Unit 1: Fundamentals of Laboratory Techniques

Assignment Brief
Student Name/ID
Number

Unit Number and Title Unit 1: Fundamentals of Laboratory Techniques

Academic Year 2022/2023

Unit Tutor Ms. Kavindi Sayakkara

Assignment Title Individual Assignment – Lab Report Portfolio

03rd April 2024
Issue Date
Formative Submission 1st June 2024
Submission Date
Summative Submission 13th June 2024
Submission Format

The submission is in the form of a collated scientific reports (a portfolio) for the practical
work in the assignment, developed in MS Word format. You are required to follow the
standard lab report format for each experimental report (Annex 1 of the Assignment Brief).
You may use any diagrams, images or illustrations as appropriate. All work must be
supported with research and in-text citations should be provided using Harvard referencing
system as required. Bibliography should be provided using Harvard referencing system at
the end of each report. The recommended word limit per each lab report is 1500–2000
words, although you will not be penalized for exceeding the total word limit.

Unit Learning Outcomes (Assessed by this assessment)

LO1 Carry out qualitative and quantitative analysis

LO2 Carry out synthetic chemistry techniques
LO3 Demonstrate use of microscopy and aseptic technique
LO4 Demonstrate good practice with respect to reporting, health and safety, and laboratory
organization

Transferable skills and competencies developed

 Building Competencies
 Analytical Reasoning
 Critical Thinking
 Communication skills
 Relationship Building

Vocational scenario

You have recently been recruited to the position of laboratory demonstrator in a college
educational laboratory. In this laboratory, a range of chemistry and biology related
experiments are being conducted as a part of the degree programmes conducted in the
college. As part of the probationary period for the role, the college laboratory management
require you to produce a portfolio whereby you can demonstrate profound knowledge
regarding all aspects of laboratory techniques. In order to retain your employment, you are
required to successfully complete the trials of all the laboratory experiments to be
conducted and generate a portfolio of reports for the experiments undertaken. Also, you are
required to have a good knowledge of health, safety and risk assessment.

Assignment activity and guidance

Prepare a portfolio of lab reports for the following experiments (You should take the
required data from the experiments you have done in the lab). Your portfolio must have
three sections, and under each section the required experiments and explanations are as
follows:

Experiment 1: Observation of Onion cells under the Light Microscope

Experiment 2: Observation of Cheek cells under the Light Microscope

*Note: You should draw the properly labelled diagrams of your observations.

Explain and justify the actions that you can take in order to improve the level of your skills
related to microscopy.

Experiment 3: Determination of Cu 2+ concentration in an unknown copper (II) sulfate

solution using colorimetry. (Beer-Lambart law application)

Experiment 4: Determination of the Ascorbic acid concentration in Vitamin C

*Note: You should explain the theories underpinning each technique and should evaluate
the validity of the results obtained.

Experiment 5: Qualitative separation of amino acids using thin layer

chromatography (TLC).

Experiment 6: Preparation of Paracetamol

Experiment 7: Preparation of Ethyl acetate

*Note: You should explain the reasons for carrying out the steps in the syntheses. You
must also evaluate the success of the syntheses.

Experiment 8: Aseptic technique (Microbiology)

Part I: Streaking is a technique for the isolation into a pure culture of the organisms (mostly
bacteria), from a mixed population.

a. Briefly explain how streaking is done and the aseptic techniques you have to follow
in relation to streaking.

b. Explain the purposes of those aseptic techniques that you mentioned under the
above point.

c. Explain and justify the actions that you can take in order to improve the level of
your aseptic techniques.

Provide following details in each lab report:

a. Explain how you carry out a risk assessment for each technique undertaken.

b. Explain calibration procedures for instruments/glassware you had to use in the

above experiments.

c. Evaluate the quality of the practical work carried out with respect to good
laboratory practice, health and safety and laboratory organisation.

d. Explain and justify the actions that you can take in order to improve the level of
your skills related to risk assessment and compliance with standards of good
practice in the laboratory.
Recommended Resources
Please note that the resources listed are examples for you to use as a starting point in
your research – the list is not definitive.

Textbooks
AHMED, N., GLENCROSS, H., WANG, Q. (Eds.) (2016) Biomedical Science Practice:
Experimental and Professional Skills. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
BOYLE, J., RAMSAY, S. (2017) Writing for Science Students. London: Palgrave.
CHRISTIAN, G.D., DASGUPTA, P.K., SCHUG, K.A. (2013) Analytical Chemistry. 7th
ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
CRANWELL, P.B., HARWOOD, L.M., MOODY, C.J. (2017) Experimental Organic
Chemistry. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
DEAN, J.R., JONES, A.M., HOLMES, D., REED, R., WEYERS, J., JONES, A. (2017)
Practical Skills in Chemistry. 3rd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.
EVANS, E.H., FOULKES, M.E. (2018) Analytical Chemistry: A Practical Approach.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
GOLDMAN, E., GREEN, L.H. (Eds.) (2015) Practical Handbook of Microbiology. 3rd
ed.
Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
HARRIS, D.C., CHUCK, L. (2015) Quantitative Chemical Analysis. 9th ed. New York:
W. H. Freeman and Co. Ltd.
JOHNSON, S., SCOTT, J. (2019) Study and Communication Skills for the Biosciences.
3rd
ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
JONES, A., REED, R., WYERS, J. (2016) Practical Skills in Biology. 6th ed. Harlow:
Pearson Education Ltd.
MCPHERSON, P. (2015) Practical Volumetric Analysis. Cambridge: The Royal
Society of
Chemistry.
OVERTON, T., JOHNSON, S., SCOTT, J. (2019) Study and Communication Skills for the
Chemical Sciences. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
ROBBINS, S. (2009) Science Study Skills. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
SASTRY, A.S., BHAT, K.S. (2018) Essentials of Practical Microbiology. New Delhi:
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd.
 SKOOG, D.A., WEST, D.M., HOLLER, F.J., CROUCH, S.R. (2014) Fundamentals of
Analytical Chemistry. 9th ed. Belmont: Brooks/Cole.

Web
sdbs.db.aist.go.jp National Institute for Advanced Industrial
Science and
Technology (AIST)
Spectral Database for Organic Compounds, SDBS
(General reference)
rsc.org Royal Society of Chemistry
Learn Chemistry
(General reference)

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

 STUDENT ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION AND DECLARATION
When submitting evidence for assessment, each student must sign a declaration confirming
that the work is their own.
Student name: Assessor name:

Issue date: Submission date: Submitted on:

Programme:

Unit:
Assignment number and title:

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a particular form of cheating. Plagiarism must be avoided at all costs and
students who break the rules, however innocently, may be penalised. It is your responsibility
to ensure that you understand correct referencing practices. As a university level student, you
are expected to use appropriate references throughout and keep carefully detailed notes of all
your sources of materials for material you have used in your work, including any material
downloaded from the Internet. Please consult the relevant unit lecturer or your course tutor if
you need any further advice.

Student Declaration
I certify that the assignment submission is entirely my own work and I fully understand the
consequences of plagiarism. I understand that making a false declaration is a form of
malpractice.

Student signature: Date:

Higher Nationals - Summative Assignment Feedback Form

 Student Name/ID
Unit Title Fundamentals of Laboratory Techniques
Assignment Assessor
Number Ms. Kavindi Sayakkara

Date Received
Submission Date 1st submission
Date Received 2nd
Re-submission Date submission
Assessor Feedback:

Grade: Assessor Signature: Date:

Resubmission Feedback:
*Please note resubmission feedback is focussed only on the resubmitted work

Grade: Assessor Signature: Date:

Internal Verifier’s Comments:

Signature & Date:

Please note that grade decisions are provisional. They are only confirmed once internal and external
moderation has taken place and grades decisions have been agreed at the assessment board.
Guidelines for the assignment/task

 Reference List for each lab report. And provide a separate reference list for section 3-
All references and citation shall use Harvard Referencing Style.
 In-text citations where necessary; including for figures and diagrams
• Use proper report formatting techniques (standard lab report format is attached at
the end of the assignment brief) for the portfolio as follows;
– Each report should be typed using 1.5 spaces between lines in 12 Times New
Roman point-font.
– Margins
– Justifying and aligning
– Page numbers
– Footer/ header
– Bullets and numbering

*University rules will be strictly applied in the event of plagiarism and late submission.

Late submission of the assessment will result in a late penalty mark. Penalties for late
submission: Up to one week late, maximum mark of 50%. Over one week late, 0%. Only the
Extenuating Circumstances Panel may approve a change to submission dates.
Annex 1

Lab Report Format

TITLE PAGE OF LAB REPORT

Title of the Experiment

Programme Name:

Semester and Year:

Name of Student: Name of Lecturer / Lab

Demonstrator:

Date of Experiment Performed: Date of Report Submitted:

OBJECTIVES

 State the objective of the experiment clearly in a complete sentence.

 The objective of the experiment is what you’re trying to prove or accomplish.

INTRODUCTION

 Describe why the topic is of interest.

 You can use 1-2 small paragraphs.
 Start with the problem or the issue you are trying to solve then provide some
background information about it.
 It should be direct, concise and easy to understand.
 You may have to use different resource materials.
 Use proper citations.

THEORY

 Explain relevant concepts, chemical equations, and provide any appropriate

definitions.
 Relevant equations should be derived in a clear, logical manner.
 Define all variables used in the equations.
 Use proper citations.

MATERIALS

 List chemicals, apparatus, and special equipment used for the experiment.
 Ideally, you want this section to be sufficiently detailed another person could
repeat the experiment.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

 Provide a detailed description in your own words of how you accomplished the
experimentation.
 Use sketches, diagrams or photos, to describe the experimental set-up. Label the
main components.
 The experimental procedure should be written in past passive form.
 This can be a single paragraph or one or more pages.

RESULTS

 Present the results/data in the easiest way for your reader to understand:
graphs, tables, figures, etc.
 Your results/data should have the correct number of significant figures and
appropriate units.
 If your results/data is represented by graphical methods, make sure your graph
has been appropriately labeled with the correct axis, units, and scale.
 All figures and tables must have numbers and captions.
 Table captions should be placed over the table, figure captions should be placed
below the figure.
CALCULATIONS (If needed)

 Write down equations being used to do calculations using the results/data you
obtained.
 The calculations should be clear and readable.
 Show and label calculations in complete detail for any quantity.
 If you are repeating a calculation several times, you only need to show one
sample calculation.

DISCUSSION

 Explain the results of the experiment, comment on the results you obtained,
compare obtained results with expected results,
 Give probable reasons for discrepancies from the correct results.
 Answer any questions outlined in the instructions and solve any problems that
may have been presented.
 Implementation errors should be discussed here.

CONCLUSIONS

 Describe your conclusions clearly.

 State your discoveries, judgments and opinions from the results of this
experiment.
 Make recommendations for further study.
 Suggest ways to improve the results of this experiment.

REFERENCES

 Cite any resources; books, publication or websites that you used.

 Provide authors, publisher, date of publication, page number, etc.