Course: CH 220.2 Methods in Chemical Research
Semester: Spring, 2023 modified January 13, 2023
Dr. Carl Salter
Collier 221
Office
Hours: T
10:30-11:40
campus phone -7920
email: salterc at moravian . eduCATION
Catalog
Description: An introduction to the use of the
computer in chemical experimentation and research, including the
production of research-quality manuscripts that include scientific
tables, figures, and chemical drawings. The use of
statistical programs and experimental design will be covered.
Real-time data acquisition hardware and software will be used by
the students to gather data for analysis in spreadsheets. Students
will be introduced to on-line searches of the chemical literature
using Chemical Abstracts and the Science Citation Index. Fall. One
afternoon lab period each week. One-half unit credit.
Because this class meets only one afternoon per week, attendance is critical. One unexcused absence results in failure. An excused absence gives the student the right to make up the missed material sometime during the remainder of the week at a time determined by the instructor. For planned absences that result from participation in a college event such as sports, the student is expected to notify the instructor the week before the absence to schedule a time to make up the work.
NO spiral bound notebooks or ring binders.
Evaluation
Three lab reports 30% Cola titration, KD acetic acid, buffer expt
Three “Aunt Gladys/Mabel Sirrup” letters 15% How does it work, cola titration, what is that stuff
Weekly reflections and questions (on Canvas) 15%
Before the following Tuesday!
Reaction paper to Asimov’s The Relativity of Wrong 10%
Element invitation 5%
Historical Article presentation & analysis 10%
Current
Article poster
5%
Current Article presentation 10%
It is within the instructor’s purview to apply qualitative judgment in determining grades for an assignment for the course.
You are expected to abide by the academic code of conduct which can be found in the student handbook.
Moravian College is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in its programs. If you have a documented disability (or think you may have a disability) and, as a result, need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this class, complete course requirements, or benefit from the College’s programs or services, contact the Accessibility Services Center (ASC) as soon as possible. To receive any academic accommodation, you must be appropriately registered with ASC. The ASC works with students confidentially and does not disclose any disability-related information without their permission. To contact the Accessibility Services Center (ASC), located in the lower level of Monocacy Hall, stop in, call 610-861-1401 or email: asc@moravian.edu.
Moravian College
faculty are committed to providing a learning environment
free from gender discrimination and sexual violence.
Should a student disclose a concern of this nature, the
faculty member is obligated to inform the Title IX
Coordinator, who will assist the student in determining
resources for support and resolution. Fully confidential
reporting options include the Counseling Center, Health
Center, and Religious Life (chaplain). Survivors are
encouraged to seek immediate assistance by contacting the
Advocates at (484) 764-9242. For more information,
please visit www.moravian.edu/titleix.
You are expected to abide by the academic code of conduct which can be found in the student handbook.
Tentative Schedule
Week 1 (1/19)
Review syllabus
Audiences and modes of writing in chemistry & biochemistry
Distribute assignment Aunt Gladys letter #1 How does it work?
Formatting the lab notebook
Sample1
Sample2Distribute M&Ms
Start work on Introduction to Laboratory Statistics
Homework: Aunt Gladys #1, weigh M&Ms, weekly reflection (on Canvas), read titration of lemon juice and cola directions and prepare lab notebook.
Week 2 (1/26)
Peer edit of Aunt Gladys letter #1 How does it work?
Lab experiment: Acidity of lemon juice and cola (acid-base titrations)
Introduction to Excel: data analysis for the lemon juice and cola titration
Graphing in Excel
Homework: Aunt Gladys #1 final draft
Due: first draft of Aunt Gladys #1
Week 3 (2/2)
Analysis of lemon juice and cola titrations, plan lab report
phenolphthalein acetic acid AcOHDiscuss assignment Mabel letter #2 on titrations--what should she receive?
Introduction to statistics (continue)
Homework: Mabel letter #2 about lemon juice and cola experiment
Due: Final draft of Aunt Gladys #1
Week 4 (2/9)
Writing Equations in MS Word.
Formal lab reports
Reading a paper (handed out research papers to examine)
Writing an experimental section
Writing results and discussions – incorporating discussion of data into the text
Writing the introduction and abstract
Homework: read KD lab and prepare lab notebook, Mabel Sirrup letter, lab report on lemon juice and cola acidity (due in two weeks).
Due: Mabel letter #2 figures and tables for titrations EMAIL
Week 5 (2/16)
Lab experiment: Partition coefficient of acetic acid between water and octanol (acetic acid KD lab experiment)
Homework: Cola and lemon juice formal lab report (due next week), read The Relativity of Wrong by Isaac Asimov
Due: Mabel letter #2 on lemon juice and cola titrations
Week 6 (2/23)
Selection of elements to invite to the element party!
Share KD results and review
Booklet: mechanics of the t-test
Homework: Element invitations, comment on The Relativity of Wrong, calculations and stats for KD experiment
Due: Cola and lemon juice formal lab report
Week 7 (3/9)
Element party! Read your invitation.
Discuss The Relativity of Wrong; choice and use of models
Booklet: end of intro stats
Homework: read Buffer experiment and prepare notebook
Due: element invitation
Kim Demyan: Using Web of Science
Week 8 (3/16)
Booklet: practical use of t-tests and F-tests
Lab experiment: Buffer lab part 1
Homework: KD lab report
Due: Relativity of Wrong paper, buffer lab prelab
Week 10 (4/1)
Review and Questions about the buffer lab
Using Web of Science w/ Mrs Kim Demyan, Reeves Library
Analytical Chemistry (ACS) or Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (Springer)
Reading a scientific article: finding supporting evidence; interpreting figures and tables.
Preparing a research talk; mock talks and analysis
choose a paper, start article analysis
Due: Aunt Gladys #3
Week 11 (4/8)
Lab experiment: Buffer lab part 2
Paired t-tests (part of practical use of t-test booklets)
Detection limits
ChemDraw for molecular structures
Distribute assignment Aunt Gladys letter #3 What is that stuff?
Homework: Aunt Gladys #3 (), buffer lab analysis
Due: KD lab report, EMAIL to me your structure drawing of Aunt Gladys's stuff!
Week 12 (4/15)
Evaluation of posters in department
Due: buffer lab report, choice of journal article for article analysis
Using Web of Science
Reading a scientific article: finding supporting evidence; interpreting figures and tables.
Preparing a research talk; mock talks and analysis
Homework: choose a paper, start article analysis
Week 13 (4/22)
In-class preparation and presentation of paper with partner. 20 minutes
Due: buffer lab report, choice of current journal article for analysis
Week 14 (4/29)
discussion of literature review drafts (one-on-one)
Homework: talk preparation, completion of article analysis
Due: journal article review, outline and poster draft
Week 15 (5/6)
Talks or Discussion Board. 20 minutes.
Due: journal article review poster, comment on talks by other students!
Assignment Details
The following
multiple writing assignments make up 60% of your grade.
Lab Reports: You will write lab reports based on the lab experiments you do during the course. An extensive list of online advice about lab report format, style, and content is available on my web site, which you should consult as you write your report. For each experiment you will be provided with lab report “template” files that will help guide you through the process of inserting the right information and ideas into your report. The template follows the guidelines on the lab report style page. Your conclusion section should always present your conclusions, making clear what is your claim, your warrant, and your data (or grounds). Your statements about data should clearly refer to tables, graphs, or observations made earlier in the lab report. The lab reports will be on the buffer experiment, the M&M statistics experiment, and the titrations on cola and lemon juice.
“Aunt Gladys Letters”: Your Aunt Gladys is curious; she knows you’re studying chemistry, and she would like you to explain how some amazing thing that she’s heard of really works. Your task is to find the answers to her questions on the Internet, in the library, or in the laboratory, and then write a letter back to her that she can understand. She has a friend, Mabel Sirrup, who is a science teacher; you’ll be writing to her about your investigation of lemon juice and cola!
Weekly reflections on the work in our class: (That is, after each class!) Reflect on what you learned. Mention what you did in class only to the extent necessary to explain what meaning it had for you. What did you understand? What didn't make sense? How does it relate to other chemistry courses you've taken and experiments you have done? Submit before the following Tuesday!
The following individual writing assignments make up 15% of your grade.
The Relativity of Wrong: Your assignment is
to write a three-to-five page (double-spaced) response to
Asimov’s essay, explaining his thesis regarding scientific
models and stating whether or not you agree with
it.
I.
Asimov,
The Relativity of Wrong, The
Skeptical Inquirer, Vol. 14 No. 1, Fall 1989
http://hermiene.net/essays-trans/relativity_of_wrong.html
To develop your paper further, consider these points: Asimov cites
several examples of scientific theories to support his thesis; if
you agree with Asimov, tell me which examples best illustrate his
thesis; on the other hand, if you disagree with Asimov, pick one
of his historical examples and tell me why you find it
unconvincing.
Compare Asimov's ideas with the history
of the Periodic Table:
http://www.rsc.org/education/teachers/resources/periodictable/pre16/develop/index.htm
Does the development of the Periodic Table agree or disagree
with Asimov's view of scientific development?
Finally, tell me if Asimov’s assay has in any way changed your
view of science and scientific research.
Your invitation to the Element: Invite your element to our element party. Your invitation should cite the element's important properties and uses, and explain why it is important enough to be invited to our party!
The following research assignments make up 25% of your grade.Historical Journal Article: You and a
partner will be assigned a historically
significant journal article.
Analyze and interpret the technical information in
a scientific article in a way that is accessible to
those with scientific background, but not subject area
expertise.
You and your partner will prepare and
present a 12-15 minute presentation
about your journal article.
Be able to describe the information contained in
figures and tables in your own words.
Why were the authors doing the work? (You might find
this information in the introduction.)
For each table and figure in the scientific article,
be able describe in your own words what the
table or figure is showing. You may also have
equations to describe!
Current Journal Article: You will select a current journal article from Analytical Chemistry (ACS) or Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (Springer). Analyze and interpret the technical information in a scientific article in a way that is accessible to those with scientific background, but not subject area expertise. You'll prepare both a talk and a poster about the article.
Be able to describe the information contained in figures and tables in your own words.
Why were the authors doing the work? (You might find this information in the introduction.)
For each table and figure in the scientific article, be able describe in your own words what the
table or figure is showing. You may also have equations to describe!
Presentation: Prepare a 12-15
minute presentation about your journal article.
During your presentation you should:
1) Introduce the topic of your article
2) Take us through the major findings of the paper
through discussion of the figures and
tables. (Explain what each of the figures and tables
show. Try to make it a cohesive story,
meaning that you make connections between the figures
and/or tables.)
3) End with a conclusion.
Poster:
Reframe your presentation
as a poster
about the article. Powerpoint or
Keynote.
IGNORE archived material below
Here are the Assignments for your writing journal:
1) Outlines
From Quantitative Chemical Analysis 6th Ed. D.C. Harris
Chapter 3, Experimental Error, sections
4, 5 D.C. Harris and answer essay problems 8, 9, 11
Chapter 4, Statistics sections 1, 2, 3,
4, 5 D.C. Harris and answer problems, 1,2, 8, 9, 10,
13, 17. In addition, you must read Lessons
Learned from Lord Rayleigh ..., JCE 1990, 67, 925, and discuss the
history of the example on page 70 in Harris's textbook.
Chapter 5, Calibration Methods sections
1, 2 D.C. Harris and answer problems 5, 6.
Chapter 10 Monoprotic Acid-Base Equilibria sections 1,
2, 3, 4, 5.
What does Harris's textbook say about Lewis Acid-Base theory (pg
108)? How is it different from Bronsted-Lowry theory?
I. Asimov, Pure & Impure: The Interplay
of Science & Technology Saturday Review, 6 (June
9, 1979)
2) Your invitation to the Element: Invite the element to our element
party at the end of the semester. Your invitation
should cite the element's important properties and uses, and
explain why it is important enough to be invited to our
party!
The outlines and the element invitation must be completed before
the first grading of the writing journal! You'll write
papers on the Asimov essays. See below.
3)
Daily reflections on the work in our class. (That is,
after each class!) Discuss what you did in class and
what meaning it had for you. What did you understand?
What didn't make sense? How does it relate to other
chemistry courses you've taken and experiments you have done?
4) Additional Reactions: Write reactions to these
additional resources. Some are papers, some are
videos. Your reactions go directly into
your writing journal. The order that you do them in your
journal is NOT important. I've added
questions that will help you focus your writing.
C. Salter and D. L. Langhus The
Chemistry of Swimming Pool Maintenance J.
Chem. Educ., 2007, 84
(7), p 1124
Salter & Langhus: What claim do S&L make about the
role of balanced pH in pool chemistry? What two chemicals in pool
water are influenced by pH? How has this paper changed your
view of acid-base chemistry? What area of "everyday
chemistry" would you like to know more about, and why?
C. Salter The diving pool at the Olympics
R. Persig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance Chapter 8 (Hierarchies) and Chapter 9
(Induction and Deduction) "It's about ten
o'clock in the morning and ..."
boxes of
hierarchies (Chapter 8)
Persig: What does Persig mean by "hierarchies"?
(Look at the "boxes"!) How much could Persig divide up the
motorcycle? When you see a molecule, do you see
concepts? Would Persig agree with Asimov's ideas about
models of science? What
claim is Persig making about science and the scientific
method? How often do you use induction and deduction in
your science courses, lab or lecture? in your courses outside
science?
James
Burke: Connections,
Episode 7 "The
Long Chain"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h6s4k
(also on
DVD)
Burke: What claim does Burke make about how progress in science
and technology takes place? Do you think he would agree with
Asimov's view of the interplay of science & technology?
What is the "Long Chain"? What plastics do you use in your
everyday consumption of commercial products?
Kevin Williamson : The
Mapmaker's Dilemma
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/376946/mapmakers-dilemma-kevin-d-williamson
In what ways is a map also a model? What would it mean for a
scientist to "mistake the map for the territory"? Have you
every made that mistake in a science class? How can you as a
science student guard against it?
Phillip Morrison: The Ring of Truth,
Episode 2 "Change"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk8CQNThbc0 (also on DVD)
View the first half of the episode. (You can stop when you see
bicycles!)
Morrison: He really likes experiments! Which
experiments/demonstrations in the video did you find most
instructive and exciting? What claim does Morrison make about the
connection between conservation of mass and atomic theory?
Historically, what experiments were important in establishing the
principle of conservation of matter?
Primo Levi:
"Carbon"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRmQ6ySjwRs
Levi: What is the carbon atom experiencing? How does the
carbon atom move from one experience to another? Which
experience do you think is the most exciting for the carbon
atom? Why? Why is Levi describing these experiences
of the carbon atom in this unusual way?
Ira
Remsen
on
Copper
and Nitric Acid
http://www.angelo.edu/faculty/kboudrea/demos/copper_HNO3/Cu_HNO3.htm
Remsen's story is at the bottom of the page.
Remsen: Is Remsen's essay a description or a
narrative? Would it be appropriate in a typical lab
report? What does Remsen suggest students learn in a laboratory
that they can't learn elsewhere? Describe an
experience you've had, like Remsen's, where you learned
something by experience or observation that you might not
have learned as well by reading a book.
Forensics Report: You're
the employee of a private analytical chemistry laboratory, and
you've been assigned to analyze a chemical recovered from the
scene of a mysterious fire. The DA believes that the
markings on the bottle are significant, and he wants them
explained! Prepare a professional report to the defense
attorneys based on your analysis of the sample.
Present the evidence both scientifically and also in a form that
is suitable for the use of the attorneys. Be sure to
explain the partial label on the bottle. Your statement of
conclusions should be organized using a Toulmin analysis.
The
Laboratory Notebook: The purpose of a lab notebook is
to record your lab work so that it can be reproduced at a
later time. Lab notebooks are critical documents
that often have an impact on legal proceedings and patent
applications.
A bound notebook
of the type used for laboratories must be
used. Write in the notebook by hand, but I
must be able to read your writing! You can tape important
graphs into the lab notebook that you created using a
printer.
The notebook should be a bound composition
book. NO
spiral bound notebooks or ring binders.
Skip the first two sheets of the
notebook--they should be reserved for a Table of
Contents. Build the Table of Contents as you work
in the book during the semester.
You
can write on both sides of each sheet.
Number the pages. Put dates at the top of every page.
Spreadsheet Requirements For Data from
Experiments: Related lab work or assignments
should be in a single excel file (a "book", as EXCEL calls
it), each separate problem should be on its own sheet, and
each sheet should be named using the chapter and problem
number; for example, "5-13" indicates problem 13 from chapter
5. If a problem has several parts, all parts should be
on one sheet proceeding DOWN the sheet (not across); keep
similar quantities in the same COLUMNS.
Data from each experiment should be in one file, and each
separate trial should be on a separate, labeled sheet. For
example, all titrations from one experiment should be in one
book, and data from each individual titration should be on a
separate sheet. Spreadsheets for every experiment MUST
have a summary sheet containing the date the experiment was
performed and the identity of your lab partner(s). The summary
must have concise tables presenting the key data from all the
experimental trials, and the summary should have a brief
written discussion of the meaning and importance of the
data. The summary page should not contain numbers that
are not mentioned in the discussion.
Ignore
Introductory writing activities cubing1
cubing2
Martins: Is Martins talking about just the
Daniell cell alone? What is Martins' claim in his
paper? How has his paper changed your view of batteries?
of redox reactions?
Russo & Hanania: What sort of experiments are
proposed in this paper; that is, exactly what will be
measured? What claim do R&H make about the insight
their lab experiment provides to the students who do it?
How has their paper changed your understanding of the
connection between thermodynamics and kinetics?
G.F. Martins, Why the
Daniell Cell Works, Journal of Chemical
Education 1990, 67 (6), p 482.
S. O. Russo and G. I. H. Hanania Ferrimyoglobin-fluoride:
An undergraduate kinetics experiment J. Chem.
Educ., 1990, 67 (4), p 352
5) Present research on at
least seven questions
from questions 15-34 of the "What is" activity.
You may use textbooks and journal articles, and sources on the
internet if they contain internal citations. Using the
information from your research, write answers to the seven
questions in your journal.
SciFinder Scholar:
Do the
exercise on my web site. Record your results in your
journal.
Beall & Trimbur, A Short Guide to Reading and Writing
About Chemistry, 2nd Ed, Longman, 2001. ISBN
0-321-07844-6.
** You will read and outline the first chapter of A Short
Guide to Reading and Writing About Chemistry.
4) Describe your experiences with the demonstrations on silver
chemistry, copper chemistry, and electrochemistry.
Pool Water analysis. Use Excel to analyze results
for pool water.
Pool water links:
https://www.swimuniversity.com/basic-pool-chemistry-101/
http://www.lesliespool.com/blog/pool-test-kits/
and video!
Visit the Bethlehem Water Lab during the afternoon