Chemistry Laboratory
Chemistry is a practical science and the laboratory work is an essential part of all First Year Chemistry units of study. The laboratory work, which consists of a series of workshops and experiments, is designed to teach you essential problem solving and experimental techniques. Some experiments are stand alone and some are supported by the lecture material. Many of the generic attributes that you will develop at University are acquired through your laboratory practice.
Laboratory Program

The laboratory work component of each unit consists of a series of ten 3-hour sessions, one per week for selected weeks throughout the semester. Your first laboratory session occurs in week 2 of the semester and includes an introductory talk on laboratory procedure and safety. During this session you will also be allocated a work-space and locker. You will need to know your laboratory work-space allocation to register properly for the on-line pre-work.

The laboratory work is in three parts:

  • On-line pre-work, which gives background information about each experiment and incorporates a short quiz. This is to be completed in your own time before you come into the lab.
  • The experimental part, conducted in the lab under the guidance of a demonstrator who will help you in all aspects of the practical work and its underlying theory, and will check your results and answers at regular intervals during the session.
  • The post-work which is a short follow up exercise, often using the results you have obtained.
Laboratory Handbook

We advise you to purchase a copy of the Laboratory Handbook before attending your first laboratory session. They will be sold ($15) in the School of Chemistry, Lab C, during the first week of semester.

The Handbook contains all the information you require for the laboratory sessions and provides space for the recording of your results.

The experiments are not necessarily done in numerical order - to make sure you know which experiments are programmed for each week, you need to consult the timetable in the information and assignment booklet issued in your first lecture.

Links to pdf files of the content of the laboratory handbook are given here: Safety Regulations, W1, W2, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E10, E11, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18, E19, E20, E21, E22, E23, E24, E25, E26, E27, E28, E29, E30, E31, E35, Appendix A1, A2, A3, A4, A5. Note that standard laboratory practice requires the handbook you use in the laboratory to be held together by some sort of binder. Loose pages are not acceptable.

What you need to bring
  • A pair of safety glasses (obtainable when you buy your laboratory book or from the Union for about $5.00). The wearing of eye protection is compulsory at all times during practical work. (Normal spectacles, not sunglasses, may be an acceptable alternative if of adequate size - see lab notice board for minimum dimensions.) A limited number of spare pairs of safety glasses will be available for hire from the Service Room for a non-refundable fee of $2.00.
  • A calculator.
  • Appropriate footware must be worn during lab classes, that is covered shoes, not sandals nor thongs.
On-line pre-work

You must complete the on-line pre-work for the relevant experiments before the laboratory session. The on-line pre-work can be accessed via the Internet, either from one of the Uni Access Centres or from home. To enter the web site, first log on to WebCT and then follow the links to your Chemistry Unit and then to Lab material (available from week 2). This will be explained fully in your introductory lab session in week 2.

Information essential to your understanding of the experiment can be found in both the on-line pre-work and in the Introduction to the experiment in the Laboratory Handbook. Completing the on-line pre-works and associated quizzes forms part of your overall assessment for the semester.

Assessment of Laboratory Skills

10% of your final mark for each Unit of Study comes from the practical course. The breakdown of marks is:

  • On-line pre-work and quiz (4%)
  • Attitude / attendance / post-work (3%)
  • Practical exercise (3%)
What happens if I am unable to attend a lab session?

Students who are unable to attend a laboratory session should do ONE of the following:

  1. Catch up the missed work by attending one of the other laboratory sessions that week. To ensure that your attendance is officially recorded you must complete an OUT-OF-SESSION LABORATORY ATTENDANCE form at the First Year Enquiry Office, before the commencement of that session
  2. You may apply for Special Consideration (which is not granted routinely and requires supporting documentation) if you miss a laboratory session because of illness or misadventure. To apply for Special Consideration, go to the Faculty of Science website, and follow the procedures outlined. Applications must be submitted within seven (7) days of the assessment affected.

Any students who have more than one unexplained laboratory absence during the semester may be failed. Those students who arrive after 10.15 a.m. or 2.15 p.m. or who leave before 12.45 p.m. or 4.45 p.m. may be marked absent.

Laboratory Exemptions

 

There are no automatic exemptions from the practical course for any students.

Repeat students who have completed the course previously, may apply for exemption from the practical course by completing the relevant form at the First Year Enquiry Office. Applications for exemption should be submitted in the first week of semester. Each case will be treated on its own merits, based on attendance records and marks obtained in the laboratory course previously. Students granted a practical exemption will receive a pro-rata mark calculated from their previous practical marks.