University of Alberta crest

University of Alberta
General Chemistry Laboratories
Welcome to the Chem 10X Laboratories. We are located on the second floor of the Gunning/Lemieux Chemistry Centre. This is what most of our Lab Rooms look like.

Questions concerning the Introductory University Chemistry courses ( Chem 101, 102, 103, 105 ) may be directed to the Course Coordinator, Dr Yoram Apelblat (Chem West room W4-67B, e-mail, phone 780-248-1500).

Questions concerning the Chem 10X laboratories may be directed to Dr. Norman Gee , the Laboratory Coordinator (Chem East room E2-34B, e-mail).

Did you know that use of the title "Professional Chemist" is legally protected in Alberta? The ACPA (Assoc of the Chem Profession of Alberta) is one of only six professional organizations in Alberta whose members are permitted to sign off on environmental reports or sites for closure.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." --Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977. (cited by Prof. O. Seely).

Conflicts Between Scheduled Labs and Exams

A number of you are having problems doing your scheduled night labs because of midterms being held outside of the usual class times at nights. FYI the official University position on these conflicts is (University Calendar):

23.5.2 Term Examinations
(2) Instructors may schedule term examinations during any regularly scheduled class period. In certain cases an instructor may schedule a term examination outside or beyond the regularly scheduled class period. Instructors should be aware that by doing so, conflicts may result for some students that have another class at the time of the scheduled term examinations. Students have the right to attend regularly scheduled class activities. Therefore, if a student has a conflict between a regularly scheduled class and a scheduled term examination, the instructor of the class in which there was a scheduled term examination will be required to make an accommodation for the student.

WARNING: Absence from Term Work and Exams
It is in your interest to read and to be familiar with University policies on Absence from Term Work or Term Examinations (Calendar, sec 23.3). Note that
    "The University recognizes that occasionally life events occur that require a student to miss term work, term examinations, or final examinations. However, excused absences are not granted automatically and will be considered only for acceptable reasons such as incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction, or religious convictions. "

    "Unacceptable reasons include, but are not limited to personal events such as vacations, weddings, or travel arrangements. When a student is absent without acceptable excuse, a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the work missed. Any student who applies for or obtains an excused absence by making false statements will be liable under the Code of Student Behaviour. Students should consult their Faculty for detailed information and requirements. "

Note further that
    "Approval for an excused absence from term work (e.g., classes, labs, assignments, quizzes, term papers, reports, etc.) or term exams is at the discretion of the instructor."

    While a medical note is not required for "incapacitating" illness, you "must present supporting documentation pertaining to the absence".

TA AWARDS

If you enjoyed your 10X labs last term, you agree with 3/4 ( 75.3% ) of your class mates. A breakdown on some questions are given here.

Each year the Graduate Students Association has TA awards. If you think your TA was especially good, you wish to email Dr Christie McDermott (Christie.McDermott@ualberta.ca) and ask about the nomination process.

Likewise the Interdepartmental Science Students' Society (office in CCIS 1-150) is giving awards this year. Again if you think your TA was especially good, you wish to email Dr Christie McDermott (Christie.McDermott@ualberta.ca) and ask about the nomination process.

If you are in Chem 103, the 1st year engineers participate in TA awards through the Faculty of Engineering.

Seminars

The "seminars" that you've registered for are tutorial help sessions. The Lecture Help sessions are held in in E2-34A and will start Fri Jan 13. You may go to any session.

The overflow Lab Help sessions are held in E2-26 (lab #5). You may go to any session. The Help room (E2-34) will be staffed again Mon - Fri between 9:30am and 5:00pm except for the TA's lunch break starting Fri Jan 13.

Sunday sessions restart Jan 22 1-7:30pm in CAB. These couldn't start Jan 15 b/c a business competition has CAB completely booked. Extended hours will re-commence Mon Jan 23.

Assignment to Lab Rooms

See p. 13 of the Lab Manual for work to be done before the lab. You must have safety glasses and you cannot have bare skin showing on your feet.

12:45 Jan 23: Your lab room assignments for are NOW posted here for Chem 101 , Chem 102 , Chem 103, and Chem 105. Check your own ID number and not just the lab sec. A hard copy will be posted outside E2-34 later.

Schedules
If you are planning travel during the Fall 2011 term, complete schedules for each course are now given here for Chem 101, Chem 102, Chem 103, and Chem 105. These will also be in the Lab Manuals.
    Note that Chem 105 lab sections Y01, Y03, Z01 and Z03 have a makeup on Tues 5:30pm Apr 10 due to closure of the Univ on Apr 6 (Good Friday).

    Note that Chem 105 lab sections N02, N04, Q02 and Q04 have a makeup on Wed 5:30pm Apr 11 due to closure of the Univ Mon Apr 9 (Easter Floater).

There is a Chem 10X on-line Lab Help site.

Chris Grant in the help room recommends the "Just Ask Antoine" site for common questions.

For a different take on organic chem, see the video

Resistant to Base

Required materials

This is the second year 10X is using Chemistry, 5th ed by M.S. Silberberg. Unless you have money to burn, there are second hand copies sold privately. Used textbooks are also sold along with new ones in the University Bookstore.

Chem 10X Lab Manuals are only available from the University Bookstore. Do NOT buy a used Lab Manual as these change every year (and especially this year).

You should buy and get use to using a nonprogrammable, scientific calculator. Safety glasses are cheapest from Chemistry Stores in the Chem Centre (you can save about $8).

You might have noticed that there are a LOT of you in general chem 10X this term. There are 2895 folks registered after the add/delete. The number of students registered (Sept after the add/delete) over the last 12 years is shown in this graph:

As a result, there might be NO room for any makeups.

Problems with chem in general ?

You might find the following helpful:


by Richard Felder of North Carolina State University gives advice about surviving any university course.
You might wish to look at the following:
  1. The textbook this year: Chemistry, 5th ed by M.S. Silberberg.

    Links to WHMIS Data Sheets are here .

  2. Announcements Concerning Chem 10X Labs.

    There is a Chem 10X on-line Lab Help site.

  3. Frequently Asked Questions about the 10X labs.

  4. Lab Exam

    Frequently asked questions about the lab exam are answered here.

  5. Chem 10X Teaching Assistants who have won Faculty or University Teaching Awards or have served as Supervisory Teaching Assistants.

  6. Some feedback obtained by polling students:

  7. E-mail and Offices of Chem 10X Lab Instructors. The names of the Lab Instructors are given by lab room and time here. You can also go to the Lab Help sessions with questions about the experiments.

  8. Lab Room Assignment.
    Your lab room assignments will be posted here for     Chem 101 , Chem 102 , Chem 103, and Chem 105.

  9. Lab Schedules for each course are now given here for Chem 101, Chem 102, Chem 103, and Chem 105.

  10. lists of experiments with brief notes are on the Chem 10X on-line Lab Help site.

For further information, you might want to
  • look at some other interesting chem links to sites about drugs obtained from tropical rain forest plants, coffee, atomic level images, career opportunities in Chemistry, interactive experiments, tutorial/help, the legal status of chemistry as a profession in Alberta, Scientific American, freeware for drawing and viewing molecular models, and more.
    You are visitor number since December 3, 1997.
    This visitor counter is courtesy of G. Carmichael, Manager, Client Services, Computing & Network Services.

    This page was written for FireFox, Safari or Netscape.

    Comments and questions concerning this page may be directed to Norman Gee .
    Last revised Jan 11, 2012.
    Links checked Aug 10, 2011.
    Made with Macintosh logo