36 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



A LABORATORY EFFICIENCY TEST FOR AD- 

 VANCED STUDENTS IN CHEMISTRY 



David F. McFarland, University of Illinois 



In recommending young graduites in chemistry and chem- 

 ical engineering for positions in industrial laboratories and 

 plants it is often desirable, if not imperative, to know some- 

 thing of their ability to do a large amount of work of more 

 or less routine nature, neatly, accurately and acceptably, and 

 their ability to work at times under high pressure without loss 

 of accuracy or efficiency. 



There is, unfortunately, little opportunity to measure these 

 valuable traits with any accuracy in the usual laboratory work 

 of the course. To be sure, much can be judged from the 

 marked differences which are observable between the various 

 individuals of a class in the neatness and accuracy of their 

 work and in the promptness with which it is reported. 



The daily class work can, however, scarcely be expected to 

 afford favorable opportunity for tests of efficiency. The main 

 object of the course is to teach fundamental principles, and 

 standard or selected methods based on these principles. The 

 attention of the students is focused upon these and not upon 

 any ideas of economy of time, or real efficiency of operation. 



It was with the view to developing some test or series of 

 tests that would serve to measure the different members of 

 graduating classes that the work herein described was begun 

 five years ago. 



It was inaugurated as a laboratory examination in a course 

 in fire assaying in which 20 or 25 senior and graduate students 

 are annually enrolled. 



This course affords a considerable number of analytical 

 determinations of the same general type and the student has 

 an opportunity to learn fairly well the main details of proced- 

 ure, the sources of error and how to avoid them, and the 

 chances for saving time and labor. 



An effort is made as the course proceeds to get him to plan 

 his work with a view to efficient utilization of time and to 

 watch for improvement in the technique of his operations. 



