Why is some of the equipment
old?
We have a lot of
equipment. For instance we have over 300 stirrer/hotplates.
Replacement costs are high, and we must budget for this need. Take a
look at some of the prices below:
Balances,
$1800.00
pH Meters, $450.00
Stirrer/hotplates, $350.00
Heating Mantles, $400.00
The
more everyone takes care of the equipment, the less worn-out, dirty, broken,
or in for repairs it will be.
We
also try to add new equipment and instruments to improve your learning
experience. We have replaced Spec 20s with the
computer-supported Ocean Optics Spectrometers to the general chemistry
labs. We also have purchased and installed chromatography software to
the Gas Chromatography and purchased new Infra Red Spectrometers.
Why is there only one person to
hand out equipment?
We're aware that it is
sometimes hectic and frustrating to wait in line to check out a buret or get
a reagent refilled. However, this "waiting" time is built
into the time needed for the experiment. Just be patient, and we will
help you as quickly as possible. In order to speed things along, make
sure you have filled out your orange slip completely and legibly. You
don't need to put a price on the orange slip, but we do need to be able to
read your name, course, section, and the date. We also need you to
describe what you are requesting - "10ml volumetric flask" not
"flask."
Why are there only 6-8 balances
per room to share?
This is due to cost and space
issues. As mentioned above, balances are very expensive, and we can't
really put any more in the rooms. Some students don't treat
them with much respect, leaving them dirty or moving them around. A
big problem is keeping them clean of corrosive chemicals. By wiping or
brushing off the solid you spilled on the pan, you will be helping us to
maintain these needed pieces of equipment.
One
recommendation we make to instructors is that they off-set the time their
students will need the balance room. In other words, one class can
weigh out what they need before lecture, and one after. When this is
possible, it reduces the wait time. Also, don't forget, the writer of
the lab experiment knows that a significant portion of
"bottle-neck" waiting time will occur when that particular
experiment was written.
If you have any questions
you think should appear on this page, please e-mail them to
Cynthia Runkel.
