Organic Chemistry Tulane Syllabus
Organic Chemistry Tulane Syllabus
Organic Chemistry Tulane Syllabus
Textbook (Your Lab manual): Lehman, J. W. Multiscale Operational Organic Chemistry; A Problem-Solving
Approach to the Laboratory Course, 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2008. ISBN-10: 0-13-241375-2
Notebook: For writing lab reports, you can purchase a "Laboratory Research Notebook (with carbon)" from the
Tulane Bookstore.
Outline of Course Contents and Exam schedule: There will be 9 regular experiments worth a
total of 900 points; the schedule of experiments is on page 5 of this syllabus. The last lab will be worth 200 point,
which includes a lab final (150 points) and proper check-out (50 points). The total point possible is thus 1100
points. The lab final will present you an opportunity for pre-lab investigation/research of a set of given compounds
and in-lab identification of an unknown using either Infrared Spectroscopy or chemical analysis or both; the unknown
will be selected from the type of compounds you have done your research upon.
Students must come to their registered section on time. The prelaboratory quiz is scheduled to start at 1:00pm for each and all lab period and typically is limited for 20
minutes. Once the quiz time is over, all students must turn it in and the instruction for the designated
experiment is scheduled to follow. If a student is late for 10 minutes, then the student will have 10 minutes less
to do his/her quiz; if a student misses the quiz period entirely, then a zero will be assigned to the students prelaboratory quiz and there will be NO make-up option. If a student misses his lab period for legitimate
excuse, such as serious sickness and family emergence (supporting documents will be needed), you
should notify your TA by writing as soon as possible and no later than the end of the day. In such
cases, you may make up a missed lab in a different section in the same week; you can make the
arrangement with your TA as which day and time (within the same week) for you to do the make-up.
After the week scheduled for a specific experiment is over, no make-up option will be available,
because the materials for the designated experiment of the week will be put away as we prepare for
the new lab scheduled for next week.
Labtory Safety
Safety comes first in organic chemistry lab. The first lab quiz will be safety quiz. You must
prepare for this safety quiz BEFORE you come for your first lab period, by reading the
designated sections of the Lehman lab book and by downloading and reading the note, Safety in
the Organic Laboratory, that I will have put on Blackboard by Sept 10, 2010. A safety video
may be also played to you as needed. Students may not be allowed to conduct an experiment
if fails to achieve a satisfactory grade on the safety quiz (85%).
1. Eye protection (Safety Goggles and/or safety glasses will be provided): EVERYONE must wear safety goggles
at all times in the laboratory. Contact lenses may be worn in the lab if needed for therapeutic reasons, provided
that safety goggles are worn over the contact lenses, the same goes with prescription glasses. Contact
lenses without goggles are dangerous because splashed chemicals make them difficult to remove. If
chemicals accumulate under a lens, permanent eye damage can result. If a chemical should splash into your
eyes, flush the eyes with water at the eyewash fountain. Continue to rinse with water for at least 10 minutes.
Goggle lenses in need of cleaning should be wiped with a moist paper towel but NOT with acetone or other
organic solvents, which will partially dissolve and irreversibly cloud the lenses.
2. Dress code: Wear sensible clothing in the laboratory. Loose sleeves, shorts, or open-toed shoes can be
dangerous. Wear shoes that cover your feet to prevent glass cuts and wear long pants. Long hair should be
tied back so it does not fall into chemicals or onto a heating device. You will be sent back home to
change clothes or have a 20-point deduction taken by your TA if you are: (a) not wearing long pants, or
(b) wearing sandals or other footwear that does not completely cover your feet. Repeated violations of the safety
rules will have the consequence of receiving a ZERO for the related lab to a F for this course.
3. Gloves: (a) should always be worn when handling corrosive or highly toxic chemicals; (b) should usually be worn for
washing glassware.
No food, drink, excessive and loud talking, running in the lab, answering cell phone, etc are allowed at any
time in the laboratory. No unauthorized experiment or procedure can be conducted at any time; no
unauthorized personnel can be brought in the labs. If you have visitors during your lab periods, have them wait
outside.
Remember: Read the detailed safety note Safety in the Organic Laboratory that I have put on
Blackboard before your first lab period. You will be required to take a safety quiz, sign the
Safety Commitment Sheet , and turn them in before end of your first lab period.
Safety Equipments
During your first laboratory period, you need to locate the following safety equipments, and be certain you know
how to use them before you proceed to check in:
(1) Fire extinguishers: one each near the doors to Labs 520, 530, and 540 (three total);
(2) Showers: one each near the doors to Labs 520,530, and 540 (three total);
(3) Eye-wash fountains: one each near the doors to Labs 520, 530, and 540 and one each at the sinks at the back of Labs
520,530, and 540 (six total);
(4) Fire blankets: one each near the doors to Labs 520,530, and 540 (three total).
(5) A First-Aid Kit is in Lab 530.
The completed lab report is due by end of the same lab period for all experiments, except the first lab, as noted
in the e-mail sent on August 20, 2010.