CHEM 1451 Lab 0 Orientation and Check-In

Lab 0 Orientation and Check-in

The purpose of the orientation and the check-in is to prepare you to perform lab experiments at home, explaining
how each experiment is organized and giving you the practice to turn in a report. All tasks in Module 0 are required
and will be graded. You will complete “CHEM 1451 Lab 0 Report.pdf” (three pages) and upload them in the Canvas
course. However, before you do so, read the rest of this document carefully. If you have any questions, please
make sure to ask beforehand by emailing the instructor. Additionally, you need to complete Lab Syllabus Quiz, the
Lab Check-in Part 1 (Lab Kit Rental Confirmation), and the Lab Check-in Part 2 (Lab Kit Verification and
Component Inventory) online in the Canvas course.

In the orientation and the check-in, your task is to obtain the lab kit and focus on uploading files correctly in the
Canvas course. For the rest of the semester, you will use the rules and instructions you learn during the orientation
period. When your reports are not uploaded correctly according to the rules, your reports will not be accepted and
automatically receive a zero grade. So you must complete the orientation successfully and correctly.

The homepage of the Canvas course includes a “Modules” button, which acts as a gateway to the links to upload a
lab report. Select the “Modules” button (Figure 1).

Figure 1 the homepage of CHEM 1451 Section 501 Canvas course

Then, the “CHEM 1451 Section 501 Modules” page appears. To start the lab orientation and check-in procedures,
select the “Module 0: Lab Check-In and Orientation” link. On the page, you will see the five links (Lab Course
Overview, Taking Lab Syllabus Quiz, Lab Check-in Part 1 Lab Kit Rental Confirmation, Lab Check-in Part 2 Lab
Kit Verification and Component Inventory, and Lab Orientation – Lab 0 Report). Use the links on the page to
complete the laboratory orientation and the lab check-in for this course.

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CHEM 1451 Lab 0 Orientation and Check-In

From Lab 1 to Lab 7

You will complete seven experiments. Five experiments last for two weeks, and two experiments last for one week.

Organization of Lab Experiments

Each experiment usually lasts for two weeks: You will complete the prelab report and perform an experiment,
collecting data in its first week. Then, you will complete the postlab report in its second week. A “Background and
Procedure” file contains the background information and the experimental procedure that you perform. You need to
upload a “Prelab and Data” file in the Canvas course during the first week. You complete and upload a “Postlab
Report” file in the Canvas course during the second week.

Figure 2: The organization of experiment files is explained. Files in red must be completed by hand, scanned in the
PDF file format, and uploaded to the Canvas course.

Figure 2 shows the general organization of the experiment files. The “Background and Procedure” file lists the
materials you need for the experiment.

• You are recommended to start gathering all materials you need as soon as you can before you perform the
experiment. If you wait until the last minute and miss the deadline of the experiment due to missing
materials or broken instruments, the extension to the deadline will not be granted.
• By the end of the orientation period, make sure that you have the lab kit rented from the UT Arlington
Bookstore and verify the content of the lab kit. You will need it next week to perform the experiment.
Don’t wait until the last minute.

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In the First Week of an Experiment

In a “Background and Procedure” file, you will find the background information you need to understand for the
experiment. You must read the content of the background information to understand the chemistry behind the
experiment you perform. The background information also contains examples of questions that are similar to
questions in pre-lab problems and important to post-lab questions.

After reading the background information, you should complete the prelab problems found in the “Prelab and Data”
file. Then, you will perform the experiment according to the instructions given in the procedure file, writing the
data down in the “Prelab and Data” file by hand.

Your Academic Coach will check the measured data that you collect and let you know as “comments” if you need to
re-do experiments. If you need to re-do experiments, then you must do so. Otherwise, you will lose points in the
postlab report when you use incorrect measurements to answer questions in the postlab report.

When you re-do experiments, you do NOT have to re-write the 1st-week report. There is a check-box present in the
2nd-week report if you re-do experiments. Simply check the box so that your Coach will know.

In the Second Week of an Experiment

You will complete a “Postlab Report” file by answering Postlab questions in the file. You will answer Postlab
questions by using the data that you collected in the previous week. Therefore, it is important that you have
reasonably correct data to answer the Postlab questions. You will be graded on your technical skills to get the
results. Please take your time and do not rush. If you rush through experiments to finish quickly, you may not
obtain an acceptable result. Poor performance and data will most likely result in not receiving credit for that
experiment. You need to be careful and patient when you perform chemistry experiments. Therefore, we will not
accept the excuse, “I should receive the full credits for an incorrect answer because it is based on my experimental
data.”

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CHEM 1451 Lab Report Preparation Guidelines

The rest of this document explains how to prepare and write a lab report in this course. In the laboratory portion of
this course, one of the primary objectives is to learn how to write a scientific lab report correctly so that others can
understand the experiment that took place. You should read it carefully because you are expected to write a
scientific lab report correctly in this course.

Section 1 How to Submit Your Lab Report

1-1 Preparing PDF files for Upload

Download a lab report in the Canvas course and print it out.

All pages of a report must be handwritten, scanned, and saved in PDF format. If a report is not uploaded in
PDF format, the report will not be graded and receive a zero grade. Typed reports are not accepted and will receive
a zero grade.

Each page of a report must be scanned in the correct orientation. We do not grade a page scanned upside down or
side-ways and assign a zero grade to your answers on the incorrectly-scanned page.

Make sure that the pages are in order. If pages are not in order, the report will not be accepted and receive a zero
grade.

Ensure that the resolution of the image is sufficient that your handwriting is legible. You are responsible for the
quality of the image(s) you submit. The grader will grade the image(s) that you provide in the condition that you
provide them. Your grader will not contact you to request a re-submission of greater quality. If an image is not of
sufficient quality to be read, you will receive zero points for the content of that image.

There are three methods to make PDF files. You can choose any of these methods to create a PDF file of your lab
report.

1. If you have a smartphone, you can find a free scanner app that allows you to take a photo and save it in
PDF format. Send it to your computer via email and save the file to your desktop or laptop computer. For
example, I use the free version of the “CamScanner” app that takes a picture of a document and save it in
PDF format. Then I can email it to my email account.
2. If you have a scanner, then scan the file and save it in the pdf format to your desktop or laptop computer.
Follow the instructions of your scanner.
3. If you do not have a scanner or a smartphone, many places such as UPS offer the service of scanning your
documents in the pdf file format. You may choose to save the scanned image in a portable storage media
(USB flash drive) or to send the scanned file to your email (then save it to your desktop or laptop
computer).

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1-2 Naming Rules for Lab Report Submission

When you create a PDF file, name the file with the experiment number (x) and your name as

• Prelab x First-name Last-name.pdf (for Prelab and Data of a two-week experiment)

• Postlab x First-name Last-name.pdf (for Postlab of a two-week experiment)
• Lab x First-name Last-name.pdf (for a one-week experiment)

For example, if Jane Smith is to turn in the first report, because the first report is a one-week report, the name of the
file should be

Lab 0 Jane Smith.pdf

If you break up a report to several files, make sure to include the page number in the file name. For example, if
Jane Smith is to turn in the first report, she might scan each page and save it as a pdf file as follows.

Lab 0 Page 1 Jane Smith.pdf

Lab 0 Page 2 Jane Smith.pdf

Lab 0 Page 3 Jane Smith.pdf

1-3 Uploading a Report to the Canvas Course

When you select the “Modules” button on the homepage of the Canvas course, the “CHEM 1451 Section 501
Modules” page appears. The “Lab Report Submission Links” appears on the page. You can use them to submit
your reports.

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Section 2 Data Entry

2-1 Record the value in a designated area.

You cannot write a measurement in a random area of the report. You must record it in the data section of the report.

2-2 Use the correct number of significant figures and the units.

Record your measurements with the correct number of significant figures and units. You will have points taken off
if you do not adhere to this basic practice of writing a scientific report. You cannot write a random number of zeros
or round off a number randomly in a measured number. Remember the following rule of thumb:

• Read to the tenth of the smallest printed scale available on an instrument. (On a digital display,
write all numbers in the display.)

Exceptions will be informed to you if any.

2-3 Write a zero proceeding the decimal point.

Although it is frequently observed that a zero digit proceeding the decimal point is omitted, you are required to write
it in this course. If you do not, then points will be taken off from your lab grade.

Example: Suppose that you are trying to measure the mass of an object. The digital display of the balance shows
the following.

How should you record the mass of the object?

You should write all digits in the digital display without omitting a zero preceding the decimal point. Don’t forget
to write to the unit.

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Section 3 How to Show Your Work

3-1 Write your solution in a designated area.

You cannot write your solution in a random area of the report. The boxed area is provided for you to write a
solution. You must write your solution inside the boxed area.

3-2 Use the correct number of significant figures and the units.

Throughout your solution, you are asked to use the correct number of significant figures and the units.

3-3 Write a zero proceeding the decimal point.

Although it is frequently observed that a zero digit proceeding the decimal point is omitted, you are required to write
it in this course. If you do not, then points will be taken off from your lab grade.

3-4 Explain all the symbols that you use in your solution.

When you write a report formally, you must explain all the symbols that you use in your solution. For example, you
cannot assume that the symbol “d” always means the density, and you cannot expect us to know your assumption. It
could mean a diameter. The bottom line is to explain all the symbols that you use.

3-5 Explain the equations that you use in your solution.

You need to explain the equations that you use in your solution. For example, if it is a definition, explain to us that
the equation is a definition. If you use an equation derived (that is, rearranged) from another equation, you must
show how you derived the equation step by step. You cannot expect us to know how you derive the equation.

3-6 Write your solution logically. Explain what you are writing.

We are grading how you reached your conclusions, so we must see the steps you took.

3-7 Use additional paper if you need more space.

If you run out of space to write your solution, use additional paper to complete your solution. Email your Coach so
that your Coach will know what you did.

Example: Consider the following solution submitted as a part of a lab report. It is written poorly to communicate
the idea. Although the answer (5.0 cm) is correct, the solution will be graded as “Acceptable” and receive only 50%
of the full credits.

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a. Identify the mistakes in the following solution.

1. The symbol “Rf” is not explained. Additionally, it is written outside of the box.
2. The symbol x is not explained.
3. The equation is not explained why the left-hand side should be equal to the right-hand side. Additionally,
one equation includes the multiple steps which should be written separately.
4. The value is squared, but you must know that squaring a number does not mean anything in a formal report.

b. Fixed the mistake.

An example of the “Proficient” solution is given below.

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Example: Sample answers to the following questions are given below to give you concrete examples of the grading
rubric.

“Calculate the density of water by using the data you collected in this measurement. Show your work.”

1. Proficient answer: Notice that a solution has sufficient details for a reader to follow the steps. Significant
figures are used correctly, and all necessary units are written.

2. Competent answer: When the mass of water is calculated, the incorrect number of significant figures is used.
Therefore, the answer is reported with the incorrect number of significant figures.

3. Acceptable answer: Although the work is shown in detail, the question is not answered correctly because one
part of the answer is incorrect. In this example, the mass of water is calculated incorrectly. Additionally, it is
not explained how the mass of water is determined. A reader has no idea how you found the mass of water.

4. Novice answer: The following solution is a bad example, mainly because of the lack of clarity. A reader needs
to guess the numbers and the equation used in the calculation. For example, what does “10.00 mL” represent in
this answer? Why are you subtracting two numbers in the numerator? Why are you dividing the numbers?
Why are you circling “0.992 g/mL”? Additionally, the answer does not correctly use the significant figures in
the calculation, and the units are missing in the calculation. The units suddenly appear in the answer only at the
end of the calculation.

5. Unacceptable answer: You do not show work when required.

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