The essential features of the laboratory are described as follows:
- Back. Clicking the back button exits the calorimetry laboratory and returns the user to the portal.
- LED Display. The LED display is used to display the temperature in the laboratory and the current barometric pressure. The temperature or pressure is selected by clicking on the appropriate label on the LED display. Note that the laboratory temperature is fixed at 25°C but the barometric pressure will change daily. The temperature and pressure are necessary for buoyancy corrections.
- Accelerate. Below the LED display is an acceleration button that is used to accelerate laboratory time. In real time, the clock hand on the button rotates relatively slowly, and in acceleration mode the clock hand moves quickly. The acceleration button is useful when waiting for a process to reach the steady state and for establishing foredrifts and afterdrifts for temperature extrapolations. Note that the time versus temperature data saved in the lab book while in acceleration mode will be a factor of five less dense.
- Live Data. Clicking on the live data tab displays to the user any relevant data pertaining to instruments being used at the time. The live data tab will be blank if no relevant data is available. Users can click on the various buttons in the live data tab to save data, manipulate the instruments, and adjust parameters. Any data saved is automatically sent to the lab notebook.
- Stockroom. Clicking on the stockroom tab displays to the user to the available components of the stockroom. Calorimeters, reagents, and metals can be selected from the stockroom and placed on the counter. Note that for the bomb calorimeter, only organics can be selected and for the dewar/coffee cup only metals, salts, and reactions can be selected.
- Unknowns. Practice unknowns can be created from the unknown tab. If an unknown is assigned, it will also show up in this tab.
- Lab Book. The lab book is used to record procedures and observations while performing experiments in the virtual laboratory. Data from the experiments can also be saved as links in the lab book where it can then be copied and pasted into an external spreadsheet program for further analysis. Any data saved in the lab book is immutable and cannot be changed. All entires are timestamped. The lab book can also be exported as a PDF.
- Presets. The presets tab has two sections. The first, Lab Presets, are presets created by Beyond Labz that correlate to activities designed by Beyond Labz. The second, My Saved Lab, will contain a list of the users saved lab states.
- Save Lab. Clicking this button will add the lab in its current state to the users saved labs. The list of saved labs can be access from the presets tab.
- Graduated Cylinders. There are four graduated cylinders (10, 25, 50, and 100 mL), and they are used to measure volumes of reagents and water with intermediate accuracy and reproducibility.
- Distilled Water. Distilled water can be added to beakers, graduated cylinders, and the dewar/coffee cup by dragging the object to the sink underneath the distilled water faucet (the faucet closest to the wall). Distilled water is added as long as the object is kept in the sink.
- Ice Bucket. Ice can be added to the dewar, the coffee cup, or a beaker by first clicking on the ice bucket to take off the lid and then clicking and dragging a scoop of ice to the object. Each scoop of ice weighs approximately 25 g. Accurate weighings are needed for some experiments. There is an approximate 2-minute grace period for ice put into a beaker before it will start melting at a normal rate.
- Oven. The oven is used to heat metal samples before being placed in the dewar or coffee cup. The oven is opened and closed by clicking on the door, and turned on and off by clicking on the red and green lights. The oven is normally on. Metal samples are placed in the oven by first opening the door and then dragging and dropping the metal sample in the oven. The temperature is set clicking on the up and down arrow keys on the temperature display.
- Control Panel. The Control Panel is used to control various aspects of the dewar or coffee cup calorimeter. The items that can be controlled include the stirrer, the electrical heater, the current for the heater, saving data to the lab book, and graphing. The thermometer is turned on by clicking on the thermometer and stirring can also be turned on by clicking on the stirrer itself. The control panel only shows up in the lab if a dewar is placed on the lab bench.
- Dewar/Coffee Cup. The dewar and coffee cup operate equivalently and are interchangeable for performing calorimetric experiments involving metals, salts, ice, and reactions. The dewar/coffee cup calorimeters consist of the insulating vessel itself, the Control Panel, stirrer, thermometer, and the lid. The lid can be moved to the ring stand on the left so materials can be added, or materials can be added directly with the lid on and the lid will move momentarily. With the lid off, the dewar or coffee cup can be dragged to the sink and filled with water. Clicking on the thermometer opens the thermometer window, and clicking on the green and red buttons on the stirrer will turn it on and off.
- Bomb Calorimeter. For combustion experiments, the bomb calorimeter must be selected and moved on to the laboratory bench (not shown in Figure 3). The Control Panel is built into the bomb calorimeter and is turned on (opening the Control Panel window) by clicking on the panel. Clicking on the calorimeter lid opens it, which exposes the bucket and the bomb assembly. The bomb assembly can be clicked and dragged to the bench top and disassembled to expose the bomb cup, and the bomb cup can then be taken to the balance area to load samples.
- Reagents/Beakers. Reagent bottles from the stockroom can be dragged from the counter and placed on the laboratory bench next to the lab book, the analytical balance, or the oven. Solutions from these bottles can be poured into beakers or graduated cylinders by dragging the bottle to the desired location and then holding while the solution pours out. Beakers may also be placed in the same locations.
- Beaker Drawer. Needed beakers for any experiment are obtained by clicking and dragging from the beaker drawer or by double-clicking on a beaker in the drawer. Beakers may be placed in the balance area or on the lab bench in locations highlighted with the spotlight. Water can be added to a beaker by dragging it to the sink and placing it under the distilled water faucet. Solutions are added to beakers by dragging the bottle, another beaker, or a graduated cylinder to the beaker and holding while the solution is poured out.
- Stopwatch. The stopwatch is primarily used to time the electrical heating period when electrically calibrating the heat capacity of the dewar or coffee cup calorimeters (see the Overview section in the simulation description). Clicking on the stopwatch opens the Stopwatch Window. The stopwatch will automatically start and stop counting (when the window is open) when the heater is turned on and off. The stopwatch can also be used to time other events, but the timer must be started manually.
- Balance Area. Clicking on the analytical balance will zoom into the balance area. While zoomed in to the balance area, solids can be scooped out of the reagent bottle and then placed on weighing paper or in a beaker for weighing. Organic liquids can also be weighed by delivering liquid into the bomb cup using the pipet. Items to be weighed must be placed in the balance area before zooming in. However, items can be dragged off the balance in the normal lab view. The operation of the analytical balance is similar to those found in typical instructional laboratories. Clicking on the Return to Lab arrow will return the user back to the laboratory view.
- Disposal Bucket/Clear Lab. The disposal bucket and the clear lab button are used to discard beakers, the contents of graduated cylinders, and the contents of the calorimeters. Clicking on the disposal bucket or clear lab button will clear the entire laboratory.