General Chemistry

This manual provides qualitative and quantitative laboratory exercises to serve the needs of a one-year general chemistry program. It was written in the belief that laboratory studies are an essential part of undergraduate education. Each experiment has a well-defined objective that underscores a basic chemical tenet while providing a reliable, reproducible and satisfying result. Specifically, students learn how to perform essential laboratory techniques such as weighing, titration,...
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This manual provides qualitative and quantitative laboratory exercises to serve the needs of a one-year general chemistry program. It was written in the belief that laboratory studies are an essential part of undergraduate education. Each experiment has a well-defined objective that underscores a basic chemical tenet while providing a reliable, reproducible and satisfying result. Specifically, students learn how to perform essential laboratory techniques such as weighing, titration, glass-working, and informed calculations based on experimental data. Moreover, professional conduct including approaches to safety rules, chemical disposal and storage, organization, and neatness in laboratory operations are integral to each experiment. Through the assembly of scientific apparatus leading to the observation of chemical reactions, this laboratory course stimulates an interest in chemical phenomena. The use of "unknowns" and the use of specific laboratory techniques applied to solve practical problems demonstrate the investigative nature of chemistry. Through these laboratory exercises, students learn that even the most precise scientific measurements are subject to uncertainty. Thereby students learn to distinguish between experimental errors, uncertainties, and "blunders." Thus, the importance of error analysis is introduced at an early stage of their scientific training. The quantitative, qualitative, and synthetic general chemistry laboratory exercises within this manual may be used in an independent laboratory course, separate from lecture, or in conjunction with a variety of textbooks. This manual is designed for an instructor to schedule experiments that meet the demands of many varied and different student groups. The laboratory experiments within this manual include a wide range of interesting studies in the general categories of basic principles, techniques of separation and identification; moles, and stoichiometry; chemical thermodynamics; electron transfer; acid-base equilibria; kinetics and physical properties of matter; and synthesis and characterization of inorganic compounds and complex ions.The manual falls into four parts: 1. Introductory material on experimental procedures, laboratory safety, and mathematical treatment of data;2. Laboratory experiments;3. Pre-laboratory preparatory material; 4. Appendices. Parts of the manual are designed to take advantage of the vastly increased computing power offered by smart phones, computer tablets, and personal computers.