Guidelines for Laboratory Notebooks Experience in carrying out standard organic lab procedures is essential to the development of good organic chemistry laboratory skills. However, learning how to properly document experimental results is also very important. Documentation of results requires the keeping of a detailed laboratory research notebook. It is generally accepted that such a research notebook is necessary for the documentation of any scientist's work. For example, an industrial research notebook is the legal basis for defending and obtaining patents. A research notebook should be a permanent, original, and honest scientific record of all observations made and data obtained while working in the lab. General Instructions.
Important Do's and Don'ts
Format. The notebook entries for each experiment should be divided into two sections, (1) the "Pre-lab Plan" and (2) the "In-lab Journal". Each of these parts should be done on its own separate page(s). Do not start the in-lab journal on the same page as which the pre-lab plan ends. "Pre-lab Plan"- To be completed before the start of each new experiment and turned in (yellow sheets) at the beginning of the lab period during which the experiment will be started. Each student must prepare their own individual pre-lab plan in their own lab notebook. This section consists of the following: Experiment Number, Title, Date and Course & Section Number Balanced Chemical Equation: If the experiment involves a chemical reaction, then the balanced chemical equation should be given and should show the structures of the reactants to be used and the major product expected. Do not include equations for side reactions or reactions used during work up. Do not include the full mechanism of the reaction being carried out. References: Give the title, author, and page numbers of all reference materials used. Purpose: In two or three sentences describe the experiment in more detail than the title conveys. Tell exactly what will be done and how the results will be evaluated. Table of Reactants and Products: Include structures, molecular weights, relevant physical constants, (i.e., densities of liquids to be measured by volume, bps of liquids, mps of solids), and amounts to be used of each reactant (in moles as well as in the units in which it will be measured). Make sure to do any needed calculations of amounts to be used before lab. Indicate whether each reactant is a solid or liquid at room temperature and whether any special safety precautions need to be taken with it. Even though they are not formally reactants or products, solvents and catalysts should also be included in this table. Also include the molecular weight, relevant physical constants, and theoretical yield of the major product(s) expected. Planned Procedures:This should be a relatively brief outline (preferably in the form of a flow-chart or step-by-step list) extracted from the procedure given in the lab text and/or handout. Your planned procedures should be complete enough to allow you to be able to do the experiment while referring to your notebook only. Include sketches of any glassware apparatuses you will have to assemble. In addition, the sequence in the carrying out of important steps should be emphasized. Try to anticipate any time lags that may exist and plan a productive way to use this time. Safety Precautions and MSDSs: Include all special safety precautions associated with the specific experiment to be performed. Identify any particularly hazardous materials to be handled and any specific precautions to be taken with it. (Standard lab precautions such as wearing eye protection at all times should not be included here.) Find the MSDS for each chemical (if available) and either add it to your Favorites list or save it on your computer in a folder you can find easily during the lab. The idea is that the MSDS info should be easily accessible during the lab when you are working with the chemicals just in case any questions arise. We will periodically check at the start of the lab to see that you have the MSDSs available on your computer. "In-lab
Journal" - To be
completed during the lab and
turned in to the instructor before leaving
the lab. Make sure you start a new
page for every new day in the lab. The date at the top
of the page should be the actual date when all of the
writing on that page was done! Each team keeps
and submits only one in-lab journal with a
designated team member being primarily responsible
for writing it, as shown in the team assignments
table on the lab grading policies page. Observations and Data go in the right-hand column of the notebook page. Observations
Data
Actual Procedures go in the left-hand column of the notebook page.
Signatures: - All three lab partners should sign at the bottom of the last page of the journal, signifying that they have read and agree with what has been recorded. Note - Please also read chapter 3 in Mohrig for another perspective on how to keep a laboratory notebook. Most of what is written there dovetails perfectly with what I have written in these guidelines, if there are any disagreements however, make sure to use these guidelines as your primary reference. |