Tests and quizzes, except in rare circumstances, are individual assignments. Students should not communicate with each other during these assignments. A list of quiz rules has been supplied to you and is posted in the laboratory for your convenience. Learn these rules well. Last year several students were found in violation of those rules and their grades suffered considerably amidst considerable embarrassment. Laboratory and worksheet grades are subject to the 150% rule. This rule means that you may not receive a grade on these assignments greater than 150% of your test grade on the test covering the same material. Such tests may be retaken. Worksheets and problem sets are also individual assignments. You are encouraged to seek help from any source (teacher, classmates, parents, friends, library) yet you should leave the source with a general understanding, not a written solution to the problem. You should then tackle the problem and solve it in an original way. Reread the previous two sentences. Again, last year several students were found to be in violation of this regulation causing considerable embarrassment and considerable harm to grades. Lab experiments are group projects. Groups of 1, 2, or 3 are allowed.

A group of students should have two nearly identical lab reports, one of which should be submitted for evaluation with a “Chemistry Laboratory Report” cover sheet signed by all lab partners. Each member of the group will receive the same grade, unless the students provide explanations on the cover to indicate otherwise. Lab reports are graded on the basis of how much work is done per member of the group. A group of three students is expected to perform three times as many experiments as a group of one. Most students find that a group of two is optimal. All lab procedures are written to groups of two, so if a suggestion is made to perform 6 experiments, a group of one should perform 3, while a group of three, 9.

Some students make a serious mistake of splitting up the lab responsibilities with a partner such that neither partner fully understands the details of the lab work.Obviously, these students will not do well on the tests and their lab grades will be dragged down by the 150% rule.

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