Department of Chemistry

CHEMISTRY 203: Equilibrium and Change

Lab Manual: Introduction to CHEM 203 Labs

Fall 2024

Lab Coordinator: Dr. Yuen-ying Carpenter

yyscarpe@[Link]

Contributors:
Carpenter, Y.; Musgrove, A.; Mozol, V.J.; Jackson, R.; Stevenson, J.M.; Benoit, W.L.; Veltri, N.L.; Jo, D.L.,
Mahadev, K.N.; Lefebvre, J.; Sandblom, N.T.A.; Schechtel, S.; Sullivan, E.; Sutherland, T.C.; Wheatley, B.M.
Introduction
Why do you need to complete a Laboratory Component in CHEM 203? ............................................................... 3
What will you learn from the Laboratory Component in CHEM203? ................................................................. 3
Who teaches CHEM203 laboratories? .................................................................................................................... 3
When and where do you go for your lab? .............................................................................................................. 3
How can you be safe in the Laboratory Component of CHEM203? ....................................................................... 4
Undergraduate Online Safety Training (Part of Lab 0) ........................................................................................ 4
Summary of Dress Code & Key Policies ............................................................................................................... 4
How can you succeed in the Laboratory Component of CHEM203? ...................................................................... 5
Cite your sources to act with Academic Integrity ............................................................................................... 5
Complete the Academic Integrity Training Activity (Part of Lab 0) ..................................................................... 5
Be aware of Non-Academic Misconduct ............................................................................................................. 6
What happens each week for the Laboratory Component of CHEM203?.............................................................. 7
How can you prepare for Lab? ............................................................................................................................ 7
On your scheduled lab day .................................................................................................................................. 8
What happens during the Lab? ........................................................................................................................... 8
What happens after the Lab? .............................................................................................................................. 9
What happens if you submit a late report? ........................................................................................................ 9
What if you cannot attend at your regular lab time? ........................................................................................... 10
Your laboratory grade ........................................................................................................................................... 10
What if you have concerns about the grade you were awarded? .................................................................... 10
What is a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) Argument? ...................................................................................... 11

Experiments (See separate submodules in D2L Lab Module)

Lab 0: Safety Course and Academic Integrity in CHEM 203 (Online)
Lab 1: Foundational Skills
Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction
Lab 3: Determining the equilibrium constant for the formation of ferric thiocyanate, Fe(SCN)2+
Lab 4: Identification of unknown acids by titration
Lab 5: Salt solutions – Dissolution & Precipitation [Silver salt reactivity]

Lab Appendices (Available as a single file on D2L)

You should print out and bring selected appendices with you every lab period, especially Lab 1. Because
electronics are not allowed to be used during the lab, you will be unable to access these documents online
while you are working in the lab.
Note that CHEM 201 and 203 will use the same set of Appendices for the 2024-2025 academic year – so you
can print a single copy of these and use them across both courses.

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Important symbols used in your Lab documents
If you see this symbol, you must talk to your laboratory instructor before you
continue. There may be significant hazards that your laboratory instructor needs to
check before you continue with your experiment.

If you see this symbol, you should proceed with extra care after checking your safety
precautions. Check with your laboratory instructor if in any doubt.

If you see this symbol, important information is being highlighted that might help
you with the current concept or procedural step.

If you see this symbol, there is a key question for you to answer in the margins,
about the chemical concept or technique you’re about to do. Attempt these
questions before lab to make sure you’re adequately prepared and ask your TA
about these during the lab.

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Why do you need to complete a Laboratory Component in CHEM 203?
Chemistry is an experimental science. Most chemists spend their time in laboratories mixing chemicals,
analyzing samples, and making observations. Experimentally obtained information is needed to support any
work a chemist might do at an office desk or in front of a computer.
Students often have the misconception that studying chemistry means relying solely on textbook information.
Although a large part of chemistry involves reading what other people have written about chemistry, this
knowledge cannot stand apart from experimental observations. Advancements in chemistry start with
experimental observations that are then interpreted and explained within the context of existing chemical
knowledge.

The importance of understanding experimental techniques and concepts when studying

chemistry is reflected by the course requirement of an overall grade of 50% for the laboratory
component, and submission of no less than 3 lab reports, to earn a course grade higher than
D+. If you earn a grade of C- or higher, you have a pre-requisite pass and you can register for all
higher-level courses that require that course as a pre-requisite. See the course outline for details.

What will you learn from the Laboratory Component in CHEM203?

In the laboratory, you will learn the techniques and skills that chemists use in a laboratory setting. By the end
of Chemistry 203, you should be familiar with and comfortable in a chemistry laboratory.
You should learn how to follow procedures and how to perform those procedures quickly and efficiently. Note
that there is reasoning behind each step of a procedure.
In Chemistry 203, you will not be marked on the success of your experiment. One can get a grade of excellence
(A) for a laboratory write-up for an experiment that failed. Rather, Chemistry 203 aims to develop your ability
to understand why you are doing an experiment and what you are doing at every stage of that experiment. If an
experiment is not successful, you need to recognize where it went wrong and how you might modify it if asked
to redo it. We hope that you will learn from your mistakes as the course progresses. Keep in mind that you
should always be striving to improve your performance with each experiment you do. A good grade in any
chemistry course will depend upon this. Future courses rely on their expectation that you successfully
completed Chemistry 203 and will require that your experiment is successful for a grade of excellence (A).
You will record information about all steps performed in the laboratory. With these notes, for most labs, you
can then leave the laboratory, formulate ideas about the experiment, and then summarize all work in a report.

Who teaches CHEM203 laboratories?

Your laboratory section will be taught by a graduate student (or recent graduate student). During a brief
presentation, they will guide you through the instructions and demonstrate particular skills during the first part
of the lab period. While you complete the lab procedure, they will check on your progress and answer your
questions. If you have moments of waiting time, you can ask them about the work you will do for the report.
When you are done, they will put their initials on your worksheets. Your TA will be available via email or office
hours to support your learning while you write your report. They will grade your reports and provide feedback.
The teaching assistants are supported by the rest of the CHEM203 Teaching Team, especially the Laboratory
Coordinator and the Chemistry Lab Technicians. You can find contact information for your TA and the Lab
Coordinator in the Labs module of D2L.

When and where do you go for your lab?

Your student centre provides the times and location of your lab section. Your lab section is labelled B##.

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How can you be safe in the Laboratory Component of CHEM203?
Undergraduate Online Safety Training (Part of Lab 0)
You are required to complete this course before your first laboratory session. This is a federal requirement.
The Chemistry Undergraduate Safety Course is a mandatory component for all students taking chemistry
laboratory work and you will not be allowed to participate in any in-person laboratories without completing it
successfully. The safety course takes about 50 minutes to complete online (no advance preparation required).
We have allocated time for you to complete this as part of Lab 0. See D2L for additional details.

Student 1: Allen D. Hyde Student 2: T. S. Berny

(Art credit to Stevenson JM, 2022, Laboratory Manual Fall 2022 CHEM203, University of Calgary.)
Summary of Dress Code & Key Policies
• Impairment due to alcohol or drugs will not be tolerated. Anyone impaired will not be allowed to work in
the lab.
• No food or drink is allowed in the labs.
• Students are not allowed in the lab unless a TA or instructor is present.
• Students must provide their own lab coat and safety glasses.
• Lab coats and safety glasses must be put on as soon as you enter the lab and worn in the lab at all times
unless instructed otherwise by the lab coordinator.
• Lab coats and gloves must be removed when leaving the lab.
• Contact lenses are not recommended to be worn when performing experiments.
• No skin with the exception of hands, neck and face can be exposed, i.e.,
o No rolled up or ripped jeans
o No exposed ankles, legs or feet
o No nylons/stocking or mesh panels on leggings or pants
o No sandals or flip-flops
• Hair that is longer than shoulder length must be tied up.
• Hats if worn, must not obstruct vision or hearing.
• No electronic devices with the exception of a calculator are allowed, i.e., no cell phones, laptops, tablets,
audio/video or smart devices of any kind.
• No unauthorized experiments.
• Footwear with unstable heels are not recommended to be worn in the lab.

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Students who fail to adhere to the Laboratory Dress Code or Laboratory Safety Policies will not be
allowed to work in the laboratory.

Additional detailed information on Lab Safety can be found in Appendix A.

How can you succeed in the Laboratory Component of CHEM203?

Cite your sources to act with Academic Integrity
A properly written laboratory report will, in most cases, include work that is not completely original from the
author. While you are expected to submit your own work for laboratory reports, sourcing key ideas from other
is acceptable as long as credit is given to the source of this material.
Generally accepted principles, equations, etc. (e.g. the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, or a chemical
reaction) may be used without acknowledgement, or with a general reference to a book chapter or similar
source. Direct quotations, including numerical values, must be specifically identified and acknowledged.
Appendix H outlines one acceptable format for providing such references to works cited, which we will use in
this course.
Working with classmates can complicate the determination of whether a work is ‘original’ or not. Be careful
when working with your lab partner that you do not accidentally plagiarize each other. While you share the
same dataset (and therefore give credit to your partner), your written work and calculations must be
individual, in your own words, and never previously submitted for grading (e.g. in a different semester or
course).
Laboratory reports are subject to the academic regulations in the University Calendar outlined in the “Student
Misconduct” section, including the guidelines in the “Statement of Intellectual Honesty” and
“Plagiarism/Cheating/Other Academic Misconduct” sub-sections
([Link] If you are struggling to determine if you have
followed the principles of conduct as outlined in the University Calendar, ask your course or laboratory
instructor to clarify these points before submitting work you are unsure of.
Cite sources for anything you did not do personally, or anything stated that was not your own original thought.

See Appendix E for more detail on citation style and expectations in CHEM 203.

Complete the Academic Integrity Training Activity (Part of Lab 0)

This learning activity is based on actual scenarios you might encounter in the course. It is designed to help you
know what to do to ensure the work you submit...
• ...upholds fundamental values of academic integrity: Honesty, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility,
and Courage (as defined by International Center for Academic Integrity), and...
• ...is completed in ways that meaningfully support your long-term learning.
The activity also includes a short summary about how Academic Integrity issues are handled at the University
of Calgary.
Additional contacts and resources on academic integrity are linked in the Lab 0 module on D2L.

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Be aware of Non-Academic Misconduct
Please keep in mind to treat your fellow students, TAs, CHEM technicians and other supervisors with respect.
Respectful communication should happen both in-person and in your written work.
In the view of the laboratory instructor (lab TA) or CHEM technicians, if you engage in disruptive or negligent
behavior while performing your experiment, you may be asked to leave the laboratory. The CHEM203 Lab
Teaching team may be required to report your Non-Academic Misconduct. You should also treat the lab
supplies, materials, and glassware in an appropriate and careful way. If you unnecessarily waste resources
(materials or glassware) due to mistreatment not accidents, you may be asked to leave the laboratory. The
CHEM203 Lab Teaching team may be required to report your Non-Academic Misconduct.

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What happens each week for the Laboratory Component of CHEM203?
How can you prepare for Lab?
Before your scheduled lab day:
• Print the files from D2L for that specific lab, along with any Appendix you will need. You will not be
able to do the in-lab procedure without these printed pages!
• Read these files ahead of time, especially the lab safety information. Seek further information (from
your textbook, instructor, or laboratory instructor) to clarify anything you are unsure of.
• Complete the safety course (part of Lab 0) before your first in-person lab (Lab 1).
• Complete the pre-lab quiz for that week’s experiment on D2L. You can leave the quiz and return later if
needed, but start early, so that you can seek help from your TA or instructor if needed. You have two
attempts available for the quiz, although the questions may vary slightly between attempts. You must
earn a passing score of 50% or better to be permitted entry to the laboratory. Further details below.
Using the resources from D2L:
The procedures that are provided to you for each lab on D2L have been created to help you succeed in the
corresponding experiment and enhance your grasp on lab technique and underlying chemical concepts. Read
your procedures at least once before entering the lab so that you can come prepared.
The procedures in CHEM 203 often have key ideas and questions highlighted in the margins that can help you
prepare and build your confidence during the lab. Use the margins to take notes before the lab and to note
down any helpful hints and advice your TA may give you during the prelab talk.
Sometimes you will find questions in the margins. If you answer these questions, they can help you prepare for
the prelab quiz as well as the lab itself.

Why do you need to complete D2L Pre-Lab Quizzes before each in-person lab?
These quizzes are intended to ensure you are adequately prepared for lab and you must complete with at
least a passing grade (50%) at least one hour before your lab start time.
Questions relate to the laboratory procedure, safety precautions, and any theory or calculations that must be
understood before performing the experiment.
You have two attempts to achieve a passing score, so it is recommended that you start the pre-lab assignment
early enough to seek help from your TA as needed after your first attempt. In completing your pre-lab quiz, try
to decide what the take-home messages are about the chemical concepts involved. Ask your TA for clarification
if you are having trouble understanding how your experiment fits with these conceptual ideas during the lab
itself. Thinking about these chemical concepts at each stage of your laboratory work (preparation,
performance, and write-up) will improve your ability to communicate the main ideas in your report.
If you do not achieve a passing grade on time (1h before lab), you will not be able to enter the lab because it is
hazardous to conduct experimental work without preparation. You will need to complete the Make-up Lab
Request Form to see if there is an available space for you to attend a Make-up Lab.
If you have concerns or technical issues with the pre-lab activity, or if you have not achieved a passing score
after two attempts, email the Lab Coordinator as soon as possible. You can expect a reply within two business
days but sometimes more quickly.

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On your scheduled lab day
• Ensure that you arrive at least 5-minutes early. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late or have missed
the majority of the TA’s pre-lab talk, you will not be permitted to enter since you will have missed
critical safety instructions. Your TA will direct you to apply for a possible makeup lab via D2L.
• Wear appropriate lab attire.
• Bring a lab coat and safety glasses.
• Bring your own print copies of the procedure and relevant Appendices (including worksheet pages)
• Bring a pen (non-erasable) and scientific calculator.

What happens during the Lab?

During your lab period you will be performing an experiment based on a provided procedure. The following
few sections should help the lab run smoothly for everyone.
Read the steps in the procedure carefully. Make sure that you have not skipped anything in the previous step
before moving onto the next. Sometimes a vital piece of information or addition of a chemical can be missed,
and the experiment will fail. If there is any step that you do not fully understand, make sure to ask your TA for
clarification and advice. Do not guess, because you might make mistakes or do something unsafe.
While you complete the lab procedure, your TA will check on your group progress and address questions with
guiding questions back to help you formulate your own answers to the laboratory worksheet. Your TA is there
to help your learning, not give you answers.

How can you manage your time in the lab?

Each lab period is 2 hours and 50 minutes long with a 10-minute grace period for clean-up. There are no
extensions for lab time. Each student and set of lab partners should manage their time effectively during the
experiment.
The following tips may help you to proactively manage your time:
1. Read the procedure ahead of time. Try to figure out what the longest parts might be: will you have
long periods of waiting?
2. Write down your observations and data as you collect it. Also, check off each procedural step as you
complete it, so that you are keeping track of what’s done and what’s left to do.
3. Look ahead. Are you waiting for a reaction? Is one partner doing the titration? If you or your partner
have ‘free’ time, look at your procedure to see if there are upcoming steps and then prepare!
4. Ask your TA for guidance if you think that you will run out of time. They may be able to help you come
up with more strategies using their past experiences.

The most effective way to manage your time in the lab is by being prepared!

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What happens when you are done the lab procedure?
Here are several rules of conduct to keep in mind before you leave the room:
• Your data must be initialed or signed by your TA before you leave the lab. Any data not signed by a
TA or supervisor is inadmissible for submission and may affect your grade.
• You must clean up your lab bench and assigned drawer before leaving.
• You should be a good community member and be courteous to help clean common areas (balances,
etc.) throughout the lab but especially before you think of leaving the lab. Your TA may assign you
specific common areas to maintain based on your location in the laboratory.

What happens after the Lab?

When you leave the lab, both you and your lab partner will have your own individual copy of the Lab
worksheet, with all the data you collected together and your TA’s initials. You will complete your analysis
independently, and each submit a copy of the worksheet with your answers in your own words.

You can start answering many of the worksheet questions during the lab period.
There is usually time available after clean-up, and this work is often faster when you
can immediately ask your TA for clarification while you work.

We recommend staying for the full laboratory period and completing as much of the worksheet as possible
during this time. But, some of the calculations may be easiest with access to a computer – or you may prefer to
type your answers, or need some additional time to review your textbook to understand the topic.
Your worksheet should not take more than a few hours to complete – if you find it is taking longer than this,
please reach out to your TA or instructors for support in getting unstuck.
Worksheets will be submitted online – which means you will need to scan your original data (with TA initials)
as part of your submission. Support on how to scan and submit successfully will be provided on D2L.

Due Date

Labs Submit online within 1 week of the start of your laboratory period. For example, if you have a lab
1-5 section from 12:00-2:50 pm on Tuesdays, your worksheet needs to be submitted before noon on the
following Tuesday.

What happens if you submit a late report?

If you submit worksheets after the due date, your report will be subject to late mark deductions. Your report
will have 10% of the points deducted from the total score for each calendar day that lapsed between the end
of the deadline and the date of actual submission. For example, if your worksheet is due on a Thursday at 8:00
am and is submitted to D2L at noon that same day, that is an automatic deduction of 10% of the total possible
points you could earn for that lab.

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What if you cannot attend at your regular lab time?
If you have missed your scheduled lab section, or know you will need miss a scheduled lab in the future, fill out
the make-up lab request form, available on D2L by going to Contact Us > Missed Lab. When requesting a
make-up lab, please note:
• Absences due to illness should ideally be requested within 48 hours of the missed lab. If you need
more than 48 hours for recovery, advise the lab coordinator at the time of request.
o If you have a medical condition that may result in recurrent absences, please contact the
laboratory coordinator as early as possible to ensure a contingency plan exists.
• Absences due to sports, religious observance, or ‘protected grounds’ under the Alberta Human
Rights Act generally require confirmatory documentation (e.g. note from coach) and ideally should
be requested 10 business days before the planned absence.

Advance notice, whenever possible, increases the coordinator’s ability to accommodate such requests,
although priority will still be given to students with the reasons listed above.

If you have questions about lab scheduling or want to discuss options for accommodation in the laboratory,
please contact the lab coordinator, whose contact information is available on the course D2L webpage.

Your laboratory grade

Each in-person lab experiment is equally weighted toward your overall grade: 1% is earned from your highest
pre-lab quiz score, while the remaining 3% is earned from your submitted Lab Worksheet.
While the pre-lab quizzes are automatically graded, and you can view your scores immediately, your worksheet
is graded by the TAs – so your feedback will be returned to you online within about 1-week. Each worksheet
covers different topics, but each one builds off the others in many ways.

Read the feedback from your TA and apply it to the next Worksheet.

What if you have concerns about the grade you were awarded?
Your first step: chat with your TA! For example, they can edit if there were simple errors in addition of the
score. You can ask about why you earned a certain grade for a question, and they can usually easily resolve
these kinds of questions.
After talking to your TA, if you continue to have concerns, you may contact the lab coordinator to request a
regrade of your report.
Please Note: A lab regrade does not guarantee an increase in the report score. Your score may remain the same
but may also decrease.
See information in the D2L Course Information Module under the [How To] Request a Regrade.

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What is a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) Argument?
Any explanation can be broken down into three key components a claim, evidence, and reasoning. Using the
following question let’s walk through the steps of CER.

Question: Did the reaction go to completion?

Claim: A complete sentence that states the answer to the question being asked.
Example claim: The reaction did not go to completion.
Tips: Be specific and clear with your claim.

Evidence: The observations, data and facts that are used to support your claim.
Example Evidence: There was solid reactant left in the flask at the end of the reaction.
Tips: Include specific details in your evidence to ensure it is clear to the reader. Make sure the
evidence supports the claim you made. Be careful that you are stating observations (that everyone
can confirm or agree on independently) and not inferences. For example, you might observe a
colourless liquid in your flask, but you cannot know that it is water without additional information.

Reasoning: Explains why or how your evidence supports your claim. The reasoning should try
to connect your evidence to your answer given in the claim.
Example Reasoning: Since we know that the solid reactant was the limiting reagent, none of this
compound should be left at the end of the reaction. Therefore, the reaction did not go to completion
because there was solid reactant remaining at the end of the reaction.
Tips: Make sure not to just restate your evidence in different words. Try to answer WHY the
evidence would lead you to make your claim.

But, that’s what I observed. How can you mark my evidence as wrong?
For evidence or observations to be considered reliable, these must be ones that could be reproduced and
agreed upon by independent individuals conducting the same experiment. Observations that are inconsistent
between two scientists doing the same experiment suggest that something has gone wrong – these suggest
that the experiment should be repeated or that this data is an outlier that should be excluded from the
analysis.
In CHEM 201/203, we assess if your observations are…
• Relevant to the chemistry questions or goals of the experiment – including highlighting key differences
or similarities between trials or between time points in an experiment
• Reliable or verifiable when repeated by you or an independent experimenter
• Clearly described using precise language that can be interpreted by others

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