LOCATION: 101 McCord
TIMES: 9:00 – 9:50

PREREQUISITE: College algebra or equivalent

INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Ron Robertson
Office: 118 McCord (enter through labs 116 or 117)
Office phone 221-6298
Office hours posted but you are welcome to come by anytime
Home phone 615-763-2146
E-mail robertsonr@apsu.edu or labman3746@aol.com

Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change, 2^th edition, by Martin Silberberg; McGraw Hill, 2000 (available in APSU bookstore).

From time to time additional readings may be required. These will be on reserve in the APSU library. I also will have on reserve my own lecture notes and solutions to homework problems. These notes and problems are no substitute for being in class, but can be useful to check on information that you may have not gotten clearly in class. A scientific calculator is essential. Special function keys should include scientific notation, fractional roots, natural and common logarithms, and exponential functions (ex and 10x).

The use of the TI-85 or any other programmable calculator is not permitted on the 4 hour exams and final exam. Their use has become a problem in our department as some students have used them to store and retrieve equation and text information that other students cannot. This gives an unfair advantage on exams to some. Their use on homework, problem sets and lab work is permitted and encouraged as is the use of the computer lab in our department that is open to all students. A non-programmable scientific calculator is permitted and indeed necessary for our exams. If you have any questions at all as to whether your calculator is "legal" for exam use, please contact me.

This is our highest level introductory chemistry course. One of my goals in teaching this course is to enhance your thinking and reasoning skills through the development of mental models that we have formulated to explain how our natural world operates, specifically in the area that we have defined to be chemistry. Mathematics is a language that often allows us to communicate ideas to each other in a concise way, and I do emphasize it in my teaching.

Another goal of the course is to help you understand how science and technology affect the human condition. (how do" things" work and how does it affect me?) These goals guide my teaching and relate to the APSU general education core areas of reasoning, literacy, numerical understanding, and scientific knowledge.

We will cover much of the material contained in chapters 1-10 of the text with the following objectives:

• understanding and using different measurement systems
• using scientific notation and dimensional analysis to solve chemistry problems
• understanding the nature and organization of matter
• writing and using formulas for elements and compounds
• using those formulas to symbolize chemical reactions via chemical equations
• recognizing acids, bases and salts; and predicting their behavior in solution
• understanding the concepts of oxidation and reduction in reactions
• using equations of reactions to predict quantitative information about those reactions (stoichiometry)
• determining the properties of gases through simple kinetic theory
• determining the nature of chemical reactivity from the viewpoints of "will it happen?" (thermodynamics)
• seeing systematic chemical and physical properties of the elements (the periodic table)
• understanding and predicting the consequences of chemical bonding
• predicting molecular geometry for covalent compounds and the properties that result

The principles covered in this material will challenge you to think about the world in a different way and will hopefully guide you to a better understanding of the specific scientific area in which you are interested. Chemistry is a basic science to many careers in engineering and the health professions, because the actual course material as well as the analytical reasoning skills essential to understanding it are fundamental to succeeding in these careers. This means that the course is more important than just the material covered; the way you understand the material is just as important. This is why I will use terms such as "mental models" and "conceptual understanding".

I encourage your active participation in class. Feel free to ask questions before, during and after class. I would hope to pull you "kicking and screaming" through this course. My definition of science is "organized curiosity". Don't lose your sense of wonder as we explore together the complexities of Mother Nature. If you find yourself having difficulty, please come and see me before you get too far behind.

Your ability to succeed in this course will be related to three areas:

• study habits
• mathematical background
• ability to think abstractly

You should expect to spend roughly 2 hours or more of study time for each hour in class. This will depend on your background in chemistry as well as math. Since our time together in class is short, I will focus first on the presentation of ideas and concepts. My presentations will sometimes be summaries of the text's treatment, but at other times my presentation may approach the subject in a different way - a way that I think is clearer or easier. It is vital that you read the text and study the class notes to get the best understanding of the material. A review of the class notes as soon as possible after class is the best way to maximize learning. After you think that you have an understanding of the ideas and concepts presented (after you have the mental model) you should attempt the homework problems. Some problems will merely be review type questions, but others will allow you to "flex" your intellectual muscles and see how the concepts presented can be used to answer questions that a scientist would be asked. Study groups are also often helpful in learning the material.

Mathematics is very important in chemistry If your math background is not very strong, feel free to see me for extra help related to the math. The ability to solve simple algebraic equations, do dimensional analysis with units, and give answers to the proper number of significant figures in scientific notation will be emphasized the first semester. Solving quadratic equations, taking fractional roots, and using logs are additional mathematical skills needed next semester

Some of you may study hard and have little difficulty with the math but still do poorly. This is often because you are having problems with the abstract thinking that is involved in chemistry. Visualizing things that are very small like atoms and molecules can be difficult. For example this semester we need to be able to visualize 3-d solid geometric figures in order to understand the properties of molecules. My experience with students is that if they continue to work hard they will acquire the ability to think abstractly. You can move to a higher level of thinking with practice!

I will not always be able to work as many problems or to explain things in as great a detail as I would like in class. For this reason it is important that you try to schedule a time to come and see me. If there is interest, I will also try to schedule weekly problem sessions for larger groups. True understanding and learning takes time; don't get discouraged!

I consider your attendance to be vital to your progress in this course. Your attendance will be monitored, and I reserve the right to lower your grade for excessive (more than 5) absences from class. Homework assignments are given on a daily basis and depend on the progress of the class. Since I do occasionally take up homework and give pop quizzes, your grade can be affected by your absence on any given day. See the evaluation policy below for an explanation.

EVALUATION PHILOSOPHY

My general philosophy is "A grade is an inadequate report of an inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinite material". (Paul Dressel) Grades are not perfect or always fair, but I will pledge to be consistent. All of you will probably not be able to make A's but all of you can be successful in this course. I like the definition of success by John Wooden (former coach of UCLA's great basketball teams): "Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming". My pledge is to help you become the best you can be within your situation and opportunities.

I will test for true understanding of ideas as well as recognition of facts. My tests are layered in complexity, and I evaluate in several areas: (1) a straightforward memorization of facts, (2) an understanding of ideas and concepts, and (3) an application of ideas to problem solving situations. Many types of questions are asked: short answer, multiple choice, mathematical problems, essay and discussion. My goal in evaluation is to obtain the most information possible about your progress in the course.

a) You will receive one grade for this course (lecture) and another grade for lab. Unless repeating either lecture or lab you must be concurrently enrolled in both lecture and lab. The grades are independent of one another.

b) There will be five major exams during the term:

• Friday, September 15
• Wednesday, Oct. 11
• Monday, November 6
• Wednesday, December 6
• Thursday, December 14 (Final Exam, 8:00 – 10:00)

I reserve the right to change exam dates provided I give you at least one week’s notice.

c) Your grade will be based on your performance on about 550 possible points. Each exam will count 100 points and the Final will count 150 points. Your lowest exam grade (excluding the Final) will be dropped. The Final Exam must be taken

If you miss an exam for any reason, that exam will qualify as the exam to be dropped. If you miss a 2nd exam, a doctor’s note or other approved documentation for special circumstances (approved by the instructor on a case by case basis) is necessary for exam makeup. It is best to take every exam possible in order to allow for unforeseen circumstances.

Another roughly 100 points will come from problem sets, homework, and pop quizzes. I give announced and unannounced quizzes and take up homework randomly. These evaluations will be about 10-15 pts each. If you miss class due to illness and have a written doctor's note, or if you have other special circumstances which have been approved by the instructor, you will receive your average percentage exam grade for the semester for that quiz or homework. If you do not fulfill the above requirements and are absent, you will receive a zero for that quiz or homework.

There is no set cutoff for your semester grade but I will guarantee you the following: A 85%, B 72%, C 60%, D 50%.

d) You can work with others on all out of class assignments (homework) unless specifically indicated (for example a problem set). Cheating on exams and quizzes will not be tolerated. A grade of zero will be assigned for that exam or quiz as a first step, and the matter will be referred to student affairs for further action.

e) I do love to see your worked out solutions to the problems as well as supporting background information on essay questions. An answer alone to a mathematical problem will receive no credit. I want to see how the wheels are turning!

f) If you have a condition that may affect your academic performance, I encourage you to make an appointment with me or with the coordinator of disability issues (located in Clement 131, telephone 221-6230) in order to discuss this matter.

I truly hope that you will not want to or feel the need to drop this course, but if you do . . . the following dates are important.

• Last day to drop without a record September 5
• Last day to drop with an automatic "W" October 3
• Last day to drop with a "W, F, FA, FN" November 15

I would encourage you to become a member of our chemistry club (XEM). We are nationally affiliated and provide many academic, career, and social activities. Some of our activities include: outreach to the surrounding schools, field trips to industry and academic institutions, chemistry conferences and meetings, preprofessional seminars, volleyball, and general career helps. Club activities also allow you to make contacts with faculty outside of the classroom.

I truly enjoy teaching chemistry and hope that we will have a profitable term. Please feel free to come by or call my office or to call me at home. Help with course material, discussion of career opportunities in chemistry, exploration of possible student research projects with me, or "shooting the breeze" are all possible topics for discussion. Good luck!