Topics in General Chemistry Chemistry 103 Fall 2017 Instructor: Professor Oertel, N280 Science Center, 775-8989, catherine.oertel@oberlin.edu Class meeting: MWF 11-11:50 am, Science Center A255 Laboratory meeting: M 1:30-4:30 pm, Science Center N284 Office hours: Wednesday 1:30-2:30 pm, Thursday 11:00 am-noon Course overview: Chemistry is concerned with the atomic-level structure of matter and the transformations that it undergoes. In Chemistry 103, we will begin the semester by discussing the structure of the atom and structures and bonding in molecules. We will then move on to address chemical reactions from the perspectives of equilibrium, thermodynamics, and kinetics. The course is designed for students who have had strong preparation in high school. The primary learning goals for this course are for you to: apply multiple models to describe structure and bonding in molecules develop qualitative and quantitative understanding of chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, and kinetics become skilled at setting up and solving problems in chemistry gain experience and confidence in laboratory work Required textbooks: Gilbert, Kirss, Foster, Chemistry, W. W. Norton, 1 st edition, 2014 (ISBN 978-0393912340). For the thermodynamics unit, we will use Entropy Analysis by N.C. Craig, which is published locally. It is available for purchase in the chem/biochem office (Science Center A263). In addition, please purchase a laboratory notebook, safety goggles, and the Chem 103 laboratory manual at the office. Office hours: I will be available for questions and discussion in my office on Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30 pm and Thursdays from 11:00 am-noon. Please feel free to make an appointment if these hours do not fit your schedule. Laboratory: The Chem 103 laboratory will meet on Monday afternoons from 1:30-4:30 pm in Science Center N284. The first laboratory session will be Monday, August 28. The laboratory experiments will complement the material being covered in class, and attendance and prompt arrival each week are very important. Make-up laboratories will be possible only in the case of documented absences for illness, religious observance, or emergency circumstances. Please note that vacation travel plans will not serve as a reason for rescheduling a lab. If you know that you will need to miss a lab, please let the lab instructor know as soon as possible so that you can schedule a make-up session. If you miss a laboratory session without making arrangements ahead of time, you will not receive credit for that week s experiment. Drop-in tutoring: Beyond office hours, there are additional sources of help on course content, problem sets, and lab reports. Beginning soon after the start of classes, the Quantitative Skills Center will be open for drop-in tutoring in the Science Center and in Mudd 052. Both locations are open Sunday Thursday from 7-11 pm. In addition, upperclass chemistry and biochemistry majors offer drop-in tutoring, with times to be announced once they become available.
Quizzes and exams: In-class exams are scheduled for September 25, October 25, and November 29. Twenty-minute in-class quizzes will be given on September 8 and November 10. The two-hour final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13, from 9:00-11:00 am. Graded quizzes and exams taken during the semester will be returned to you no more than one week later. Make-up quizzes and exams will be possible only in the case of documented absences for illness, religious observance, or emergency circumstances. If you know that you will need to miss a quiz or exam for one of these reasons, please let me know as soon as you can so that we can schedule a make-up. Please note that vacation travel plans will not serve as a reason for rescheduling a quiz or exam. If you skip a quiz or exam without making arrangements ahead of time, a make-up for full credit will not be possible. Please see me before the first quiz if you have a documented disability and receive accommodation for testing. Homework: Problem sets will be handed out most Fridays to be due the following Friday. See the calendar at the end of this syllabus for specific due dates. Completing and understanding the homework problems is one of the most important things that you can do to learn the course material and prepare for exams. You are encouraged to take advantage of office hours in working through these assignments. You may also find it helpful to work with other members of the class. Problem sets will be awarded a +(3 points), (2 points), or -(1 point). Once graded problem sets are returned, solutions will be available on Blackboard. Since problem sets will be graded largely for completeness and effort and not correctness, it is your responsibility to check that you have solved problems correctly by using the posted answer key. Homework will be due at the beginning of class on the indicated due date. Late homework assignments will not be accepted. However, because I realize that circumstances arise that can make completing an assignment difficult, I will automatically drop your lowest homework grade for the semester in figuring your final grade. Laptops and other electronic devices: Due to the graphical and equation-rich nature of chemistry, pen and paper are more effective note-taking tools than laptops, phones, or tablets. To reduce distractions for you, your classmates, and me, please keep all electronic devices silenced and put away during class unless we are using computers for a group activity. If you have a documented disability that requires that you use a device for note-taking, please come to see me to discuss an accommodation. For quizzes and exams, you will need a calculator with the capability to enter numbers in scientific notation and handle logarithms and trigonometric values. A graphing calculator may be used but is not required. For tests and quizzes, your calculator should have all memory cleared. Your phone cannot serve as your calculator. Evaluation: Grades in Chem 103 will be determined based on the following components: two quizzes (5% each), three exams (15% each), final exam (25%), laboratory (15%), homework (5%). Honor Code: The Honor Code will be observed for all graded work in Chem 103, including quizzes, exams, problem sets, and lab reports. In order to receive credit for work, you must write and sign the
Honor Pledge: I affirm that I have adhered to the Honor Code in this assignment. You are permitted and in fact encouraged to work with classmates on problem sets and lab reports, but be aware that copying of another student s assignment or allowing another student to copy yours is an Honor Code violation. An Honor Code violation sometimes occurs when a student is working close to a deadline and feels panicked about completing an assignment or preparing for a quiz or exam. Good time management is one way to prevent this. In addition, it is always better to talk with the instructor, ask for help, and even to complete an assignment late. Losing a few points for a late assignment is much better than engaging in academic dishonesty. Materials available on Blackboard: In addition to homework, quiz, and exam solutions, copies of all class handouts (including this syllabus) will be available on Blackboard.
Schedule of Topics and Assignments Most reading assignments are from Gilbert, Kirss, and Foster Chemistry (GKF). Readings for the thermodynamics unit come from Craig Entropy Analysis (EA). You may do the reading assignments either before or after the associated classes. Topics are divided into four main units: atomic structure and chemical bonding (AS), equilibrium (EQ), thermodynamics (TH), and kinetics (KN). Class Dates Unit Main Topics Associated Reading Due 1 M 8/28 AS electromagnetic spectrum, atomic energy levels 3.1-3.4 2 W 8/30 AS wavefunctions, quantum numbers 3.5-3.6 3 F 9/1 AS orbitals, nodes 3.7 PS 1 M 9/4 No class Labor Day 4 W 9/6 AS electron configurations 3.8-3.9 5 F 9/8 AS bonding types, Quiz 1 4.1-4.2, 4.4 6 M 9/11 AS Lewis structures, molecular structures 4.3, 4.6-4.9 7 W 9/13 AS VSEPR model, hybridization 5.1-5.6 8 F 9/15 AS hybridization (con d), molecular orbital model 5.7 PS 2 9 M 9/18 AS molecular orbital model, con d 5.7 10 W 9/20 AS molecular orbital model, con d handout 11 F 9/22 EQ reaction types, equilibrium 8.4-8.6, 16.2, 14.1-14.2 PS 3 M 9/25 Exam 1 (covers classes 1-10) 12 W 9/27 EQ equilibrium constants, reaction quotients 14.3-14.6 13 F 9/29 EQ LeChâtelier s principle 14.7 14 M 10/2 EQ equilibrium calculations 14.8 15 W 10/4 EQ acids and bases, ph calculations 15.1-15.4 16 F 10/6 EQ ph in basic solutions, polyprotic acids 15.5 PS 4 17 M 10/9 EQ polyprotic acids (con d), common ion effect, 15.6-15.8 buffers 18 W 10/11 EQ buffers (con d), indicators, titrations 15.9 19 F 10/13 EQ titrations (con d), K sp 15.10 PS 5
10/14- No classes Fall Break 10/22 20 M 10/23 EQ energy transactions, first law of thermodynamics EA pgs. 1-13 W 10/25 Exam 2 (covers classes 11-19) 21 F 10/27 TH enthalpy, calorimetry EA pgs. 15-24 22 M 10/30 TH enthalpy (con d), Hess s Law EA pgs. 30-32 23 W 11/1 TH enthalpy approximations, entropy, second law of EA pgs. 24-29, 37-42 thermodynamics 24 F 11/3 TH entropy diagrams, third law of thermodynamics, EA pgs. 42-51 PS 6 molar entropies 25 M 11/6 TH microscopic view of entropy EA pgs. 67-75 26 W 11/8 TH microscopic view of entropy (con d) EA pgs. 75-81 F 11/10 TH Quiz 2, short class 27 M 11/13 TH entropy of mixing EA pgs. 86-94 28 W 11/15 TH Gibbs energy function EA pgs. 99-110 29 F 11/17 TH D r G o and K, review redox chemistry EA pgs. 116-121, GKF 17.1 PS 7 30 M 11/20 TH electrochemical cells 17.2-17.5 31 W 11/22 TH the Nernst equation, applications 17.6-17.9 F 11/24 No class Thanksgiving Break 32 M 11/27 KN reaction rates, rate laws 13.1-pg. 556 W 11/29 Exam 3 (covers classes 20-31) 33 F 12/1 KN integrated rate laws pgs. 556-567 34 M 12/4 KN the Arrhenius equation 13.4 35 W 12/6 KN reaction mechanisms 13.5 36 F 12/8 KN reaction mechanisms (con d), catalysis 13.6 PS 8 FINAL EXAM, Wednesday, December 13, 9-11 am (classes 32-36 and cumulative)