CHEMISTRY 362 -- INORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
FALL 2011& SPRING 2012
CHEM 362 is a lab course that runs for two independent terms each worth 0.75 credits. Any two terms in which the course is offered may be taken to complete the course requirements. There is about 30 hours of work to complete in 10 weeks. A certain amount of flexibility in scheduling is possible, so in case of overruns, you are advised to not book a class immediately following your lab section.
Quick Links:
references for A expts |
latest lab schedule |
| list of chemicals in Ell 331 and their location | Mass spec predictor | Molecular weight calculator |
The latest version of SpecView can be downloaded from this link . It is a free resource for academic users from ACD Labs.
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Lab Course Co-ordinator |
Dave Berry |
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Office |
Elliott 334e |
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Phone |
250 721 7170 |
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Please feel free to contact me in any way that you find convenient.
General Information: This course is a two-semester laboratory class for 2 x 0.75 credits. It is an independent course, but you may find that much of the content is related to that of Chemistry 324.
Although the labs are written as finishing at 16:30, it is often difficult to be sure that your experimental work will be complete at this point on any given day. You are strongly advised not to schedule a following event earlier than 17:30 on a regular basis.
What Chem 362 is all about
Chem 362 is the second lab course in inorganic chemistry that a chemist might take, and is intended to complete the 'must-do' requirements for a degree. It may help you to read the 'game plan' for the Inorganic Lab Program to gain some perspective in the goals of the present course.
Specifically for Chem 362, the goals are:
To develop and extend techniques introduced at the second year level:
Obviously not all the techniques have been covered yet, but from previous
courses, you should be familiar with some basics. If this is not the case, make
sure you ask for help from the instructor.
To leave you with a degree of independence in the laboratory:
The course is deliberately designed so that you work on independent
experiments in your own time frame - but working towards established deadlines.
This encourages you to appropriately plan your daily schedule. The manual
deliberately contains less material than that for Chem 222. This again is to
encourage you to work more independently. Read the literature in advance
(particularly the safety material), discuss your plans with your lab instructor and write out
your game plan for the class.
Use your instructor!! They are there to teach and check things out when you need it. You will find that they are a useful supplement to the written material provided! The manual is not intended to be your sole source of instructions.
To use and comprehend the journal literature:
Each experiment has a set of references which should be studied before starting
practical work. You will be required to know the published data and to present
comparisons with your own results.
To present your work in a professional manner:
You will be required to record the details of your experimental work in a manner
such that others can follow your work. You will also be required to present a
written or oral report. It is expected that you will be able to describe your
results in the context of the published information and to defend your
conclusions. If you wish to improve your writing skills in general, the Writing Centre is a free resource that I can recommend. Here is a brief article highlighting issues of plagiarism.
Duration of Course:
Fall 2011: 12 September to 25 November 2011 for the
laboratory work. The lab will not be open during the week of 7 - 11
November.
Spring 2012: 9 January - 23
March 2012 for the laboratory work. The lab will not be open during Reading Break 13 - 17 February.
Location of Lab: Elliott 331
Pre-requisites: Chem 213 & 222
Techniques: (click on) Tips
Material Needs:
The Chem 362 Lab Manual for the relevant semester is available on-line. It also contains detailed notes about the course, safety and the requirements for the reports.
Recommended text books
d-Block Chemistry by M.J. Winter,
Inorganic Spectroscopic Methods by A.K. Brisdon,
The "A" references are available through the link at the top of this page. The "B" references will be available for loan. Please ask if you have not received a copy by the time you need to start using them.
Safety glasses must be worn by everyone, even if prescription glasses are also worn. They are available from the Bookstore or Science Stores.
Lab coats are recommended; available from Science Stores or the Bookstore.
A notebook with fixed pages is mandatory, but it doesn't have to be a particular kind. It need not be exclusive to this course and it can be one recycled from another course. Please number the pages and create a "Contents" list.
Special Considerations:
Suitable accommodation will be provided for students with short
or long term disabilities or special needs. Please ask the Senior Lab Instructor.
Here is the form for requesting academic concession
Student Evaluation:
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Pre-lab assignments, assessment of lab skills and experiment preparation: |
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10% of total mark |
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= |
90% of total mark |
The final course grade will be based on the following scale:
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A+ |
90 - 100% |
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A |
85 - 89% |
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A- |
80 - 84% |
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B+ |
75 - 79% |
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B |
70 - 74% |
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B- |
65 - 69% |
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C+ |
60 - 64% |
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C |
55 - 59% |
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D |
50 - 54% |
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F |
< 50% |
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
In each semester, four experiments must be completed and written up. Two experiments will be assigned from section A and two from section B.
This is the sequence of experiments that you will be required to do as you progress through Chem 362 over the two terms. All reports have some material that must be handed in by the published due date.
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Term |
Expt |
Marks |
Report style |
Presentation |
Time of presentation
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1st |
# A6 or A22 |
20 |
tabulated + notebook |
group chat |
in lab time following due date |
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A |
20 |
tabulated |
Q & A oral |
in lab time following due date |
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B |
25 |
full |
none |
- |
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B |
25 |
full |
none |
- |
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2nd |
A |
20 |
tabulated |
Q & A oral |
in lab time following due date |
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B |
25 |
full |
none |
- |
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A |
20 |
tabulated |
Q & A oral |
in lab time following due date |
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B* |
25 |
tabulated + overheads on due date |
oral presentation to TAs and interested 1st term students. 2nd term students may only attend their own presentation! |
scheduled during last week of classes.. |
The first report will be due by noon, Monday, October 3.
The second will be due by noon, Monday, October 17.
The third report will be due by noon, Monday November 14.
The fourth will be due by noon, Monday, November 28.
No reports will be accepted after noon,
Friday, December 2 or the first day of presentations, whichever comes sooner.
Report Dates - Spring
2012:
The first will be due by noon, Monday, January 30.
The second will be due by noon, Monday, February 20.
The third report will be due by noon, Monday March 12.
The fourth will be due by noon, Monday, March 26.
No reports will be accepted after noon,
Friday, March 30 or the first day of presentations, whichever comes sooner.