Organic Chemistry Laboratory

The laboratory used for Organic Chemistry is equipped with twelve six-foot hoods, each shared by a pair of students. Each student has their own glassware, both standard and microscale organic ground glassware. Organic laboratory sections meet four hours once a week.

Learning Objectives for the Organic Chemistry I Laboratory

Students should be able to:

  1. Use basic organic chemistry lab techniques to purify organic molecules:  distillation, recrystallization, extraction, filtration.  Chemistry & Biochemistry Department Learning Objective IV.
  2. Determine physical and chemical properties of organic molecules, using these techniques or instrumental methods:  melting point, boiling point, polarimetry, infrared spectroscopy, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, gas chromatography, thin layer chromatography. Chemistry & Biochemistry Department Learning Objective IV.
  3. Set up and run a simple organic reaction and isolate the products of the reaction. Chemistry & Biochemistry Department Learning Objective IV.
  4. Understand the reasons behind techniques used, reaction conditions, isolation methods, and be able to correctly interpret the data from physical and chemical measurements. Chemistry & Biochemistry Department Learning Objectives II & IV.
  5. Use the chemical literature to find physical and chemical properties of organic molecules. Chemistry & Biochemistry Department Learning Objective III.
  6. Safely work in the laboratory by understanding the hazards and using proper precautions with chemicals and laboratory equipment and using proper chemical disposal procedures. Chemistry & Biochemistry Department Learning Objective IV.