THE MAXIMUM USE OF THE CHEMISTRY LABORATORY WILBUR G. DUNNING Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
THE
CONVENTIONAL description of chemical laboratory desks is usually in terms of the number of students to be accommodated, i. e., "Eight-Student Table; over-all length 144 inches." Such a table, with 288 linear inches of working surface, is stated to "provide facilities for 2 sections of 8 students each." Thus, for each of 16 students, locker space and 36 inches of table top are available. Inasmuch as a typical freshman laboratory course meets only once a week throughout the year, this amounts to a lZfoot laboratory table with all accessories being used only on two occasions per week, and, in addition, 16 sets of apparatus each being used once a week. The obvious reason for this traditional arrangement is that the most important consideration is adjudged to to be convenience and ease of accessibility to apparaths for each student. Nevertheless, it is a fact that the investment in furniture, apparatus, and space is considerable in terms of student-hours of use. This consideration has become one of the first magnitude in these latter years when new equipment, additional apparatus, and more laborator) space have been indicated for the accommodation of the great increase in enrollment in chemistry courses experienced by most institutions. Temple University's Department of Chemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has approached the problem from the angle of maximum use of space. Thus, given six feet of table top for working space for a student, it is planned to use this one location as many as eleven times during the week. Five additional times may be added if the laboratory is used for evening classes. A complete set of apparatus is housed in the cupboards and drawers beneath each 6-foot location. This one set of equipment will be used successively by the several students assigned to this location. In order that apparatus can readily be located, and, especially, readily replaced, each article has its own numbered position in a drawer or cupboard. To accomplish this, each cupboard and drawer contains an inset constructed of a piece of masonite on which are outlined, by means of thin strips of molding, the numbered areas of proper sizes and shapes to contain the several pieces of equipment.
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A glance will reveal whether or not a set is complete. If not complete the exposed number will indicate the missing article which is identified by reference to a numbered list. The student is provided also with an alphabetical list for locating articles with which he may not be familiar. A set includes everything a student may use during the course, the articles ranging from gummed labels, splints, &inch length of copper wire, to ring stand, burets, triple-beam laboratory scales. An adjacent balance room contains analytical balances, each balance being used exclusively by one student during a laboratory session. Extra balances are provided for possible "make-up" students. For this system of "common lockers" to operate successfully the storeroom must be ready to supply immediately any article required by a student to replace breakage, etc. Some experiments require articles to be held over for a week or more until the experiment can be completed. Such articles must be replaced as though they were broken or otherwise missing. Each student is provided with an individual cabinet for storage of such articles as mentioned above, and also his wash-bottle, towel, etc. The cabinets are 1 X 1X 1ft. and are arranged in banks along the wall of the laboratory. It is anticipated that advantages inherent in the common-locker system will outweigh whatever d*culties may be encountered in its operation. Lockers will require no checking-in nor checking-out, being always completely equipped and ready for use. Students will be distributed properly throughout the laboratory area. Students transferring from one section to another a t another time or day will always fit into the distribution pattern without the nuisance of changing locker or location. Students making up work in a section not their own will fit into the section pattern, not being tied to a locker and location, perhaps in a far part of the laboratory. The quantity of equipment carried on hand can be reduced by as much as 50 per cent. A similar large reduction in area devoted to the laboratory and in the number of laboratory desks, etc., can be accomplished. The common-locker system is being used a t Temple in the Freshman course during the current academic year. A further report on its operation may he desirable after a year's trial.
