FALL 2000

Joseph H. Dreisbach

304 St. Thomas Hall

941-7560

EMAIL:dreisbachj1@scranton.edu

WEB PAGE: http:\\academic.scranton.edu/staff/DREISBACHJ1/

Classes will be held in STT 314 on Monday and Wednesday. Review sessions are scheduled for designated Thursdays in STT 209.

Office Hours. Regularly scheduled office hours are Monday and Wednesday 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Other meeting times are available with advance arrangements. Please check with Dr. Dreisbach or Mrs. Barbara Quinn to make these arrangements.

Textbook. Seager, S.L. and M.R. Slabaugh. Chemistry for Today: General, Organic, and Biochemistry, 4^th edition. Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2000.

Guide and Solutions. Krieger, P. Study Guide and Solutions Manual for Seager and Slabaugh's Chemistry for Today: General, Organic, and Biochemistry, 4^th edition. Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2000.

The Course. Introductory Chemistry is a two semester course designed to cover basic topics in inorganic, organic and biochemistry. The course fulfills the general education natural science requirements (E) at The University of Scranton. Therefore, it is designed to introduce students to the scientific method, as well as to the discipline of chemistry. Since most students are majors in nursing or other health sciences related majors, the biochemistry topics are often considered the most relevant.

But to learn and apply the principles of biochemistry, one must have a good understanding of basic chemistry principles which include both quantitative and qualitative aspects of chemical relationships. To this end, Introductory Chemistry I proceeds through general inorganic chemistry topics with sufficient breadth to allow students to understand the basic theories necessary for studying biochemical and medical topics. Some basic organic chemistry is also covered in Introductory Chemistry I.

Although the biochemistry topics are covered in the second course, Introductory Chemistry II, the instructor will make frequent attempts to relate some of the fundamental topics to biochemistry and health-related examples. The text uses a few techniques to show these relationships. These techniques include the Chemistry Around Us, Over the Counter, and For Future Reference topics scattered through the chapters.

Grading Policy. Four one-hour examinations, a two-hour comprehensive final examination, and a series of short quizzes are scheduled. Each hourly examination counts 100 points and the final examination will also count 100 points toward the course grade. The average of the quiz scores (minus the lowest quiz score) will be used to replace the lowest of the four hourly examination scores if this is to the student's benefit. The final examination is cumulative over the entire semester. This final examination score will not be replaced by the quiz average. Final letter grades are determined using a distribution process; however, a grade of 90 or above is guaranteed an "A"; 89-80, a "B"; 79-70, a "C"; and 69-60, a "D".

Assignments. Seager and Slabaugh is the major text. Exercises at the end of the chapters must be completed in order to develop an ability to read, understand and solve chemical problems. Indeed, progress and success in the course is evaluated by determining how well the student can apply chemical concepts in solving chemical problems.

Make-up Policy. No make-up examinations will be available. An excused absence during an examination will result in the quiz average being substituted for the missed hourly examination. Any additional examinations missed will be dealt with according to the instructor's discretion. In no case will an unexcused absence for an examination be accepted.

Policy on Attendance. Students are expected to attend all classes and all students are responsible for assignments, announcements, tests, quizzes and all other course related material as these are scheduled and presented in class or on the syllabus. No more than four absences, for any reasons, are acceptable. Habitual late arrivals will count as absences.

 Academic Honesty. Violations of the code on academic honesty are taken extremely seriously in this course and students who violate the code are subject to full penalties for the violation. The strict policy is enforced to ensure that all students are being evaluated on the same level and that the evaluations are based on their knowledge and skills with the course material. This is a simple "rule of fairness" which is proper for all students. Students who break the academic code of honesty fail the course.

Calculators. Unless specifically instructed otherwise, the use of calculators is encouraged for most quizzes and all examinations. There are restrictions on the type of calculators allowed, however, and programmable calculators are never to be used for quizzes or examinations. Use of a programmable calculator during a quiz or exam is a violation of the "rule of fairness". It is recommended that you not bring a programmable calculator to class but instead bring a simpler, inexpensive calculator. Please ask the instructor if you have any questions about acceptability of the calculator you intend to use for the course.
 
 

DATE TOPICS

WEEK 1

Aug 30 Scientific notation; significant figures; units in calculations; percentages; density

WEEK 2

Sept 6 Formulae, atoms and isotopes, relative masses of atoms and molecules

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

Sept 18 EXAMINATION 1 (Chapters 1 and 2)

Chapter 4 Forces Between Particles

Sept 20 Noble gases, ionic bonding, ionic compounds, naming binary ionic compounds, covalent bonding

WEEK 5

Chapter 4 (continued)

Sept 25 Polyatomic ions, molecular shapes, molecular polarity, nomenclature, interparticle forces

Chapter 5 Chemical Reactions

Sept 27 Chemical reactions, types of reactions: redox, decomposition, combination, replacement; ionic equations

Sept 28 Review session in STT 209 6:00-7:00 pm (Chapters 3 and 4)

WEEK 6

Chapter 5 (continued)

Oct 2 Energy and reactions, the mole and chemical equations, limiting reactant, reaction yields

Oct 4 EXAMINATION 2 (Chapters 3 and 4)

WEEK 7

Oct 9 No classes. Fall break.

Oct 11 Mid term grades are due. No class - replacement day for regularly scheduled review sessions.

WEEK 8

Oct 18 Pressure, temperature, volume relationships; gas laws

WEEK 9

Chapter 6 (continued)

Oct 23 Evaporation and vapor pressure, boiling, sublimation and melting, energy and states of matter

Chapter 7 Solutions and Colloids

Oct 25 Physical states of solutions, solubility, the solution process, solution concentrations, preparation of solutions

WEEK 10

Chapter 7 (continued)

Oct 30 Solution stoichiometry, solution properties, colloids, dialysis

Chapter 8 Reaction Rates and Equilibrium

Nov 1 Reaction spontaneity, reaction rates, molecular collisions, energy diagrams, factors that influence rates

Nov 2 Review session in STT 209 6:00-7:00 pm (Chapters 5,6,7)
 
 

WEEK 11

Nov 6 EXAMINATION #3 (Chapters 5,6,7)

Chapter 9 Acids, Bases, and Salts

Nov 8 Arrhenius and BrÆ nsted theories, naming acids, self-ionization of water, pH, properties of acids

Chapter 9 (continued)

Nov 13 Properties of bases, salts, acid base strengths, acid-base analysis, titrations

Nov 15 Hydrolysis and buffers

WEEK 13

Nov 22 No classes. Thanksgiving break.

WEEK 14

Chapter 10 (continued)

Nov 27 Measurement of radiation, uses of radiation, induced nuclear reactions, nuclear energy

Nov 26 Review session in STT 209 6:00-7:00 pm (Chapters 8,9, 10*)

Nov 29 EXAMINATION #4 (Chapters 8,9)

WEEK 15 Dead Week. No hourly examinations allowed!

Dec 6 Alkane structure, conformation of alkanes, nomenclature, cycloalkanes, shapes, physical properties, reactions

Dec 7 Review session in STT 209 6:00-7:00 pm

Dec 8 STUDY DAY

Dec 9-14 FINAL EXAMINATIONS AS SCHEDULED BY THE REGISTRAR

Note that the final examination period runs through December 14. The final examination date for this course was not published at the time this syllabus was prepared. Students must take the final examination on the published date. Prepare your travel plans to accommodate the final examination schedule.
 
 

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR DOING REALLY WELL IN CHEMISTRY 110-111

1. Always come to class. Simple attendance in class provides each student with a clear perspective on the progress of the course and a general introduction to the key concepts of the course.

2. Participate in the lecture-learning process. By focusing on the instructor's emphases and examples, students become more familiar with the concepts and applications of course material. Also students should ask questions to clarify points or to extend the concepts to relate them to other courses, topics or interests.

3. Read ahead. The syllabus lists the topics as they will be covered. Although the topics might be covered at a somewhat faster or slower pace than that scheduled, by attending class and reading, students will have a good idea of what will be covered during the lectures. By reading ahead, one can obtain a better perspective of the lecture direction and also acquire a clear understanding of the presentations. Reading ahead with care and attention to detail is excellent but even simply skimming the sections to be covered will place a student at an advantage.

4. Do as many problems as you possibly can. If you do not intend to do problems and exercises then it is a good idea to withdraw from the course now. The most successful students do many problems and they do a few each day, even if lecture is not scheduled and an exam not imminent. When you do problems focus on how the concepts, or theories, apply to the problem. Then apply the theory, and appropriate equations, models, etc., in the proper way to solve the problem.

Do not simply rely on the mechanics of the solution to reach the answer! Many students inadvertently observe the problem- solving process or review the process used by others or a solutions manual. This approach does not involve review and development of an understanding of concepts and the approach is not successful.
 
 
 
 

Approaching the problem in a systematic way and applying the appropriate concepts to obtain a solution is, at first, somewhat more difficult than the above approach, but it is immensely more beneficial to students in the long run. Below is a list of recommended steps to approaching the problems and exercises.

a. Read the problem carefully and with attention to detail.

b. Assess what the question asks you to obtain. What will the answer be like - a quantitative result, an explanation, a model?

c. Determine the information that the question supplies and also determine if you need to use other resources such as tables or charts from the text.

d. Next try to determine which chemical concepts are involved in the topic of the question. Relate the information provided in the problem to the nature of the answer requested by the problem.

e. If you are just starting the problems then you may need to refer back to your notes or to the text in order to review the appropriate concepts. Later, after doing a few problems and asking questions, you should be able to quickly relate a problem statement to the appropriate concept and then develop the approach for the solution.

f. If you cannot reach an answer after 20-30 minutes of working on the problem then note where you are stuck and try to articulate why you cannot continue. Make the note about your difficulty and look for help from your instructor, classmates, tutor or anyone else who might be able to EXPLAIN why you are stuck and not simply SHOW you the method to the answer.

5. Realize that the problems and exercises are designed to have you focus and apply concepts and that they are instruments for learning chemistry. The problems are not ends in themselves but instead they are written to involve students in the learning process. If you were able to do all the problems without having to review concepts then the problems would be easy (I guess they would be called "easies" instead of problems) and would not serve their intended purpose.

6. Work continuously through the course. It is best to read ahead. Select the sections to be covered during the next lecture, read those sections, and take a few notes. You will be more prepared for the lecture and organization of the topics. Do not delay doing the readings or the problems until you approach the examination dates. Read a few pages and try a few problems every day.

7. Ask questions. Never allow your questions to go unaddressed. Although the instructor is the best source for answers to your questions their are other resources also. Use your peers, tutors, upperclassmen or others. Realize that simply learning the mechanics of solving the problems is not sufficient to do well in the course. You must understand the concepts and the basis for the approach to the solution.

8. Realize that the material is different from that in most other courses. Chemistry involves an interesting mixture of descriptive and quantitative material and one needs to be able to read carefully and also be confident with algebra. Learning how to apply the concepts has wide-ranging advantages and many students later indicate that the learning, analytical and critical-thinking skill which they developed in freshman chemistry are useful in many other courses and problem-solving situations.

9. Have fun. Enjoy the process of learning chemistry and try to reduce the pressure that so many students place upon themselves. Realize that you are different from all others. You have different strengths and challenges. What comes easy for some will not come as easy to others. Do your best and remain in control of your progress. Seek assistance promptly if you feel that that the situation is beginning to get "out-of-hand". If you are concerned about your progress, or the course in general, then discuss these with your instructor. Do not let these concerns take time from other academic activities.