Physical Setting Chemistry Lab Requirements 2003-2004

REGENTS CHEMISTRY Mrs. Miller [email protected] 758-2241 x71232

Chemistry Lab Report Requirements

The New York State Education Department requires that you successfully complete and have evidence for attending 1200 minutes of lab time. The Red Hook High school lab policy states that you must complete all labs to sit for the midterm and regents exams. You may not omit a lab unless I have given you permission to do so.

You will keep your labs in a folder provided by the school. The lab folder is handed in with a completed lab report on your lab day, then, returned to you on your double period. You are responsible for having proof of your lab work at the end of the year. If you misplace your labs and do not have a back-up copy, you are required to re-write all of the lab reports in the folder up until that point.

After completing a lab, the report is due at the start bell of the following lab period. A lab handed in late will result in the maximum grade of a 50 – a science department policy. However, you may use mole money to “buy” and extension – see class guidelines for more details. Each lab will have a unique rubric. Essential information regarding the lab report will be on the whiteboard. Take a picture of the whiteboard or write down the information during your lab period so you are prepared to complete your lab report after leaving lab. There will be time during the second lab period to work on your lab report. It is critical for you to work on your report during this time; all questions about calculations and conclusions may be cleared up with your teacher at this point.

Laboratory Report Guidelines  Use permanent ink (blue or black only) unless you are constructing a graph or drawing.  The first pages will be loose leaf and used for a table of contents.  Record all observations and data as you make them in lab. Do not trust your memory or your lab partner to record information. Only you are responsible for your lab report!  Keep the Table of Contents (TOC) updated.  Use blue or black pen only  Graphs must be done on graph paper (pen or pencil), use a ruler to draw axes, label axes (include units), have an appropriate scale, and an appropriate title.  A rubric will be provided with each lab. Submit the rubric with each lab, placing it directly behind the last page of your lab report.  Include only procedures that you personally perform and data that you personally observe. You may discuss your lab work/write up with your lab partner(s) but you may not blatantly cheat or copy answers. Cheating or copying labs will result in a lab grade of a zero and a written referral. Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guidelines

Many of the experiments that you will perform this year use chemicals, such as strong acids and bases that are dangerous if handled improperly. Some experiments use open flame or other heat sources, and nearly all of the experiments use glassware.

It’s important to keep things in perspective. Statistically, students are much, much safer working in a chemistry lab than they are playing sports. However, you need to be trained on how to be as safe as possible in the lab.

Most injuries that occur in chemistry labs are minor and easily avoidable. Among the most common are nicks from broken or chipped glassware and minor burns. Serious injuries are very rare. When they do occur, it’s nearly always because someone did something incredibly senseless.

The primary goal of laboratory safety is to prevent injuries. Knowing and following rules minimizes the likelihood of accidents, and helps ensure that any accidents that do occur will be minor ones.

“Everyone rightly treats strong acids with great respect, but many students handle strong bases casually. That’s a very dangerous practice. Strong bases, such as solutions of sodium hydroxide, can blind you in literally seconds. Treat every chemical as potentially hazardous, and always wear splash goggles.” – Dr. Paul Jones, Analytical Chemist

Prepare Properly:

ALL LABORATORY ACTIVITES MUST BE SUPERVISED BY A TRAINED ADULT

Direct supervision by a science teacher is mandatory of all of the activities that you will perform in the lab. You must understand the potential dangers and the procedures that will be used to minimize risk.

FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH SAFETY PROCEDURES AND EQUIPMENT

Think about how to respond to accidents before they happen. Locate the fire extinguishers, fire blankets, broom and dustpans, sinks, eyewash station, and drenching station; know how to use this safety equipment. Report any accident, injury, or incorrect procedure to your teacher at once.

One of the most important safety items in the lab is the cold water faucet. If you burn yourself, immediately (seconds count!) flood the burned area with tap water for several minutes to minimize the damage done by the burn. If you spill a chemical on yourself, immediately rinse the chemical off with cold tap water, and keep rinsing for several minutes. If you get any chemical in your eyes, immediately turn the eyewash station on and flood your eyes until help arrives.

ORGANIZE YOUR WORK AREA

Keep your lab bench and other work areas clean and uncluttered-before, during and after labs. Every lab period should begin and end with your glassware, chemical, and laboratory equipment clean and stored properly.

Dress Properly:

WEAR APPROVED EYE PROTECTION AT ALL TIMES

Everyone present in the lab must at all times wear splash goggles that comply with the ANSI Z87.1 standard. Standard glasses or shop goggles do not provide adequate protection, because they are not designed to prevent splashed liquids from getting into your eyes. Glasses are preferred over contacts (corrosive chemicals can be trapped between a contact lens and your eye, making it difficult to flush the corrosive chemical away) and may be worn under the goggles.

WEAR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

Never allow laboratory chemicals to contact your bare skin. It does not matter if the chemical is something as harmless as salt or sugar, you simply don’t know what dangerous chemicals it has been contaminated with. Wear shoes that cover your feet-not sandals. Avoid loose sleeves, wearing scarves, and ties, as they may catch fire. To protect your clothing, wear a lab apron. Keep long hair tied back.

Avoid Laboratory Hazards:

AVOID CHEMICAL HAZARDS:

Never taste any laboratory chemical or sniff it directly (use your hand to waft the odor toward your nose). When you heat a test tube or flask, make sure the mouth points in a safe direction away from other students.

Handle chemicals carefully. Check the label of all bottles before removing the contents. Do not return unused chemicals to containers. To prevent being wasteful, take small samples of chemicals.

AVOID FIRE HAZARDS:

Assume all glassware is hot until you are certain otherwise. Hot glass looks the same as cool glass. Examine all glassware before you use it, and particularly before you heat it. Discard any glassware that is cracked, chipped or otherwise damaged.

Smother fires with a fire blanket. If clothing should catch fire, smother it with a fire blanket or quench it under the drenching shower.

Use Your Head:

NEVER EAT OR DRINK IN THE LABORATORY

All laboratory chemicals should be considered toxic by ingestion, and the best way to avoid ingesting chemicals is to keep your mouth closed! Remember, this is true even for something as harmless as sugar, you don’t know what dangerous chemical it has been contaminated with. Eating or drinking (even water) in the lab is very risky behavior. A moment’s inattention can have tragic results.

NEVER WORK ALONE IN THE LABORATORY

No one should ever work alone in the laboratory! Another person needs to be within earshot to respond quickly in an emergency. A Bunsen Burner flame must be attended at all times, one partner may need to move to a different area while the other monitors the lab station. NO HORSING AROUND

A lab is not the place for practical jokes, or acting out, or for that matter for catching up on gossip or talking about last night’s football game. When you are in the lab, you should have your mind on the work that you are doing, period.

NEVER COMBINE CHEMICALS ARBITRARILY

Combing chemicals arbitrarily is among the most frequent causes of serious accidents in chemistry labs. Read ALL labels!!

Remember, lab safety is mainly a matter of common sense. Think about what you are going to do before you do it. Work carefully. Keep safety constantly in mind, and chances are good that any problems you have will be minor ones.

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Chemistry Lab Requirements

I have read and understand the Lab Report Requirements and Lab Safety Requirements for Regents Chemistry, and agree to follow them.

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