Transcript Document

www.stkate.edu
Analyze This!
A Case Study Approach in
the Analytical Chemistry
Laboratory
Who are we?

Enrollment is 5,000 with 2,000 day undergraduate
students (other programs: associate, weekend,
graduate)

All women at the baccalaureate level

Graduate 5-10 chemistry majors/year
What is the Project?

Develop interdisciplinary case studies with a
laboratory component

Quantitative Analysis  Advanced Analytical
Chemistry/Instrumental Analysis
Where did the idea come from?

Existing sites for case
studies

Many available for
General Chemistry

Lacked laboratory
“General Chemistry Case
Studies” Kennesaw State
University
www.chemcases.com
“Case Studies in Science”
State University of Buffalo at
New York
www.ublib.buffalo.edu/librar
ies/projects/cases.html
What is a case study?




Topic or situation relevant to students
Characters with whom the students can identify
A driving force, such as, a decision that needs to
be made
Multi-faceted problem, including society,
economics, politics, ethics.
Quantitative Analysis

My First Job as a Chemist: The Quality Control
Engineer (The old calibration of glassware
experiment)

Students are given description of a job opening,
calibration procedures, the problem, and questions
to answer
“Minnesota Department of Commerce/ Minnesota Metrology
Laboratory is seeking a Quality Control Engineer responsibilities
include developing, applying, revising, and maintaining quality
methods for solution preparation and analysis. She will be
expected to design and implement methods and procedures for
inspecting, testing, and evaluating the precision and accuracy of
glassware used in solution preparation and preparation of
documentation for inspection testing procedures. The entry-level
job requires a bachelor degree in chemistry and a minimum or
0 to 2 years experience in quality control systems.
Minnesota Metrology Laboratory is located at
2277 Hwy 36, St. Paul MN 55113-3806”
St. Paul Pioneer Press,
April 6 2006
Framework for My First Job


Background and
calibration procedures are
provided
Problem: Concerns have
been raised about the
volumetric calibration
procedures. Repeat
existing procedures and
discuss modifications.
Sample Questions
1. How many trials did it take
to obtain 3 measurements
within tolerance for the 25 ml
pipet?
2. In your opinion is the
exisiting method acceptable?
What changes would you make
to the procedure and why?
A Vegetarian’s Dilemma

Graphing assignment

Begins with a conversation between a physician
and a first-year college student

Spectroscopic data is given Students analyze data
to determine if the student is anemic
The Mining of Soda Ash - Part 1

Design an acid-base
experiment using the best
indicator to quantitate Na2CO3
in soda ash sample

Pool class data and use
statistical tools to answer
question
The Mining of Soda Ash - Part 2

Students are given information about a new site
with large deposits of soda ash. They are asked to
compare the amount of sodium carbonate in soda
ash from the new site to existing sites.
The Mystery of Coral Calcium
Recently a group of researchers headed by Dr. Robert
Barefoot started marketing a health supplement known as
“Supreme Coral Calcium”. Fascinated by the longevity
of people living in Okinawa Japan, researchers carried out
an investigation to determine the source of this longevity,
which according to their studies ultimately turned out to
be accidental consumption of coral calcium contained in
daily drinking water. The coral calcium in the waters
comes from the coral reefs that surround the islands and is
said to make the water alkaline; when ingested, the coral
calcium reduces the body’s acidity to a healthier level.
Other Experiments for QA
Determination of Ascorbic Acid in Vitamin C tablets
by titration with Potassium Bromate
Determination of H3PO4 and H2PO4-, pH titration
Spectroscopic Titration of Copper with EDTA - A
microtitration
Advanced Case Studies

4 interdisciplinary cases
1. Environmental Science
2. Biomolecules in Science
3. Forensic Science
4. Food Science
Environmental Science

Water Quality Testing

Students collect water sample
and measure
dissolved oxygen
pH
alkalinity
water hardness electrode
Fe via A.A.
Biomolecules in Science

Vitamin and Mineral Analysis

Students will use the HPLC to determine amount of riboflavin in
foods

Other ideas quantitate Vitamin C by uv-vis and Iron by A.A.
Forensic Science

Artwork Forgery

Students use IR
spectroscopy to identify
pigments used
Food Science Capstone Project

Soy content in foods
using HPLC

Students design and direct
their own project
Next Step

Pilot QA case studies this fall

Pilot 2 advanced cases winter
semester

Post cases on website
Student Assessment
Maintain a laboratory
notebook
Write laboratory report
addressing questions
Project Assessment
External reviewer of cases
Team of colleagues and
reviewer will review
notebooks and lab reports.
www.stkate.edu
Funded by
NSF grant - 0310718
3M Faculty/Student
Collaborative Research