CHEM 123LGeneral Chemistry Laboratory 2
- Units
- 0.25
- Faculty
- Science
- Subject
- Chemistry
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 4 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Selected experiments based on introductory-level chemistry topics. This course is a continuation of CHEM 120L, with increased emphasis on assessment of experimental design.
Prerequisites
- Must have completed the following:
- CHEM120L - General Chemistry Laboratory 1 (0.25)
Corequisites
- Completed or concurrently enrolled in:
- CHEM123 - General Chemistry 2 (0.50)
Antirequisites
- Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
- CHEM125L - Chemical Reaction Laboratory 2 (0.25)
Leads to
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAB 001 | 6677 | 0 / 120 | Jan 11 14:30–17:20 Jan 25 14:30–17:20 Feb 8 14:30–17:20 Mar 1 14:30–17:20 Mar 15 14:30–17:20 Mar 29 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 002 | 6678 | 0 / 120 | Jan 18 14:30–17:20 Feb 1 14:30–17:20 Feb 22 14:30–17:20 Mar 8 14:30–17:20 Mar 22 14:30–17:20 Apr 5 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 003 | 6679 | 45 / 120 | Jan 12 10:00–12:50 Jan 26 10:00–12:50 Feb 9 10:00–12:50 Mar 2 10:00–12:50 Mar 16 10:00–12:50 Mar 30 10:00–12:50 |
| LAB 004 | 6680 | 46 / 120 | Jan 19 10:00–12:50 Feb 2 10:00–12:50 Feb 23 10:00–12:50 Mar 9 10:00–12:50 Mar 23 10:00–12:50 Apr 6 10:00–12:50 |
| LAB 005 | 6681 | 0 / 120 | Jan 12 14:30–17:20 Jan 26 14:30–17:20 Feb 9 14:30–17:20 Mar 2 14:30–17:20 Mar 16 14:30–17:20 Mar 30 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 006 | 6682 | 0 / 120 | Jan 19 14:30–17:20 Feb 2 14:30–17:20 Feb 23 14:30–17:20 Mar 9 14:30–17:20 Mar 23 14:30–17:20 Apr 6 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 007 | 6683 | 0 / 120 | Jan 13 14:30–17:20 Jan 27 14:30–17:20 Feb 10 14:30–17:20 Mar 3 14:30–17:20 Mar 17 14:30–17:20 Mar 31 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 008 | 6684 | 0 / 120 | Jan 20 14:30–17:20 Feb 3 14:30–17:20 Feb 24 14:30–17:20 Mar 10 14:30–17:20 Mar 24 14:30–17:20 Apr 7 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 009 | 6685 | 0 / 120 | Jan 14 10:00–12:50 Jan 28 10:00–12:50 Feb 11 10:00–12:50 Mar 4 10:00–12:50 Mar 18 10:00–12:50 Apr 1 10:00–12:50 |
| LAB 010 | 6716 | 0 / 120 | Jan 21 10:00–12:50 Feb 4 10:00–12:50 Feb 25 10:00–12:50 Mar 11 10:00–12:50 Mar 25 10:00–12:50 Apr 8 10:00–12:50 |
| LAB 701 | 2487 | 1083 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
Reviewed on UW Flow
64% liked it67% easy76% useful
From 456 ratings and 61 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
sue pretends to be nice lowkey and she is actually not. TAs suck.
Apr 2024 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
disappointed in myself because I worked so hard throughout the entire semester on my lab reports etc only to get a 57 on the exam and drop my entire mark by 12%. make sure to study hard for the exam and don't underestimate the fact that even though its a written lab exam, it WAS NOT EASY AT ALL. they didn't give us proper preparation for it whatsoever. the practice exam they gave us literally had 4 incorrect questions. The labs itself were fun to perform but the post-lab reports were GRUELING and took up so much of my time. it was basically another course with a full term of work to do. i understand that its a chemistry lab but holy, I hated the post lab reports so much that I dreaded…
May 2023 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
thought this would be a continuation of chem 120l, but it was much harder. the labs itself werent that hard but the post lab reports (especially the titration and calorimetry lab) were very hard to calculate. the titration lab was done before the titration unit started in the chem 123 lecture, so u couldnt use anything u learned in class and apply it to the lab (which is the whole concept of the lab). i was lucky enough to get a very nice ta that marked easily and gave me tips on how to calculate them. the final exam prep had so many mistakes and wasnt even representative of the final exam, so doing that was a huge waste of time. wish the final exam prep was representative bc that final…
Apr 2023 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Very tedious lab reports, and your TA can make or break your mark on those. The exam was a slaughter. Required you to do calculations on it which were longer than on the CHEM 123 exam. Much harder than the 120L exam. And it doesn't help that they make the 123 and 123L exams on the same day. :(
Apr 2018 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Overall, I found this lab very fun. Originally, I took this course as an elective to enable future volunteers for chemistry open labs for highschool students (since for some reason only having CHEM 120L is not enough), as I am a physics students - most physics students, with an exception of those in biomed phys (before and including 2025-26 calendar), do not need to take this lab. The experiments in this labs were a lot of more fun than those in CHEM 120L in my opinion (spectrophotometry, calorimetry, iondine clock reaction, pH chemistry - titration and antacids). This course also had a lot of Excel graphing stuff in there, and in my opinion the titration (yes, titration again, but this…
Jul 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
81 posts and comments in 73 threads mention CHEM 123L, October 2011 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Fall 2024
be honest do I end it next term 37 points, 48 comments
u/kashoot-: “Why not just switch your CHEM 123L lab to another day?? Trust me, if you switch it to the Thursday it would be better. You can also see if PSYCH 257 is offered online and do that instead to lighten up your schedule. …”
Winter 2024
I just missed a CHEM 123L lab. What do I do? 1 point, 4 comments
Selling Chem123L book 1 point, 0 comments
Are all labs cancelled first week 7 points, 4 comments
“I literally have a lab Monday morning after my first class, is it gonna get cancelled?”
u/voxaun: “i think it's unlikely since classes begin on monday, but it should probably be indicated on LEARN. my chem 123L labs begin this week!”
Spring 2023
Chem 120L by itself? 1 point, 3 comments
“I needed to adjust my schedule and make room for both chem120 + lab but was only able to fit in the lecture. I am wondering if it is possible to take chem 120 now and the lab in a later term? …”
u/Master_Inspector3718: “Depends if you need courses that have chem120L as a prerequisite like chem123L because that could complicate scheduling later”
Winter 2023
ta for first year chem lab 3 points, 0 comments
u/Exit_exe_: “im thinking about being a ta for chem 120L/123L spring 2023/fall 2023 but im not even sure if i can apply since i'll be in my 2A term and im not sure if they even hire students in their second year. i saw this form on the uw chem website, so do i just submit this form? …”
Chem 123L Piazza lab 0 points, 2 comments
u/throwaway1049223: “Lab 3 really do be a piazza lab. All the answers are there, just got to look for them, you loser students. \-sue”
Chem 123L Lab Manual 0 points, 2 comments
u/Puzzleheaded_Rate473: “Does anyone know where I can get a chem123 lab manual? I can't find it on Wstore :(”
Are these courses heavy? 2 points, 9 comments
u/InspectorMuted4369: “wanna take CS 241 CS 240 CS 346 BIOL 365 CHEM 123 CHEM 123L. Are these courses heavy? I was wondering if there is any course that is extremely hard or time-consuming. Thank you!”
IB transfer credits for uw 0 points, 5 comments
“Hello, for the ib alumni: how many credits does HL Chem, bio, eng A (lang/lit) have? And whether tok and ee have credits as well. In order to skip freshman year, how many ib credits are needed? …”
u/___neXus__: “Nothing for Eng unfortunately. What program are you going for?”
u/Yash93: “TOK + EE will give you 0.5 PHIL 1XX credit. Chem HL will give you credit for CHEM 120, 120L, 123, 123L (essentially 1st year chem for non-chem majors). BIOL HL I believe will give for BIOL 239. More details here: https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/admissions/ib-transfer-credit”
Spring 2022
One stop shop for course selection+tips to all biomedical/science students 6 points, 3 comments
u/-Leviathan-: “… Most notable struggle for me this year was CHEM 123L. Everyone in my class knew they took a fat L the moment they walked out of PAC. Much more calculation-based than actually understanding the experiments. I also personally struggled with Physics 2 (PHYS 112). …”
Winter 2022
Admissions into Health Sciences 0 points, 8 comments
“Hi, I'm a student in grade 11 currently hoping to get into the health sci program at Waterloo (also planning on joining co-op). My final grades as of right now round up to an 86.5%. …”
u/jpavlov20: “i’m currently in the health studies program at uw and i had a 91-92% in my last sem of gr12! i got early acceptance as well at uw and a conditional offer as long as my avg was kept above the minimum …”
u/jpavlov20: “… must take chem 123 and chem 123L, but again i took those just cause, anyway), but know that some ppl do change programs bc they don’t find it sciencey enough. …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them