Instructors (Return to top)
 
 

Office hours are by appointment. Make all appointments at least 2 days in advance to ensure your instructor is available.

Develop an ability to identify, plan, and complete the experimental measurements and calculations required to achieve engineering objectives.

Learn to draw and support technical conclusions from experimental data.

Demonstrate and reinforce unit operations and concepts studied previously, including experimental design and statistical treatment of data.

Develop an ability to think beyond a particular textbook or course.

Improve written and oral technical communication skills.

Practice teamwork and leadership skills.

Develop professional habits in safety, documentation, and planning.

Each project has an associated design question that requires you to experimentally determine some information.  Your laboratory plans should be formulated to produce the information needed to answer the design question.  During your prelab meeting you will explain how your experimental objectives are related to the project's design question.  After you complete the experiments, you will address the design question associated with each  (one team member per project) in a written report and an oral presentation.

In general . . .
Prelab Reports are due two days before you start the experiment.
Postlab Reports are due at the start of the first lab period following the experiment.
Due dates for rewrites are at the discretion of the instructor for the laboratory experiment.

You may not begin your experiment until the instructor is satisfied that you are sufficiently prepared.  Based on your prelab meeting, your instructor may require you to rework certain portions of your prelab to insure minimum preparation for your laboratory work.  This is separate from the detailed reading of your prelab report that will take place later.

Experimental Schedule and Due Dates for Winter 2002.
 

Thursday Section
Dates	1/3	1/10-1/17	1/24-1/31	2/7-2/14	2/21-2/28	3/7
Team #1	Introduction	CD	LLE	RK	TD	Oral/Written
Team #2	Introduction	LLE	RK	TD	CD	Oral/Written
Team #3	Introduction	RK	TD	CD	LLE	Oral/Written
Report Due		1/24	2/7	2/21	3/8

CD = continuous distillation; TD = tray dryer; LLE = liquid-liquid extraction;  RK = reaction kinetics. [Click on a project name for more information.]

Teams  (Return to top)

Students may select their own teams before the first class meeting.  Currently 10 people are registered, so two teams of 3 and one team of 4 will be permitted. Any student who comes to the first class meeting without a team will be assigned to one.

Within each team, students should decide who will be responsible for which design project.  Each team member must do a different project, except on the 4-person team, where one duplicate project will be permitted so that no one is forced to complete a design project based on an experimental report that is not due yet.

"Freeloading" is an unacceptable abuse of the team structure of this course. Teams are expected to reasonably accommodate the strengths, weaknesses, and schedules of their members. They are NOT expected to take someone for a free ride. If someone on your team is not contributing, and you cannot work it out within your team, set up a team meeting with the lead instructor, Valerie Young. For safety reasons, individuals may not operate the experimental equipment alone. However, habitual non-contributors may be required to turn in individual reports and be graded based on them, rather than on the team reports.  This measure will require that the team present their case against the non-contributor in his/her presence, including documentation of the non-contributor's behavior and the measures taken to resolve it.  The lead instructor shall judge such cases, and there shall be no appeal unless it includes significant new evidence.

Penalties for careless, childish, or dangerous behavior include expulsion from the laboratory and/or a failing grade for the course. Neatness is a safety issue. When a safety hazard is observed, your group will be asked to stop work until the situation is corrected to the instructor's satisfaction.

Clean up and properly store your equipment and supplies.

Know the location of all fire extinguishers, safety showers, eye washes, fire blankets and the first aid kit, and know how to use them.

Consider safety when planning and executing your experiments. Obtain MSDS sheets for chemicals you are using. Know the key information concerning hazards, toxicity, and spills.  Identify tasks that involve risk of personal injury.

At least two people are required at any operating equipment.

Be familiar with equipment before you operate it. Report malfunctions promptly.

Address spills or accidents immediately and report them to an instructor.

Wear proper attire to laboratory. Proper attire is not loose-fitting. It includes shirts that cover the shoulders, long pants, socks, and closed-toe shoes. No sandals, high-heeled shoes, cloth shoes, neck ties, scarves, or dangling jewelry is allowed. Long hair shall be tied back or otherwise confined.

Wear safety glasses or prescription glasses at all times; contact lenses are prohibited.

Wear safety goggles when mixing or pouring chemicals.

Wear a hard hat in the high bay area (near distillation columns).

Do not put anything in your mouth while you are in the laboratory. If you need a refreshment, take a break with your group's permission.

Performing experiments while your judgment or reactions are impaired is dangerous. Schedule your all-nighters and celebrations accordingly.

Failure to comply with the safety regulations may result in grade reductions or even failure of the course for severe violations.  Any instructor, teaching assistant, or laboratory coordinator may deduct points for failure to comply with the safety rules.  (Minimum scale:  1 point for the first violation; 3 points for the second violation; 5 points for each subsequent violation.)

Grading  (Return to top)
 

Weighting of the course assignments is as follows.

• Final grades will be computed as a percentage of the total points available, although a missing assignment results automatically in a failing course grade.
• Standard grading worksheets (one for the Prelab Report and one for the Postlab Report) will be used for all experiments.  The weighting of the individual gradesheet components can be expected to vary with experiment.
• Late assignments are penalized 30% per business day.  Incomplete submissions (reports missing one or more required elements) will be considered as late.

An assignment may be unacceptable because of grammar, organization, content, calculations, or format (see grade sheets). Unacceptable assignments may be returned for rewriting and resubmission. An assignment will be penalized each time it is returned for a rewrite.  The point penalty for a required rewrite will vary on a scale depending upon how many rewrites have been assigned to a group during the quarter.  The point penalties are:  1st rewrite - 0 points;  2nd rewrite - 5 points;  3rd rewrite - 10 points;  4th rewrite - 15 points;  5th and subsequent rewrites - 20 points each.  The new due date is at the instructor's discretion.  No rewrites will be assigned for the design reports or for the postlab report on the fourth experiment.

A group may voluntarily rewrite a report one time in order to achieve a higher grade.  All voluntary rewrites of prelab reports must be submitted to the appropriate lab instructor prior to the second laboratory period for that experiment.  All voluntary rewrites of postlab reports must be submitted to the appropriate lab instructor prior 4:00 pm Friday, March 8.  No rewrites will be accepted for the design reports or for the postlab report on the fourth experiment.

All team members will receive the same grade for each Prelab Report and each Postlab Report.  Individual grades will be given for Design Orals and Design Reports.

You must attend all laboratory periods and your group's prelab meetings and Design Orals.  Absences will be excused according to the guidelines in the Ohio University Student Handbook.  You must have a verified written excuse that can be checked.  It is the student's responsibility to document such absences, and to advise the instructor in advance when possible.  Penalties for unexcused absences include a zero for the period, a zero for the assignment, and/or a failing grade for the course.

Engineering is a profession; professional behavior is expected of you.  You may not use reports produced by other students to inform your work.  Possession of other students' work (including computer files or lab reports from current or prior years) will be considered academic dishonesty.  Published work, course notes, and discussions with colleagues and instructors are acceptable sources of information.  You must give credit when you are assisted by the ideas or efforts of others.  Please refer to the section on plagiarism in the Guidelines for Technical Writing.  Academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to the guidelines of the Ohio University Student Handbook.

Take all notes in a laboratory notebook and submit carbon copies of each day's data to the instructor. All laboratory notebooks are company property (normal industrial policy). Your instructor (boss) may inspect your notebook any time.

Write only in waterproof ink, leaving at least one inch margin on all sides.

Title and date each page on the top line.

Record all data directly in the notebook, not on loose sheets of paper.

Permanently fasten (tape, staple, glue) calibration curves or literature data into the notebook.

Data that is incorrectly measured or recorded should be marked through with a single line, initialed, and explained by a brief note. If the data was correctly recorded, but you later decide not to use it, do not mark it out. Just add a note of explanation.

"Z-line" the unused portion of any page.

All group members initial and date each page 1/2 inch below the last line of data.

Do not remove pages (except copies) or cross writing out so it becomes illegible.

Carbon copies of each laboratory period's data sheets must be submitted to that experiment's instructor no later than noon of the day immediately following the lab period.

A Prelab Report explains what you intend to determine experimentally and how you will do it. You may not begin an experiment until your Prelab Report is approved. You must demonstrate that you know how to operate the equipment, you understand the engineering principles involved, you are aware of potential hazards and errors, and you have a well-conceived experimental plan. Be able to explain the particular values you selected, the capabilities of the equipment, which parameters are critical, and how potential sources of error affect your results. Be able to explain how your experimental plan is related to the design question for the project.

A Prelab Report has two parts: written and oral. At least two days before you intend to begin the experiment, submit a written Prelab Report and discuss it with the instructor. All members of the team will receive the same Prelab Report grade.

Text must be double-spaced in 12 point font, except in tables and figures, where font sizes from 10 pt to 16 pt may be used for effect. All margins must be at least one inch. You may "steal" from one section to gain space for another, but the written prelab should not exceed 12 pages.  Pages should be numbered.  Submit the Prelab Report with a completed and signed Prelab Report Check Sheet.

A written prelab includes:

1. Experimental Objective - Three Sentences Maximum

State the results (not the data) you intend to determine experimentally so you can meet your design objective.  Summarize the design objective briefly, but focus on the experimental objective.  Write in the future tense, since you will do this.
2. Introduction - One Page Maximum

Briefly describe the engineering/science principles involved in the design and the experiment, including appropriate equations.  Focus on what must be determined experimentally to complete the design.  Explain what results are needed, and what data will be collected to obtain those results.  Tell what variables you need to control and measure to meet each experimental objective.  Write in the present tense for things that are known (e.g., engineering/science principles) and in the future tense for things you will do.
3. Experimental Methods - Six Pages Maximum

Describe in detail how you will collect your data.  Provide a schematic and a description of the experimental equipment.  Provide a test matrix which shows the operating conditions for each experiment and the expected consumption of supplies.  Provide an operating procedure of sufficient detail that someone else could repeat your work, given the same access to course materials and manuals.  In developing your test matrix and procedure, consider how to use your time most effectively and minimize experimental uncertainty.  State safety concerns and safety measures prominently.  For example, you may refer the reader to an MSDS for details of exposure limits, but you should state in your report that a particular chemical is corrosive and gloves should be worn when handling it.  Present tense (for descriptions) and imperative statements (for procedures) are appropriate.
4. Expected Data and Results - Two Pages Maximum

Provide estimated values of data (what you measure) and results (quantities calculated from your data).  You might provide tabulated numbers or plots which show behavior semi-quantitatively.  From information gathered to write your Experimental Methods, you should be able to predict the range of data you expect to observe.  From information gathered to write your Introduction, you should be able to predict approximate values for your results, and whether values will rise exponentially or decrease linearly, for example.  Use this section in the lab to decide whether your experiment is working correctly.  Present and/or future tense are appropriate.
5. Data Analysis - Three Pages Maximum

Take the reader step-by-step through the equations and methods (engineering, scientific, statistical) that you will use to convert your data to results.  Include methods for quantifying experimental uncertainty.
6. References

Complete references for publications cited in the text.
Acknowledgment of assistance from individuals.
(See the Guidelines for Technical Writing web page.)

A discussion of propagation of error, useful for writing your Data Analysis section, can be found at the following locations: Propagation of Error #1, Propagation of Error #2.

Please see the Prelab Grading Sheet, the Guidelines for Technical Writing web page, and the individual experiment pages (Continuous Distillation, Tray Dryer, Liquid-liquid Extraction, Reaction Kinetics) for additional prelab information.

A Postlab Report presents your experimental results and explains their significance. It assumes the reader has the Prelab Report, and notes deviations from information and procedures in the Prelab.  Following each experiment, each team should submit one written Postlab Report before starting the next experiment. All team members will receive the same Postlab Report grade.

Text must be double-spaced in 12 point font, except in tables and figures, where font sizes from 10 pt to 16 pt may be used for effect. All margins must be at least one inch. Number each page.  Submit the Postlab Report with a completed and signed Postlab Report Check Sheet and a copy of your Prelab Report.

A Postlab Report includes:

1. Experimental Objective - Three Sentences Maximum

State the results (not the data) you determined experimentally to meet your design objective.  Summarize the design objective briefly, but focus on the experimental objective.  Write in the past tense, since have done this.
2. Presentation of Results

Present the numbers, relationships and trends you determined by experiment.  Use tables, graphs, and/or text for effective presentation.
Indicate experimental uncertainty on all numbers reported.  Provide a sample calculation.  Even if you used a spreadsheet or a Matlab program, show the step-by-step procedure for a particular case.
3. Discussion - Five Pages Maximum

Provide quantitative analysis of trends or anomalies in your results, quantitative comparison of the results with your expectations based on engineering principles and quantitative assessment of experimental uncertainty.  Describe your results and compare them to what you expected.  Use quantitative descriptions like, "The value dropped 5 %, but this is insignificant compared to the experimental uncertainty of +/- 10 %."
4. Conclusions - One Page Maximum

Directly link your experimental results to your experimental objective, perhaps by restating those key results in the order they were presented in your Experimental Objective section.  Note how limitations of your experimental results (e.g., range of values tested, experimental uncertainty) will affect your experimental design.
5. References

Complete references for publications cited in the text.
Acknowledgment of assistance from individuals.
(See the Guidelines for Technical Writing web page.)

Please see the Postlab Grading Sheet, the Guidelines for Technical Writing web page, and the individual experiment pages (Continuous Distillation, Tray Dryer, Liquid-liquid Extraction, Reaction Kinetics) for additional Postlab information.

Each project has an associated design question whose solution requires some experimentally-determined information.

Each person enrolled in the course must present one Design Oral and Design Report based on an experiment's design objectives.  Within each team, students will decide who will be responsible for which Design.  Each team member must do a different Design, except on the 4-person team, where one duplicate project will be permitted so that no one is forced to complete a Design based on an experimental report that is not due yet.

Design Oral.  Prepare a 10-12 minute presentation. Expect 5-10 minutes of questions. State your design problem, show how you have addressed the problem, tell what information you determined experimentally, and assess the effect of experimental uncertainty on the reliability of your design.  A sign-up sheet for presentation times will be posted near the end of the quarter. (Design Oral Grading Sheet)

Design Report.  The design report should consist of a 2-3 page technical memorandum that documents your design strategy and results.  Detailed calculations in support of your design conclusions should be included in an Appendix to the memorandum.  The Prelab and Postlab Reports may be cited as sources in the Design Report.  (Design Memo Grading Sheet)

Instructors may require intermediate progress reports at their discretion. In any case, you are encouraged to analyze the first week's data promptly so that you may make efficient use of the second week of laboratory time, and to make an appointment with the instructor to discuss this intermediate analysis.

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(Last modified 01/03/02)