Students will learn to:
Differentiate between accuracy and precision.
Describe two main types of error in chemical analysis.
Express experimental error as either absolute or relative uncertainty.
Use the real rule of significant figures when expressing values that have an associated uncertainty.
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Students will learn to:
Determine an unknown quantity using titration data.
Propagate uncertainty for common mathematical operations including:
Addition/subtractions
Multiplication/division
Perform the appropriate propagation of uncertainty in the context of volumetric chemical analysis.
Use error analysis to determine the least accurate part of an analytical procedure.
Students learn to: Learn basic Excel functionality, including data entry, mathematical manipulations, built-in functions (AVERAGE, STDEV), importing data, etc.
Use Excel to plot data (scatter plot) and format for scientific reports.
Find the best-fit line for x-y data using least squares regression. This will be accomplished using two different methods in Excel:
Add trendline to scatter plot
LINEST function
Construct calibration curve
Assess “goodness of fit” using R2, and uncertainties in m, and b
Calculate the concentration of an
Students will learn to:
Apply addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division rules to propagate uncertainty.
solution in lab with optimal accuracy.
Students consider types of errors and examine basic concepts in statistics in this activity.
Students explore basic aspects of statistics in this exercise.
Students will learn to:
To define the types of measurement errors that exist and ways to lessen them;
To be able to choose appropriate glassware for solution preparation using error propagation methods
Students use an Excel worksheet to explore the normal distribution and other important concepts in statistics.
Students will learn to:
Recognize the shortcomings of “default” graphs in a software program.
Be able to articulate why a particular graph is problematic for formal publication.
Recognize that complex experiments often contain more than one variable requiring choices about how to present the data.
Articulate how figure formatting can alter the focus of the scientific presentation.
Outline how your personal work within lab reports meets or falls short of ACS requirements as outlined in author instructions within the ACS Style Guide.
Students learn to:
Use Excel to create a basic spreadsheet.
Translate mathematical equations into Excel functions.
Provide Spreadsheet Documentation for your work.
Use the extra features of Excel to communicate your results clearly.
Students learn to:
Explain the differences between external standard and standard addition calibration and describe situations when each should be used.
Give examples of when an internal standard is necessary and describe what types of experimental error it can correct for.
Calculate the concentration of an analyte given raw data using any of these calibration methods (external standard, standard addition, internal standard).
Determine which method is most appropriate to utilize when faced with a real world analytical problem.
Students learn to: Understand the different forms of quantification techniques presented, including multiple titrations, gravimetric analysis, and combustion analysis.
Perform calculation on all of the aforementioned methods to determine the quantity of an analyte.
Perform all of the quality control and statistical analysis of the presented methods to determine their absolute and relative quality.