The pre-lab is completed before performing the experiment and will be turned in at the beginning of lab. It uses the same template for every experiment and can be found on BB. For more information, see Pre-Lab Report Template page.

Below you will find the the pre-lab broken down into sections for Experiment 1 - Measurement Techniques. Remember, the lab may change or be modified from semester to semester. This material is only meant to be a guide!

name, Exp#, & Title

These sections of the pre-lab are self-explanatory, but you are awarded points for completing them. Just remember to put the correct experiment number and title when filling out these sections.

Brief Description of Tasks

This is where you summarize the purpose and tasks performed in the lab from your lab manual. This should be about a paragraph long. It may be helpful to first describe the purpose of the experiment or why you are doing this experiment. This can be followed by one or two sentences on how you will be doing it. The paragraph given is an EXAMPLE.

Outline of the Experiment

This is where you outline the major steps performed in lab. The level of detail will be up to you, but more detailed steps may be useful when studying for your quizzes.

Given is an EXAMPLE and breaks down major tasks into steps for each of the parts. Remember procedures may change from semester to semester. Highlighted numbers in parenthesis give a reminder to record data on the specific numbered blank space on the data sheet.

Sample Calculations

This is where you give sample calculations that you may have to do in the experiment. You can give hypothetical values to show the logic. Not all labs will have calculations. Be mindful of significant figure rules. The given example gives the general equation to calculate the mass without use the tare.

This is then broken down to give a hypothetical mass of weighing paper (1), mass of substance with the weighing paper (2), and the result using the given equation (3a). Since 4 significant figures was recorded and the operation used is subtraction, the final mass reported keeps 4 significant figures.

Table of Reagents

This is where you list the reagents used for this lab. Given in the example are values and reagents that should be verified on your own. Below details where you can find this information.

• Chemical Name: this or the formula will be given in the lab manual. With this information you can search online for the other

• Formula: see above.

• Molecular Weight: search online

• Physical State: lab manual

• Amount to Use: lab manual; the amount can be reported as the sum amount used and further detailed (see below).