CHEM 417

Room CG507, CG503

Section 01; TTh 8:00-10:40

Section 02; TTh 2:00-4:40

Instructors: Dr. Karen I. Peterson Dr. David Pullman

Office: CG-501 Phone: x4-4507 Office: CG-311 Phone: x4-5573

Office hours: M,W 1:30 pm-2:30 pm Office hours: T, Th 11:00 am-12:00 noon

Texts: "Physical Chemistry Laboratory Manual" by K. Peterson & D. Pullman

"Introduction to Error Analysis" by John Taylor

Projects:

Lab attendance J J J 100 pts

I. Error analysis quiz 25 pts

Three laboratory projects with reports 100 pts (3)

II. Four laboratory projects with reports 100 pts each (4)

III. Two STM projects 100 pts each (2)

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Total 1025 pts

The semester is divided into three parts. The first part will focus on writing reports and doing error analyses for relatively short experiments. In the second part, the experiments are more involved and the reports will be longer. The last part of the semester will be set aside for a "Surface Science Module" in which we will explore characteristics of surfaces using the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM).

A principle focus of this course is on developing clarity in writing and in presenting numerical results. The reports and assignments will be graded with this in mind. In the laboratory manual are some points to consider when writing up the experiments. Read the manual carefully because by following the report format carefully, you may actually save yourself from writing more than is needed. The reports need to be handed in on time so that you can take advantage of our written comments. To discourage late reports, two points will be subtracted for every day that the report is late, up to a maximum of twenty points. We reserve the right to reject any report or assignment which is turned in later than two weeks after it is due. The last report will not be accepted after May 18, 1999.

Writing the laboratory reports for this course will take a significant amount of your time just as any set of writing projects takes time. We critique each report very carefully because we know that the ability to write well is one of the most important skills for getting and retaining a job. We would be doing you a grave injustice if we were to require less writing and critique it less carefully because only through this type of practice will your writing improve. This class is the only undergraduate chemistry class (as far as we know) in which technical writing is a significant component of the course. Therefore, you ought to take full advantage of this opportunity by turning reports in on time (so that you can receive criticism in a timely manner), and by paying attention to the comments made in each corrected report.

The time required, outside of lab, for each 100-point lab report is roughly 10 hours. If you find yourself taking much longer than this, consider asking yourself the following questions:

1. Did I carefully read the lab experiment before coming to class to take full advantage of the time in

class?

2. Did I start doing calculations or writing parts of the report in class when I had time available or did I

leave as soon as the experiment was done?

3. Did I start the report early so that I could ask the instructors questions when I was stuck?

4. Did I spend too many hours trying to type the whole report and print it out to make it look nice?

J J J In order to encourage you to make full use of class time, we will require that you attend

every lab for the full 2 hours 40 minutes unless all your assignments have been turned in.

Credit will be given for attendance with four points awarded at the end of each lab

period. The instructor will sign your lab notebook when you leave. Be sure to have

List of Projects:

First Experiment: Measurement of the Density of water

- Handout

Second Experiment: Measurement of the Surface Tension of Water

- Handout

Third Experiment: A Laser Refraction Method for Measuring Liquid Diffusion Coefficients

- Experiment I in manual

- First day - do experiment I

Third day - In lab, analyse data up to the point of drawing

the curve of dn/dx vs x.

Bimolecular Quenching Kinetics

- Experiment III in manual

- First lab day: demonstration of electronics; see handout

Second lab day: experiment III

Third lab day: analyse data in lab

Determining the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of sodium dodecyl sulfate

- Experiment X in manual

Kinetics of the Acid-Catalyzed Conversion of Glycidol to Glycerol

- Experiment XI in manual

Interpretation of the Visible Spectra of Polymethine Dyes

- Handouts

- It will be useful to read about Absorption spectra in Experiment VIII before doing this

experiment.

- Graphite

- Analysis of a molecular monolayer on graphite

Experiment XIII in manual; also STM handout will be given

First day of classes - Jan. 25

Spring recess - Mar. 29 - Apr. 3

Last day of classes - May 13

Week 1:

Jan. 26 Check-in. Introduction to the course.

Introductory lecture on error analysis: Multiple measurements vs. single measurement

Linear regression

Lecture on first experiment: "Measurement of the Density of Water (Handout)"

Start density experiment

Jan. 28 Lecture: Propagation of error.

Second experiment: "Measurement of the Surface Tension of Water and an unknown" (Handout)

Continue density experiment.

Week 2:

Feb. 2 Lecture: Histograms, Gaussian distribution.

Continue with density experiment and start surface tension experiment

Work on analysis for density experiment

Feb. 4 Quiz on error analysis

Histogram for density experiment is due today at the end of the lab period

Continue with surface tension experiment

Week 3:

Feb. 9 Lecture: Discussion of student histograms for density experiment

Class discussion of surface tension experiment

Continue with surface tension experiment; repeat, if necessary

Work on surface tension analysis

Feb. 11 Lecture: Third experiment, "A Laser Refraction Method for Measuring Liquid

Density Experiment is due today at the end of the lab period

Work on surface tension analysis

"First group" starts diffusion experiment

Week 4:

Feb. 16 Lecture: Distributions

"Second group" starts diffusion experiment

Analysis of Diffusion experiment; first group must turn in one dn/dx vs x plot

Feb. 18 Lecture: The phenomenon of diffusion

"Third group" starts diffusion experiment

Analysis of Diffusion; second group must turn in one dn/dx vs x plot

Surface Tension Experiment is due today at the end of the lab period

Week 5:

Feb. 23 Lecture: Discussion of reports

Analysis of Diffusion; third group must turn in one dn/dx vs x plot

Feb. 25 Lecture: Review of Part II, four experiments; set up schedule

Analysis of Diffusion

All groups must calculate the diffusion experiment results (derived from the dn/dx

Week 6:

Mar. 2 Begin project A.

Mar. 4 Continue with project A.

Diffusion Expriment due at the end of the lab period today

Week 7:

Mar. 9 Finish project A.

Mar. 11 Lecture: Discussion of lab and report problems

Begin project B.

Week 8.

Mar. 16 Continue project B.

Mar. 18 Finish project B

Week 9:

Mar. 23 Lecture: Discussion of lab and report problems

Begin project C.

Project A is due at the end of the lab period today

Mar. 25 Continue Project C.

Week 10: SPRING BREAK

Mar. 30

Apr. 1

Week 11:

Apr. 6 Finish Project C

Apr. 8 Lecture: Discussion of lab and report problems

Begin Project D

Project B is due at the end of the lab period today

Week 12:

Apr. 13 Continue Project D.

Apr. 15 Finish Project D.

Week 13:

Apr. 20 Lecture: Introduction to the STM

Work on the analysis for Project D.

Project C due at the end of the lab period today

Apr. 22 Lecture: Demonstration of the STM

Work on the analysis for Project D

Week 14: Individual time on STM this week

Apr. 27 Project D due at the end of the lab period today

Apr. 29 Open

Week 15: Individual time on STM this week

May 4. Lecture: STM of graphite

Work on analysis of STM images

May 6. Work on analysis of STM images

Week 16:

May 11 Lecture: STM of monolayers

Report on STM of graphite due at the end of the lab period today

May 13 Report on STM of monolayers due at the end of the lab period today