The grade in the laboratory counts 25%
toward your overall grade for the course. A
passing grade must be obtained in the laboratory in
order to pass the course.
Grading of Experiments.
The grade for each experiment is determined by the
following:
- Lab Notebook: Pre-Lab Plan = 20%,
- Lab Notebook: In-Lab Journal = 10%
- Lab Report = 50%
- Quality of Lab
Work = 5%
- Lab Quiz =
15%
Grading of Molecular Modeling
Exercises.
- Worksheet = 50%
- Lab Quiz = 50%
Grading of Laboratory Notebooks.
(30%) Lab notebooks are graded on the degree of
adherence to the format described in the guidelines and
on the completeness and quality of each section. Omissions will lead to significant deductions
so make sure your notebook is complete.
- In-Lab Journals (10%) receive a team
grade although one person will be assigned as the
primary note taker for each experiment.
- Pre-Lab Plans (20%) are prepared by
each student individually.
Grading of Lab Reports.
(50%) Lab reports are graded primarily on the
completeness and quality of each section as delineated
in the guidelines. The results and discussion section
and results tables section are probably the most
important parts and receive the greatest emphasis in
grading. The overall writing quality (including
neatness, organization, and writing quality) will also
be factored into the grade for each report.
Quality of Lab Work. (5%) Lab
grades also factor in the quality of your lab work. Low
yields, impure products, or otherwise poor results and
excessive amounts of glassware breakage will adversely
affect your grade in this area. The products from each
experiment are always submitted for grading prior to
proper disposal.
Lab Quizzes. (15%) Lab quizzes
will be given periodically throughout the semester. Some
of the lab quizzes will be given at the start of lab
before carrying out the experiment (pre-lab quizzes)
others will be given after the report is turned in
(post-lab quizzes). The lab quizzes can be on any aspect
of the experiment, from spectra interpretation to
reaction mechanism to purification procedures to
calculation of the theoretical yield, etc.
Due Dates. Due dates for the
reports are one week after completion of the experiment
(unless otherwise announced) and late lab reports
will be penalized at least 5%. (Under
certain circumstances you may be granted an extension of
a report deadline. Ask the instructor if you feel you
need an extension. ) The pre-lab is due at the start of
the lab period the lab is to be performed. Late
pre-labs do not receive credit and you will not be
allowed to work on any experiment without submitting
a complete pre-lab. The in-lab journal is
always due the same day it was written and is submitted
electronically within 3 hours of leaving the lab.
Lab Teams. You will work in rotating teams of three as
determined by a draw of a playing card during the first
lab period. For the first lab you
are teamed with the two students who draw the same
numerical card, i.e. the 3 aces, 3 tens, 3 deuces, etc
and assigned to a fume hood which will be labeled with
the corresponding card (in spades). Then the method of
rotation is as follows: students who draw heart cards do
not rotate, they stay in the same fume hood throughout
the semester. Diamonds rotate each experiment to the
hood immediately to their right, i.e. clockwise around
the perimeter of the lab. Clubs rotate to the hood
on their left or counterclockwise.
One student is designated as the
note-taker for the in-lab journal for each experiment
according to the following schedule. Expts 1 and 4 =
Hearts, Expts 2 and 5 = Diamonds, Expts 3 and 6 = Clubs.
You may want to delegate assignments
both during the laboratory period as well as for the
writing of the lab reports. However, it is expected
that all three team members contribute in good faith
to both the in-lab work and the writing of the report
for each experiment.
Team Contribution Surveys (TCS). When
turning in the lab report for each experiment each team
member must also submit a team contribution survey. The
TCS are available electronically at the course D2L site.
Each TCS will ask you to rate (on a scale of 1
to 5) yourself and your teammates in the two main
areas for each experiment; the in-lab work and writing
the report.
- You will be penalized 1.5 points toward
your overall lab average for every rating of 3 or
less. In other words, if you don't help with the
report and at least one of your teammates is honest
about it and rates you a 3 or less on the report, then
I will deduct 1.5 pts from your lab average at the end
of the semester. Similarly, ratings of 2 will cost you
3.0 pts and ratings of 1 cost 5.0 pts.
- If you do rank one of your teammates at
3 or less for any of the phases of an experiment, then
you should use the provided survey item to explain
your rationale for doing so. This should ensure that
poor ratings are not arbitrary, malicious or without
good reasons to back them up.
- When you submit a TCS you earn
5 bonus points for that experiment.
- Not submitting a TCS incurs a
5-point penalty for that experiment.
Attendance. Your attendance at all
scheduled labs is required. If you have a legitimate
excuse then it is your responsibility to contact
the instructor prior to the lab in order to
work out arrangements to make up the lab if possible.
One absence may be acceptable as determined by the
instructor considering the circumstances. Additional
absences will receive a zero grade for the experiment.
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