Exam 4

Exam 4 is Monday, November 23, 2015, 5:15–7:15 pm. It will not be given at any other time and failure to take the exam will result in a 0 score for the exam, so please make Thanksgiving recess travel plans accordingly.

Final Exam

The final exam is Thursday, December 17, 2015, 6–8 pm. It will not be given at any other time and failure to take the exam will result in a 0 score for the exam, so please make end-of-semester plans accordingly.

Welcome to CH101/103 General Chemistry. This is the first semester of a year-long course intended primarily for science majors, pre-medical students, engineering students who require a one-year course, and other interested students. This syllabus is designed to answer many questions you may have. Please read it over and then keep it handy to use throughout the semester. If you have questions about the material or the course, we encourage you to use the course online discussion forum. Everyone in the course follows this forum and so this is the fastest way to get your questions answered.

Staff

The course is given by

Professor Alexander Golger (SCI/270C, 617-353-2124, golger@bu.edu) is the course coordinator and is in charge of the laboratory part of CH101.

Discussion sections are led by Senior Lecturer Natalya Bassina (SCI/270A, 617-353-4716, nbassina@bu.edu), and graduate teaching fellows, with help form undergraduate learning assistants. Natalya Bassina also is in charge of class scheduling and other administrative aspects of the course.

Required course materials

The text for this course is based on an abridged, custom edition of the Canadian text Mahaffy et al., Chemistry: Human Activity, Chemical Reactivity, second edition. We have arranged for the online edition to be available from its publisher for $88.30 (less than 1/3 of the cost of the original text purchased from the bookstore). Earlier editions of this textbook, including the custom first edition, are no longer being used and so may not be substituted for the requried second edition. There are three options to buy this text package, listed in order of increasing cost.

Option 1, $88.30: This option must be purchased online directly from the publisher and inlcudes the online version of the text only and access to online activities; it does not include a physcial copy of the text. To purchase this option, go to http://www.cengagebrain.com/micro/BostonUChem101_102. Should you also want a printed copy of the current, second edition text, you must prchase instead Option 3 below.

You may augment Option 1 with a printed copy of the first custom edition; its ISBN is is 978-1133445449 and it is available used in various places. Please note the following, however: Whether you buy a hard copy of the earlier edition is optional. We will not be using or referring to the earlier edition, but if you do not want a hardcopy of the new edition (Option 3 below) then a used copy of the first edition may be helpful to you.

Option 2: $146: This is the same online-only Option 1 above (again, with no physcial copy of the text) purchased from the Boston University Barnes & Noble Bookstore.

Option 3: $183.60: This option inlcudes the printed version of the text in addition to the online materials in Option 1 above. It must be purchased from the Boston University Barnes & Noble Bookstore. Return policy: All returns to the bookstore for refund after September 16, 2015 will require proof of withdrawal from the course.

In addition to the text package above, the following seven items are required

  1. ALEKS General Chemistry online personal tutoring. The cost is $75 and is to be purchased online as described here.
  2. The Turning Technologies ResponseCard RF LCD bundle, purchased from Boston University Barnes & Noble Bookstore. Only this clicker can be used in our course. (Note: this is the clicker and associated 4-year license that is used in all courses at Boston University that require clicker devices and cannot be substituted for any other devices.) You will receive a coupon for a $15 rebate on the purchase price. This coupon must be redeemed at the Turning Technologies rebate website.
  3. Golger, General Chemistry CH101 Laboratory Manual, (Hayden McNeil Publishing, 2015, ISBN 978-0-7380-7934-9).
  4. laboratory notebook, Hayden McNeil Publishing
  5. approved safety goggles, item #9301, also required in organic chemistry
  6. laboratory coat, also required in organic chemistry
  7. A lock to secure you belongings in the locker when in the laboratory
  8. Finally, you are required to use the Texas Instruments TI-30X IIS 2-Line Scientific Calculator for this course, available from Amazon.com for $13.99 and elsewhere. This is the only calculator that we will allow you to use to do discussion quizzes and course exams. Using a different calculator on exams or quizzes will constitute academic misconduct.

Be aware that it is a Massachusetts State Law that safety goggles are mandatory in the laboratory. In the lab, all students who wear contact lenses should wear prescription glasses under their safety goggles. Contact lenses are forbidden in the lab. Also, all students must wear the appropriate clothing: long pants, long sleeves and closed shoes (no sandals or flip-flops).

Course schedule

The course consists of five required components:

There are three hours of lecture meetings each week, and these lecture meetings are held in SCI/109 at four alternative times:

You are required to attend your assigned lecture meeting.

There is a one-hour discussion each week, on Thursday or Friday. Discussions meet starting Thursday, September 3. There is one three-hour laboratory each week.

There will also be a laboratory lecture, on Wednesday–Friday. These laboratory lectures are:

Pre-Lab lectures begin the second week of the semester. The first laboratory lecture is on Wednesday, September 9. You are required to attend your assigned pre-lab lecture meeting.

Labs begin the third week of the semester on Monday, September 14. You are required to attend your assigned lab.

The Monday 5–7 pm sessions are used only for the four lecture exams and the lab exam. On lecture exam days there will be no Monday lecture (sections A1, A2, and A4) and the preceding Thursday or following Tuesday evening lecture (section A3) will be shortened to 30 minutes; the section A3 lecture that will be shortened will be announce the week preceding the exam. For the lab exam, lectures will be held as usual.

If you have not yet registered for all of the five components of the course (three for CH103), please do so right away. All grade records are based on the registrar information, so we require that you be officially registered and that you attend the corresponding lecture, discussion and lab.

Exams and quizzes

There will be four lecture exams, a lab exam and a course final exam as follows:

Exams are given only at the scheduled time. A missed exam counts as 0. In particular, please note the following:

Quizzes will be given during each lecture. These quizzes are meant to assess your preparation for the material to be covered that day in lecture. If you are absent, the missed quizzes count as 0. No makeup quizzes will be given. The lecture quizzes count for a total of 10% of your course grade.

Unannounced quizzes will be given in discussion. Each discussion quiz will count equally. These quizzes are meant to assess your understanding of topics covered in previous lectures and homework. If you are absent, the missed quiz counts as 0. No makeup quizzes will be given. The discussion quizzes count for a total of 10% of your course grade.

No electronic devices in classes

We require that no electronic devices (cell phones, computers, tablets, etc.) may be used in lectures, discussions, and labs.

Why?

To help you get the greatest benefit you are able to during these class times.

Academic Conduct

All students at Boston University are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty and integrity. It is the responsibility of every student to be aware of the Academic Conduct Code’s contents and to abide by its provisions, as detailed at

http://www.bu.edu/academics/resources/academic-conduct-code/

Please note carefully that we treat cheating with zero tolerance. The consequences of cheating are at a minimum that the score for work on which cheating occurs counts as 0, and a letter detailing the cheating is sent to the student's advisor, the dean of CAS, and placed in the student's academic file. Possible further consequences are referral to Academic Conduct Committee and additional penalties, including possible expulsion from university.

Course Web and online discussion

The course Web at

http://quantum.bu.edu/courses/ch101-fall-2015

and the online discussion forum Piazza are used extensively in this course. Sign up for Piazza at

http://piazza.com/bu/fall2015/ch101fall2015

All posts to Piazza go to everyone in the course and so this is the fastest way to get your questions answered and to help your classmates with their questions.

Finally, should you have personal concerns, please email them to ch101-questions@bu.edu.

Each student is required to have an email account on the Boston University computer network. It is easy to activate your account, if you have not already done so (there is no charge to use your account): Go to Information Technology, 111 Cummington Street, and they will set you up. Be sure to ask for their handouts on how to use the World Wide Web and email. Your email address will automatically be added to the course email address. Please note that use of university computing facilities is governed by the BU Conditions Use and Policy on Computing Ethics,

http://www.bu.edu/tech/policies/computing-ethics/

Abuse can result in severe sanctions, including fines and academic probation or suspension.

What we will cover

We have designed the course as an introduction to general chemistry that integrates laboratory explorations with the development of the analytical tools necessary to understand and guide those explorations. Some particular aspects that we will emphasize are

Our goal is to help you share in our excitement for and the wonder of science, to challenge you to excel, to give you a sense of empowerment about science, and to encourage you to continue study in science—and hopefully chemistry. We intend to focus especially on what are the core ideas of chemistry.

Lecture

In the first semester we cover Mahaffy et al., chapters 1 through 8 and chapters 10 and 11. There are 39 MWF lectures and the schedule below refers to these lecture numbers. The lecture numbers are displayed on the course schedule here.

Mahaffy et al., chapter and notes Start date MWF lectures
1. Human activity, chemical reactivity Do on your own
before first lecture
2. Building blocks of materials
 First class
 1–4
3. Models of structure to explain properties Sept 11 4–7
4. Carbon compounds (Sections 4.1–4.4 only)
Think about It e4.4: Collisional heating http://goo.gl/vQ0Nz
Think about It e4.5: IR windows http://goo.gl/I8IGz		 Sept 23 8
5. Chemical reaction, chemical equations Sept 25 9–10
6. Chemistry of water, chemistry in water Sept 28 10–17
7. Chemical reactions and energy flows
Internal energy change vs enthalpy change, PDF, 7 pages, http://goo.gl/t5Odof
Prediciting effect of work on heat, PDF, 9 pages, http://goo.gl/Ay5Qek
 Oct 19 18-25
8. Modelling atoms and their electrons
How 1s becomes 2p, CDF, http://goo.gl/Ac4HGM
Hydrogen atom family album, PDF, 7 pages, http://goo.gl/XPkcxv
Glossary of electron waves in atoms, PDF, 1 pages, http://goo.gl/oACWb1
Shielding in Li 1s2 2s and Li 1s2 2p, PDF, 17 pages, http://goo.gl/hMNPLA		 Nov 6 25-31
10. Modelling bonding in molecules
Bonding in diatomic molecules, PDF, 35 pages, http://goo.gl/1h0S9C
Practice Questions on Symmetry, Overlap, Energy, PDF, 5 pages, http://goo.gl/oYEf3b
Hybrid AO's and polyatomic MO's, PDF, 39 pages, http://goo.gl/6hBD8X		 Nov 30 32-36

Laboratory

The detailed laboratory schedule is here.

The laboratory part of the course will let you see first-hand chemical principles and processes in action. It will also give you experience with some of the methods scientists use to do chemical research. Your laboratory will consist of the following.

  1. Measurement of atoms and molecules in solids, liquids and gases. You will find in experiments the size of atoms and molecules and the empty space between them in solids, liquids and gases.
  2. Chemical composition of inorganic salts. By investigating the behavior of different hydrates you will explore the law of fixed chemical composition. You will see that chemical changes can be reversed and learn how to distinguish chemical substances from physical mixtures. You will also develop the laboratory analysis technique, which allows you to determine in the experiment the molecular formula of the investigated substance and the yield of chemical reactions.
  3. Preparation of solutions. This lab experiment will give you an important experience in solutions' preparation using different laboratory techniques: dissolution, dilution and mixing. You will also learn how to use spectroscopic measurements for the concentration control in solutions.
  4. Qualitative analysis (2 period lab). In the Qualitative Analysis experiment you will investigate various types of chemical reactions (precipitation, acid-base interaction and complexation) and consider their powerful experimental application for chemical separation and analysis of different ions in a mixture.
  5. Chemical thermodynamics: calorimetry (2 period lab). An experimental method called "calorimetry" will be used to study heat effects that accompany physical changes and chemical reactions.
  6. Lecture workshop on spectroscopy. The goal of this workshop is to use spectroscopic measurements to experimentally determine the relationship between the color, frequency and the wavelength of light. In a series of additional experiments with LEDs the relationship between the energy of a quantum of light and its frequency will be revealed and the value of Planck's constant experimentally determined.
  7. Lewis structures and Molecular shapes. Using general concept of Lewis structures and VSEPR method, 3-D shapes of real molecules and their dipole moments will be determined. The lab time will be used to help you in mastering your skills at deducing Lewis structures and became acquainted with various molecular geometries.

Grading

Your scores for each part of the course will always be available to you on Blackboard, at http://goo.gl/LKSSne. Also you will find there the running total of your overall course score, computed as described below. You may use this to compare your performance to the class average.

We do not assign letter grades to exams, labs or quizzes. Your course grade will be determined based on your overall course score. This score is determined as follows:

Contributions to overall course score
  CH101 CH103
Lecture exams 30% 37.50%
Final exam 15% 18.75%
Laboratory 20% 0%
Lecture quizzes 10% 12.50%
Discussion quizzes 15% 18.75%
ALEKS mastery 10% 12.50%

For CH101 students, the lab score counts for 20% of your course grade. The various components of the lab will be graded as follows: The lab experiments (30 points for each lab period), lab quizzes (10 points each), pre-lab lecture quizzes (5 points each), and the lab exam (60 points). Lab quizzes are given at the beginning of each lab to check your familiarity with the basic features of the lab to be done.

No makeup quizzes will be given. A missed discussion quiz countas as 0. The lowest discussion quiz score will be dropped. A missed lab counts as 0. The lowest lab score for one period lab experiment will be dropped. The missed two lab period experiment can be made up at the make up lab week at the end of the semester. If, due to unusual circumstances, such as prolonged illness, you miss more than one lab, please contact Dr. Golger (golger@bu.edu) as soon as possible so that special arrangements can be made to catch up with your work.

CH103 (lecture-only) students will graded based on their relative score for the lecture-only part of the course: Lecture exams count as 30/80 * 100% = 37.50%, the final exam as 15/80 * 100% = 18.75%, lecture quizzes as 10/80 * 100% = 12.50%, discussion quizzes as 15/80 * 100% = 18.75%, and ALEKS as 10/80 * 100% = 12.50%.

There are no fixed percentages of A grades, B grades, etc. Rather, we assign course letter grades based on our assessment of how someone should have performed to receive an A, B, etc. Based on past experience, it is likely that the average grade in the course will be in the C+ range.

Questions about grading

Any question concerning the grading of a lecture exam, quiz, or laboratory report must be brought to the attention of your discussion or laboratory teaching fellow during the class session in which it is returned to you; material will not be accepted for regrading afterwards.

Indicate on the face of the exam, quiz or laboratory report the questions you wish re-graded and your reasons for believing that they were misgraded. The entire work will be re-graded. Be sure you have made no alterations in your work. We occasionally photocopy your graded work as a check. Please note that the penalties for academic misconduct are severe, as detailed in Boston University's Academic Conduct Code,

http://www.bu.edu/cas/students/undergrad-resources/code/

Suggestions for success

Learning chemistry requires persistence, diligence and hard work. We suggest that you plan to spend about 15 hours per week on this course over and above the scheduled class contact hours. If you are willing to devote this time, and you spend it wisely and effectively, you will be able to perform your best. In an effort to provide some more specific guidance, we offer detailed suggestions here:

http://quantum.bu.edu/courses/ch101/help.htm#helpingYourself

The teaching staff will hold tutorial session each week. These and many others resources are detailed at

http://quantum.bu.edu/courses/ch101/help.html

If you have concerns

If you are experiencing difficulty, please come to see your lecture professor or Professor Golger without delay. Often, students in this course perceive that they are doing poorer work than they actually are. Particularly for first-year students, we recognize that it may be difficult for you to judge your academic standing in the course, since we do not use the same type of grading scheme with which you may be familiar from high school. That is why it is important for you to speak to us before making any major decision, such as dropping the course.

If dropping the course appears to be in your best interest, we still would like to work through the decision with you. We are also happy to advise you on appropriate choices for your academic program. If you drop the course by Wednesday, October 7, no record of it will appear on your transcript. After that date, until the end of the day Friday, November 6, you may drop the course but with a W grade (withdrawn). If you must drop the course, note that CH101 will be given during the Spring and Summer sessions of 2016.