An Atoms First Approach to General Chemistry Laboratory Manual

Overview

Main description

Laboratory Manual to Accompany Chemistry: Atoms First by Gregg Dieckmann and John Sibert from the University of Texas at Dallas. This laboratory manual presents a lab curriculum that is organized around an atoms-first approach to general chemistry. The philosophy behind this manual is to (1) provide engaging experiments that tap into student curiosity, (2) emphasize topics that students find challenging in the general chemistry lecture course, and (3) create a laboratory environment that encourages students to “solve puzzles” or “play” with course content and not just “follow recipes.” Laboratory Manual represents a terrific opportunity to get students turned on to science while creating an environment that connects the relevance of the experiments to a greater understanding of their world. This manual has been written to provide instructors with tools that engage students, while providing important connections to the material covered in an atoms-first lecture course.

Table of contents

Experiment 1 Exploration of Matter through Density Determinations: An Introduction to Basic Laboratory Measurements Experiment 2 The Discovery of Chemical Change Through the Chemistry of Copper: An Observational Preview of First-Semester General Chemistry Experiment 3 Light and Nanotechnology: How Do We “See” Something Too Small to See? Experiment 4 Shedding Light on the Structure of the Atom Experiment 5 Periodic Trends: Densities in the Chromium Family of Transition Metals Experiment 6 Molecular Geometry and Polarity Experiment 7 Percent Composition from Gravimetric Analysis: Calcium Carbonate in Chalk and Texas Limestone Experiment 8 Limiting Reactants Lab Experiment 9 Qualitative Analysis: Testing the Solubility Rules Experiment 10 Titration I. Determination of an Unknown Diprotic Volumetric Analysis Experiment 11 The Activity Series: On the Chemistry of Metals Experiment 12 Calorimetry Experiment 13 Gas Laws: Boyle’s Law and Experimental Determination of the Ideal Gas Constant Experiment 14 A Capstone Experience: Toward the Creation of an Automobile Airbag Experiment 15 On the Nature of Solutions: Polarity, Energy, and Properties Experiment 16 Molar Mass Determination Through Freezing Point Depression Experiment 17 Kinetics—The Hydrolysis of p-Nitrophenyl Acetate Experiment 18 Determination of the Equilibrium Constant of Phenolphthalein Dissociation Experiment 19 Le Châtelier’s Principle: On the Effect of Concentration and Temperature on Equilibrium Experiment 20 Titration II. pH Titration Curves Experiment 21 Determining the Molar Solubility Product of Copper(II) Tartrate Experiment 22 Thermodynamics of Formation of a Borax Solution Experiment 23 Galvanic Cells and the Measurement of Cell Potential Experiment 24 Color Changes in Ionizing Foot Baths? (Testing Marketing Claims: A Case Study) Experiment 25 The Formation and Reactivity of Esters: A Bridge from General to Organic Chemistry