Course Syllabus

Fayetteville State University

College of Health, Science, and Technology (CHST)

Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Material Sciences

Syllabus

   CHEM 161L-04, Spring 2025

   GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II

I. LOCATOR INFORMATION

Laboratory CHEM 161L-04: M 8:00 - 10:50 am, ST436

Lecturer: Dr. Jairo Castillo-Chará

Office: LS318

Telephone: (910) 672-2062

Office Hours: MW11:00 am-1:00 pm, TR 9:00 am-11:00 am, and by appointment

e-mail: jcastill@uncfsu.edu

Website:http://faculty.uncfsu.edu/jcastill/

 

FSU Policy on Electronic Mail: Fayetteville State University provides to each student, free of charge, an electronic mail account (username@uncfsu.edu) that is easily accessible via the Internet. The university has established FSU email as the primary mode of correspondence between university officials and enrolled students. Inquiries and requests from students pertaining to academic records, grades, bills, financial aid, and other matters of a confidential nature must be submitted via FSU email. Inquiries or requests from personal email accounts are not assured a response. The university maintains open-use computer laboratories throughout the campus that can be used to access electronic mail. Rules and regulations governing the use of FSU email may be found at

 http://www.uncfsu.edu/PDFs/EmailPolicyFinal.pdf        

II. COURSE DESCRIPTION

CHEM 161L-03 (1-0-3): is a continuation of the General Chemistry I Laboratory (CHEM 141L) where students continue to develop basic chemistry laboratory skills while experimenting with solution properties, kinetics, chemical equilibria, acid-base equilibria, solubility equilibria, thermodynanics, electrochemistry, and qualitative and elementary quantitative analysis.

Prerequisites: It is assumed that students in this class have previously taken CHEM 141L (General Chemistry I Laboratory) or its equivalent with a grade of "C" or higher. Without this requirement the successful completion of the this class is severely hindered.

 Corequisites: Students must be taking simultaneously CHEM 161 (General Chemistry II)

III.   DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES:

In accordance with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ACA) of 1990, if you have a disability or think you have a disability to please contact the Center for Personal Development in the Spaulding Building, Room 155 (1st Floor); 910-672-1203.

IV.   TEXTBOOK:

1. Dan D. Holmquist, Jack Randall, Donald L. Volz, Chemistry with Vernier 4th Edition - Vernier Software & Technology, 2017.Available through Canvas: https://adfs3.uncfsu.edu/

2.T. R. Gilbert;R. V Kirss; Natalie Foster, Chemistry: an atoms-focused approach, First Edition, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.

. (lecture)

V.  STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After completion of the second course in General Chemistry laboratory, students are expected to:

1. Be familiar with the basic laboratory techniques as used in chemistry and being able to relate

    them to the theoretical principles, the practical aspects of chemistry, and daily life activities.

2. Be able to operate common laboratory equipment, such as spectrophotometers, digital

    thermometers, pH meters, analytical balances and centrifuges.

3. Be familiar with separation techniques such as decantation, filtration and crystallization

    and with analytical techniques such as titrations, and quantitatively measuring mass and

    volumes of chemicals

 Use techniques, apparatus and materials safely and effectively

4. Collect, analyze, and present the experimental data in tables and graphs, and to be able to

    deduce reasonable conclusions from the data analysis

6. Be able to communicate the results of an experiment by writing an organized, logical

    and coherent report.

7. Be able to keep an organized and understandable notebook with meaningful data and

     calculations for all the experiments.

 VI. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

a.  Exams

The final exam will be based on the relevant steps of the experimental procedures, concepts required to analyze and interpret the experimental results. Before the final exam, a quick review will be given about the experimental procedures and the basic theoretical concepts relevant to the interpretation, and analysis of the recorded data in the laboratory experiments.

For improving learning skills: http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html.html

For multiple choice tests, practice for the exams:

http://www.chem.wisc.edu/7Econcept/introsb.html

1. Pre-labs and Laboratory Reports Policy

1. Pre-lab questions should be submitted at the beginning of each lab section, lab reports need to be submitted at the end of each lab section. Both Pre-labs and Lab reports must be submitted online in the assignment section of the Canvas course website.
2. Pre-labs and lab reports turned in late will be graded at a rate of 10 % per day late (you will lose 10 points per day late).
3. Pre-labs and lab reports will be graded according to the following scale: satisfactory effort (100%), meet (75%), need improvement (50%) and unsatisfactory effort (0 %). Grades in between this scale will be also considered.
4. Lab report will include data collected in the lab showing calculations, and the post lab questions in neatly handwriting or word processor, each student should submit his/her prelab and laboratory report making sure of writing his/her name and signature.
5. Questions about homework or questions related to grading will be discussed during office hours. If you cannot see the instructor at the office hours cited above, you can email or call to make an appointment that suits your schedule. 
6. Homework and Pre-labs will be graded on Canvas, you should review your graded assignments regularly to see your grades and react to the instructor comments about incomplete or missing assignments, this is your duty and responsibility.

1. Lab Procedure and Pre-Lab:

It is mandatory to read carefully the procedure before coming to the lab. You should be able to identify the major steps of your experimental procedure and briefly to write it down in your notebook. Now write the answers to the prelab questions using very clear hand writing. To answer these questions make use of the material discussed in class, material in your lab textbook, use external sources, FSU-library and Internet. Your notebook will be checked out before the starting of the experiment, you will lose points in your final score if you do not comply with the appropriate notebook record keeping (see Grades section).

 In your notebook you should have:

1. In the first page your complete full name, Chemistry lab section, addreess,

     phone number or email.

2. Pages after the first one should be numerated and should contain tiltle and

     experiment number,objective, summary of the procedure indicating

     the most important steps of the experiment

3. Prelab questions and answers
4. Data section
5. Calculations
6. Conclusions

Submit: Summary of Procedure, Prelab Questions and Answers

An excellent example of a good record keeping is given in the appendix A of your laboratory textbook, check this appendix to familiarize yourself with this important scientific practice. Follow this example also to write your lab reports. Check the model notebook provided by the instructor.

1. Experimental Laboratory Section

Before coming to the lab make sure that you have read and understood the procedure for the experiment that you will be doing. Then proceed to answer the prelab questions, always thinking why a particular question is being asked. This is important because allow not only to understand better the experimental procedure, but also because facilitate the interpretation of the data that will be collected during the experiment. To properly work in an amenable and safe environment very basic simple precaution measurements should be followed at all times in the chemistry laboratory.

1. Make sure you understand all the safety precaution measurements

           discussed the first day of class. If you have doubts read the laboratory safety

           instructions in your laboratory text or consult your instructor.

2. You must arrive on time and turn in the prelab questions with the respective

           answers before the beginning of the experiment.

3. Be aware that bringing food and eating the food in the lab is

           ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN, the food could easily get contaminated with the

           fumes or vapors of some volatile chemicals.

4. Remember that SMOKING is absolutely forbidden in any lab, this policy specially

           applies to the general chemistry laboratory.

5. You must wear safety goggles at all times during the experiment, this will allow you

           to avoid eye related injuries. The Department of Chemistry and Physics is not longer

           providing safety goggles. Each student is responsible for bringing his/her own goggles

           (available in the bookstore) to the chemistry laboratory. The use of safety goggles is a

           requirement that will not be waved, you will not be allowed into lab without the

           proper protecting goggles.

6. Avoid carrying out any unauthorized mixing of chemicals, always consult your

           instructor first.

7. Try to organize your work area, as this will prevent the occurrence of unwanted

           mistakes that could harm your experiment. When you finish clean yourself and your

           work area before leaving the lab.

1. Laboratory Report

-Short Report (SR): In this report you should provide the data collected, sample calculations, results, and the post lab question answers. This can be acomplished just filling the blanks for each experiment in your laboratory manual. All your answers should be neatly written to make sure that the instructor understands your solutions (not credit will be given for confusing, unreadable work). I advise you to work out your answers first, then do all the necessary editing as you do when you write a paper. This process will allow you to eliminate any errors and to deliver a more professional work.  If there are mathematical equations involved, define each variable first, then show the operations indicating units and report your answer with the proper units and the correct number of significant figures.

When you done clip the pages together and submit your short report making sure that your name is in every page submitted.

-Long Report (LR): Prepare a formal written report using a clear hand writing data sheet from the experimental section. Your report should have the experiment title, objectives, abstract, introduction, summarized procedure and a brief description of your results that include sample calculations, discussion, conclusions, and references. You should submit with your report the answers to the post lab questions using a typewriter or a word processor. Check the model report and directions provided in Canvas. https://adfs3.uncfsu.edu/

 Submit: Lab Report, Post lab Questions and Answers

Laboratory Reports Grading

Section	Grade
Name	1
Title	1
Objective	2
Introduction and Abstract	5
Procedure	5
Data, Tables	5
Graphs	5
Calculations and Results	25
Comparisons, % of Error	10
Conclusion	5
Causes of Error	5
References	2
Post Lab Questions	20
Spelling and Grammar Errors	3
Presentation, Discretionary	7
Total	100

  

f. Grades

 This course will be graded on a maximum of 100 points distributed as follows:

Section	Percentage
Short Lab Reports	55 %
Final Exam	20 %
Long Lab Reports	15 %s
Safety Exam	10 %
Total	100 %

 

 Your course grade will be determined using the total number of points that you have accumulated during the semester.

Percentile Points	Letter Grade
92 - 100%	A
83 - 91%	B
73 - 82%	C
64 - 72%	D
63 or less %	F

 

1. Due Date Assignments Policy:

The final due date for any assignment (exams, lab reports, prelabs and note books) is by 5:00 PM of the day of the final exam date. After this date no assignments will be accepted.

1. Make up Examination Policy:

There will be no make-up examinations and make-up labs except in the case of serious illness or accident (properly documented), family emergency, or participation in university official activities (class field trips, etc.). For the latter case, make-up-examination arrangements must be made in advance. ** To request makeup work (experiments, pre-labs, and exams) make sure to bring paperwork evidence (medical appointments, doctor notes, emails from doctors or from the FSU health care unit, etc.) to justify your absences.

**For information concerning the scheduling of makeup experiments contact the Laboratory Coordinator:

Ivy Rittenhouse, LS 305, Ext. 1054

irittenhouse@uncfsu.edu

1. Student Behavioral Expectations:
2. Students are expected to arrive to class on time, remain in class until dismissed by

the instructor, and refrain from preparing to leave class until it is dismissed.

2. Students should avoid passing notes or carrying on private conversations while class

is being conducted.

3. Students should avoid the use profanity in the classroom.
4. Any form of cheating is considered an academic dishonesty or misconduct and will

be punished. For information about disciplinary measures and university policies for

academic misconduct, read the Fayetteville State University Student Handbook.

5. Students should avoid the use of cell phones during exams and class time, this affects the concentration and distract your peers.
6. Consequences For Failing to Meet Behavioral Expectations:

With first time violation of one of the rules above, he or she will be warn privately by the instructor after or before next class. Second time violations will be punished by deducting as many as twenty points from the student's next exam grade. With third time violations, the student will be reported to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action according to the FSU Code of Student Conduct.

1. Health Concerns Policy:

Students in this chemistry laboratory course should be aware that a wide range of chemical substances are used. If a student has or suspects that a medical condition or health problem exists or may come to exist and he or she might be affected by being in a chemical laboratory (e.g., chemical sensitivities, fainting, pregnancy, etc), the student should consult his or her personal physician. The student may also wish to consult the University Health Care Unit. Your laboratory instructor cannot give you health care advice, but should be informed appropriately of the student's concerns and potential problems.

1. Academic Integrity Statement: One of the fundamental pillars of the university is the academic and personal integrity of all its members. You must be truthful and honest at all times and must be aware of what kind of situations and activities constitute ethical violations. In this class the following activities or situations will be considered violations of the ethical code and will be punished accordingly: cheating on exams, plagiarism (misrepresentation of materials obtained from the Internet or from other sources), lying, helping someone else to cheat, reuse of assignments, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery, falsification and unfair competition. Please, report any violation to the instructor. Unauthorized cheating is not limited only to those enumerated above, for a more complete list you are advised to consult the Fayetteville State University Student Handbook at http://www.uncfsu.edu/handbook.

Any form of cheating is considered as an academic dishonesty. Cheating in this class will be punished with an F for the exam or in any other assignment where the cheating is discovered. The use of programmable calculators is strictly forbidden during exams and quizzes, try to bring a simple no programmable calculator if you need one during the exam. Avoid the use of cell phones during the exam and class time, this affects the concentration and distract your peers.

1. Revision of Grades - Students Responsibilities

Absences from class will be handled following strictly the University policy. Absences of more than 10 % of the total contact hours the course meets during the semester, which is approximately seven (7) total hours of unexcused absences will fall in the category of ”EXCESSIVE ABSENCES-EA”. As indicated in the new guidelines, “WN” grade has been eliminated and it is the STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO WITHDRAW HIMSELF OR HERSELF FROM THE CLASS. Please, check the 'Revision of Grades-Student Responsibilities' at: http://www.uncfsu.edu/fsuretension/policiesprocedures.htm.  “X” GRADE (NO SHOW): will be assigned to any student on the roster that did not attend during the first week of classes or, in online classes, did not interact with class website during the first week of classes. Since X grade is not a final grade, it can be removed if the student begins attending class. “EA” GRADE (EXCESSIVE ABSENCES): will be assigned to students whose absences exceed 10 % of class contact hours. After the grade has been assigned the student will be warranted in order for them to take the corrective action.

NEW FINAL GRADE: “FN” (FAILURE DUE TO NON-ATTENDANCE )- Final grade for students who are on class roster, but never attend the class. An FN grade is equivalent to an F grade in the calculation of the GPA. For more information about this issue you should check:

http://www.uncfsu.edu/fsuretention/policiesprocedures.htm

1. Academic Support Resources:

The instructor will try to make available any additional material that will be required for the proper instruction of students, through the canvas website (https://adfs3.uncfsu.edu/), and the instructor web site (http://faculty.uncfsu.edu/jcastill/).

Other off campus resources are available at: NIST Chemistry Webbook, NIST Standard Reference Database Number 69: http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/

Book Rental System: Students at FSU have the option of buying or just renting the Text book from the FSU bookstore. If the text book is rented it should be returned to the bookstore after the renting period ends.

Free of ChargeToturing Services: http://www.uncfsu.edu/cpser/tutorialservices.htm

Other on campus resources and tutoring are available at:

http://www.uncfsu.edu/Advisement/success/campusresources.htm

IX.  COURSE OUTLINE

Chem. 161L Lab Schedule Spring 2025

Week  OF	Page Number	Experiment Title
Jan 15th	Classes Start	Safety Reading Assignment/Canvas General Laboratory Safety Manual
Jan 20th MLK Birthday		Mandatory safety briefing, lab introduction and instruction   University Holiday
Jan 27th	Vernier #19	Heat of Combustion: Magnesium, LR
Feb 3rd	Vernier #15	Freezing Point Depression to find the Molecular Weight, LR
Feb 10th	Vernier ADV #34	Vapor Pressure and Heat of Vaporization, SR
Feb 17th	Vernier # 30	Rate Law Determination of the Crystal Violet Reaction, SR
Feb 24th	Hand out	Evaluating the Nature of Intermolecular Forces, LR
Mar 3rd		Writing Lab and Problem-Solving Session Midterm 3/3- 3/7
Mar 10th		Spring Break 3/10 - 3/15 (Mon - Fri)
Mar 17th	Vernier #20	Equilibrium of iron and thiocyanate, SR
Mar 24th	Vernier #27 Vernier ADV #19	Acid Dissociation Constant, Ka, & Buffers, SR
Mar 31st	Vernier ADV #6	Standardizing NaOH, SR
Apr 7th Good Friday	Vernier #23	Titration Curves: Strong and Weak Acid Bases, SR
Apr 14th	Vernier #23	Lab Practical – Knowns
Apr 21st		Lab Final Practical – Unknowns
Apr 28th		Writing Lab and Problem-Solving Session
May 2nd		Last Day of Classes

LR: Long report; SR: Short report

**For information concerning issues related to experimental equipment, chemicals and make up experiments contact the Laboratory Coordinator: Ivy Rittenhouse, LS 305, Ext. 1054, irittenhouse@uncfsu.edu

1. Teaching Stratrgies:

For this course, the basic concepts will be discussed and illustrated with examples and demonstrations whenever possible. Lectures will be delivered using standard blackboard and power point presentations. I strongly encourage students to read the procedure of each experiment and make a summary of the basic steps before coming to the lab section. Students are also encouraged to take notes, to ask questions and to participate in class discussions.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
2. D. E. Ebbing and S. D. Gammon, General Chemistry, 8th Ed., Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. (lecture)
3. T. L. Brown, H. E. LeMay, B. E. Bursten, and J. R. Burdge, , , 9th Ed., Prentice Hall, 2006. (lecture)
4. J. C. Kotz and P. Treichel, Jr., Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity, 4th Ed. Sounders College Publishing, 1999.
5. J. H. Nelson and K. C. Kemp, , ,  , 11th Ed., Prentice Hall, 2009.
6. College of Basic and Applied Sciences Syllabus format, 2007.

 

1. DISCLAIMER

To accommodate emergent circumstances, the professor reserves the right to make reasonable changes in the syllabus while the course is in progress. Any understanding between a student and the professor including, but not limited to, changes, expectations, or modifications to course requirements or procedures must be in writing and must be signed by both parties. Any question of interpretation of course requirements or of understandings between a student and the professor will be at the discretion of the professor.

Inclement Weather Issues: In the event that a particular lecture or lab session is not held due to inclement weather or other urgent reasons etc., instructions will be delivered via Canvas. In such cases of emergent issues stay tuned to Canvas and check for announcements and assignments.

Appendix 1:  Laboratory Safety Rules.

6. Learn the location of the safety equipment and how to use it. The laboratory is equipped with fume hoods, a fire extinguisher, an eye-wash fountain, and a safety shower.
7. Each student must arrive on time at the start of each experiment and be present when any modifications to procedures are being explained.
8. Come prepared to do your experiment by reading your experimental procedure and calculating how to prepare any solutions. If you have any questions, you should have these ready at the beginning of the class period.
9. Students must wear approved eye protection at all times in the laboratory. These lessen chances of eye injury.  There will be no exception to this rule.
10. DO NOT BRING FOOD OR BEVERAGES INTO THE LABORATORY. Some chemicals are readily absorbed even from the atmosphere by food and/or drink.
11. Keep your work area clean and neat. This is good, standard operating procedure for any laboratory--You avoid contaminating your sample and lessen the possibility of damage to clothing, skin, etc. from chemicals and broken glassware.
12. Clean all glassware after use and return them to the appropriate storage place.
13. Adhere to all waste disposal procedures. If there is some doubt, ask your instructor.
14. Do not mix any chemicals without authorization.
15. Wash your hands with plenty of water at the end of the laboratory session.

Appendix 2:  Safety Hazards.

“Closed-toed shoes, long pants/skirts covering the ankles, safety glasses, gloves, and flame-resistant laboratory coats must be worn at all times. Handle and dispose of all hazardous materials in accordance with the recommendations of their Safety Data Sheets (SDSs). trans-Anethole is very hazardous in the case of eye contact or skin contact. The [2 + 2] cycloaddition product may be hazardous in the case of eye or skin contact. Dichloromethane (methylene chloride) is a proven carcinogen and very hazardous in the case of eye or skin contact. Silica is an inhalation hazard and may cause lung damage through prolonged or repeated exposure. Diethyl ether is an irritant and is flammable. Deuterated chloroform (CDCl₃) is toxic and is a cancer suspect agent. Ru(bpy)₃(BArF)₂ and Ru(bpm)₃(BArF)₂ may be harmful if swallowed.” (Refence: DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00693; J. Chem. Educ. 2018, 95, 872−875).