20234 Laboratory: General Chemistry

Credits: 2 intermediate credits in Chemistry

Prerequisites: General Chemistry1 (or General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II, for Biology Students; or General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II)

Required: Advanced Computer Applications

Authors: Nava Ben-Zvi, Itzhak Dotan, Victoria Libin, Varda Levi, Dorota Czarkie

In this laboratory course, students conduct five laboratory experiments, some based on material in the course General Chemistry (20437, 20477, 20487); others present new material. In preparation for each experiment, students are required to complete a preparatory report. In the laboratory, students are tested on the material, and they submit a lab report after each session. The laboratory sessions, 4-5 hours each, are conducted in the laboratory on the Open University campus. The number of students in the course is limited.

Topics: Lab I: Synthesis of organic material; analysis of the infrared spectrum of the material using an FTIR instrument. Lab II: Solubility product – deposition of the chloride ion using AgNO₃ solution; learning about the solubility product. Lab III: Determining the mechanism of the basic hydrolysis reaction of an ester using a pH-meter. Lab IV: Complexation reactions – relative stability of complexes and determining water hardness. Lab V: Extraction as a means of isolating substances – separating vanillin from various compounds and determining its concentration by spectral methods.

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1or General Chemistry (20477 or 20487), which is no longer offered.