The Tour of Collective Wisdom presents:
Rookie Mistakes


Tour the Mistakes

Equipment Reagents Setup Quenching Rxns Workup Chromatography
Distillation Spectroscopy Cleaning Record-Keeping Accidents Miscellaneous



Top Ten Mistakes


MistakeNumber of rookies who have done this
Set up reaction under Ar, added in reagents and forgot to add stir bar 28
While performing the reflux reactions, I forgot to switch on the Water circulator. 23
forgot to make co spot in the TLC . 22
Handeled volitile, smelly and/or toxic solvents or reagents (benzene, carbon disulfide, acrylates, etc.) outside of the fume hood. 21
Used latex gloves while washing glassware with soap - glassware goes flying around the sink 20
lost vacuum on rotevap, flask drops, shattering into filthy water bath, extract organics from dirty water while filtering the dead bugs floating in it 20
Did not measure melting point of any organic compounds for an entire year. Measured melting point of all organic compounds synthesised within one year the night before thesis was due. 19
Wore incorrect gloves, dissolved them. 19
Pick up something from the floor and while doing so, dropping the contents out of the front pocket of your lab-coat (usually NMR tubes) 19
Added a stir bar to a flask sitting on a magnetic stir plate and the flask breaks. 19


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