<p>What does the student gain through their lab section of say…physics or chemistry? What do they lose if they don’t take them?</p>
<p>^ At your college are labs optional? I thought usually that a student had to take the lab when they took the class.</p>
<p>When you mean “don’t take them” implies that you are in another major that does not require chemistry/physics labs or a major that does not require labs at all. I think most schools nowadays require 1 or 2 science courses (at least for general education) with at least one science course having a “lab” component.</p>
<p>Having said that, labs give you the actual practical application of the theory. Let’s say that somehow, you measured the distance that an object traveled (after being dropped) and it’s velocity just before impact. The prof wants you to calculate the acceleration due to gravity. Now, you have read in your books over 50 times that the acceleration is 9.8 m/s^2…but when you actually measure it in the lab, you get something like:</p>
<p>9.799994 or 9.800003 </p>
<p>…and actually see the theory played out.</p>
<p>Labs also teach you how to conduct experiments in order to maintain data and support your scientific claim.</p>
<p>What GT said. Plus I always found it an easy A grade even if the lab was only 1 or 2 credits.</p>
<p>Michigan, through my AP credits, I’m able to forgo the lab portion of a science class I am taking and a couple in the future. I’m wondering what I would lose out on. </p>
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No, I am not implying that. I am majoring in chemical engineering. have taken these classes before, just not on the collegiate level.</p>
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Oh, goodness. I wish we got numbers like that. :p</p>
<p>Can anyone explain to me what happens during a lab class? Is each week a new lab?</p>
<p>I’d say that if you skip intro-level lab classes, you’re not really missing out on much. You did do labs in high school, right?</p>
<p>It’s very possible to understand the theory without ever having to go to a lab (the inaccurate numbers can really throw you off too). If it’s a lab in your field, the most useful aspect of it is that you get to become familiar with some of the tools used in the field, and with data analysis. But you can most certainly get by without ever being in a lab course.</p>
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Three things that I can think of: A physical connection to the theory, an understanding of how it may be applied, and a familiarity with lab equipment.</p>
<p>One the first point, a lot of physics and chemistry involve interactions that we can not directly perceive, and for many people working through it physically and watching what happens really helps to drive home how everything works. Not everyone needs this - some people see the theory, do the math, and “get it”, but for a lot of people that just will not consistently happen.</p>
<p>On the second point, people can stumble surprisingly easily when trying to take theory and put it into use. Knowing that certain chemicals theoretically react does not necessarily mean that you immediately and instinctively know how to do so efficiently and safely. Labs let you take the theory and apply it without wasting a ton of time or endangering people or equipment.</p>
<p>On the third and final point, lab courses get you some hands-on time with equipment that you will need to use later in your studies and work. And when you encounter it later, there will be an expectation of familiarity - Chem 101 might plan an hour for you to get a station set up, but ChemE 403 might only give ten minutes for the same task and might not forgive rookie mistakes that mess up results! How a deal this is depends a lot on how many lab courses you skip and what kind of experience you have.</p>
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It varies by school and instructor. Generally, you are given some amount of pre-work (generally some reading and maybe a few homework-type problems) to do to get ready, then you have step-by-step instructions on what to do during the lab. You follow the instructions, record results and observations, and then write it up as a semi-formal report to be handed in a week later (early labs may also require an immediate copy of your lab notes, to ensure that you are in fact participating and recording). Most labs will be finished in a single session, but there will be a few here and there that stretch over a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard from various STEM students, it depends on the school and specifically it depends upon the lab instructor.</p>
<p>At reputedly rigorous STEM departments, lab instructors (often TAs) expect a lot of work and 100% active participation. I’ve heard of very nick-picky instructors whom rule their labs like courtroom judges.</p>
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<p>Here I am thinking “What on Earth kind of instruments are you using to experimentally measure 6 decimal places, especially in an undergraduate lab!”</p>
<p>Heh.</p>
<p>Thank you, cosmic. Your post was extremely informative. </p>
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The most we got in my labs were 3 decimal points. And definitively not a ~0% error!</p>
<p>I’ll sign up for the lab. I’m interested getting a lab job for the next few years and it would be silly not to have any labs on my transcript. </p>
<p>@Polo and richard Share helpful and on topic information or get off of this thread.</p>
<p>I would add that the labs in college are likely to be more rigorous than the labs in high school AP courses. Particularly if you are a ChemE major, you are going to be expected to know how to use lab equipment, perform lab procedures, and write lab reports at the college level for the higher chem coursework required in your major, none of which is generally covered very well in high school labs.</p>
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</p>
<p>Nobody remembers that Hewlett-Packard HP-15 C?</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> HP 15C Scientific Calculator: Office Products](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/HP-NW250AA-15C-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B005EIG3MW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374001059&sr=8-1&keywords=hp15c+calculator]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/HP-NW250AA-15C-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B005EIG3MW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374001059&sr=8-1&keywords=hp15c+calculator)</p>
<p>Uh…yeah. We used those all the time back in…uh…'89. :p</p>
<p>I have had experience with writing college level lab reports. One of my AP teachers required us to format them a certain way. They weren’t the old “hypothesis, materials, procedure, data, conclusion” format. I know how to do a thesis and follow up experiment and whatnot.</p>
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<p>It isn’t an issue of how many decimals fit on the calculator screen. It is an issue of how much uncertainty there are in your actual measurements of the phenomenon.</p>
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This. You can only get so far when you only have a two decimal stop watch. :)</p>
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Or a one decimal thumb / stop watch actuator.</p>
<p>Engineering without labs is like pizza without sauce. That’s where all the fun is. Phys/Chem labs are boring for the most part but teach good write up skills, safety, being methodical, follow instructions, etc. Chem more useful than physics to be honest (if you need a lab to see friction or what not…)</p>
<p>Once you hit classes like Strength of Materials or Fluid Mechanics things make LOTS more sense because of the lab.</p>
<p>I’ll have you know that I have a two-decimal thumb, thank you very much!</p>
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You’re right. Data analysis and lab reports are like the definition of a good time.</p>
<p>Lab reports may not be fun to write but the ability to describe what is going on in a lab experiment in a clear and concise way, with supporting analysis, is something that is vey useful in real life. Especially if you’re dealing with an irate customer or stonewalling supplier and need to write well to get your point across.</p>