or mistakes
5. The recovered mass of the product
6. The appearance of the product
7. Melting points and boiling points
8. Refractive indices

After class:

1. Make and record any necessary calculations: percent yield or percent recovery (note limiting reagents) and Rf values from TLC plates.
2. Label spectra

IR:

• Label the IR with your name, the product name and structure, and the method used to prepare the sample for IR (Neat, Nujol, etc.)
• Label Nujol peaks (if your IR was run with Nujol). If the Nujol peaks are hidden, indicate this.
• Use the structure of the product to identify functional groups that you expect to see peaks for. Label the peaks that correspond to these functional groups.
• Compare the fingerprint region to known spectra (a collection of known spectra is available for your reference by the IR machines).
• Check for any peaks that indicate starting material and label them.
• If you do not have product, use someone else's to run a spectrum; label it accordingly.
• If your IR is poor and does not show the expected peaks, use someone else's product to get an IR.

NMR:

• Label the NMR with your name.
• Draw the structure of the compound.
• Measure and indicate integration distances.
• Label solvent peaks (DMSO, CHCl₃, etc.).
• Using integration distances, splitting patterns, and chemical shifts, identify the protons represented by each peak.

Write a logical conclusion: make a statement about the success or failure of your experiment, and support this with evidence. Make a statement about the identity of your product and about the purity of your product based on its:

• Melting/boiling points
• IR spectrum
• Refractive indices
• Color, odor, and/or appearance
• TLC spots
• Etc.

Explain any anomalies in your product. Discuss any deviations from the literature values for melting points, boiling points, etc. If you did not isolate the expected product, explain why.

To turn in your write-up:

Tear out the duplicate pages from your notebook. Staple them together, along with the IR and NMR data. If your product is a solid, fold it in weighing paper (not filter paper) and staple it to the upper right corner of the first page of your report.

You are finished (how about that?).