CHE 221 - General Chemistry I SUNY Cortland, Spring 2011

CHE 221 - General Chemistry I
SUNY Cortland, Spring 2011
Lecture: MWF 1:50 P.M. – 2:40 P.M. Sperry 205
Instructor: Gail Buckenmeyer
Office: Bowers 39
E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: MW 3:00 - 4:00 P.M., Tues 11:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M., or by appointment
Course Description:
Chemistry 221 is designed to be an introduction to the fundamental principles of general,
physical, and analytical chemistry. Students planning a career in chemistry, physics, astronomy,
earth sciences, life sciences, engineering, medicine, or health and/or exercise sciences will find
the materials covered in this class useful and possibly necessary for further study.
Chemistry is called the “Central Science”. You can see chemistry all around you every day.
Chemistry is governed by certain physical laws and logical processes. It is the goal of all
chemistry department personnel to help you understand these processes fundamentally, as
well as recognizing the inherently logical nature of chemistry.
Specific Goals:
 To gain a basic understanding of the underlying principles of general chemistry.
 To learn how chemistry plays a role in our everyday life.
 To gain a better understanding of how chemistry plays a central role in most other sciences.
 To learn to effectively use numbers and units to convey scientific data.
 To gain experience working with chemicals in a wet chemistry lab
 To learn how to collect meaningful data.
 To learn basic nomenclature of organic and inorganic molecules.
 To be able to characterize simple reactions.
 To learn the basic principles of oxidation – reduction reactions
 To gain an understanding of chemical bonding.
 To acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Text and Materials:
(required) Zumdahl & Zumdahl, Chemistry (6th, 7th, or 8th edition). A soft-cover custom version
of the 8th edition is available in the campus store
(required) Custom version of Laboratory Manual for Principles of General Chemistry, Beran, 9th ed.
(required) Approved lab notebook and safety goggles
(optional) Student Study Guide and Student Solutions Manual to accompany the Zumdahl text
Course Policies:
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Lecture
The class meets for lectures on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the assigned time in
Sperry 205. The format will consist of lecture, demonstration, and discussion; you must also
register for one laboratory period (4 credit course).
In addition, you are strongly encouraged to sign up for CHE 224 Problem-Solving (1 credit),
which meets once a week to complete problems in a small group setting with instructor
guidance. It is graded on effort and attendance is pass/fail.
You are also advised to attend Supplemental Instruction (SI) which begins week 3. Further
details as well as times and location will be presented by the student SI instructor during
lecture (week 2).
Attendance in lectures is strongly encouraged. It will not count against you if you are absent,
however, you are responsible for all material covered in class whether you attend or not. It
may be necessary to change the date of an exam or quiz. All changes will be discussed in
class prior to the date in question. You will be responsible for all date changes announced in
class.
The textbook and supplemental books are designed to aid you in learning chemistry. Exam
questions will come from the textbooks, laboratories, lectures, and hand-outs. Reading the
text for detail and understanding as well as working through the example problems
independently before viewing the solution is a key element for success in the course.
Supplemental material will be posted on Blackboard and updated as new topics are
introduced.
Online homework problems will be assigned for each chapter through the Sapling Learning
site (see instructions on Blackboard for enrolling). It is your responsibility to make sure that
you understand the homework. You are strongly encouraged to form study groups to help
make sure the material is understood.
There will be three exams and a final exam. The exams may consist of both multiple choice and
word problems.
Programmable calculators and cell phone calculators will not be allowed on tests or quizzes; a
basic scientific calculator capable of displaying numbers in scientific notation and calculating
logarithms is sufficient for this course and should be brought to class daily. It is a good idea to
purchase a basic scientific calculator now so you are familiar with it prior to testing.
Make-up work is difficult to arrange and unfair to the people that are prepared on time. If
you know that you will be absent for an exam, please see me at least one week in advance. If
you become ill, please contact me (by email or telephone) prior to or on the exam date.
Please be on time, avoid distractions in class and be respectful to others at all times. Please
turn off cell phones or put them on silent mode and refrain from texting. In addition,
headphones and other electronic devices will not be allowed.
You must check your Cortland email address on a regular basis (or have your Cortland email
forwarded to your regular account.) Failure to receive communications via Blackboard or
email is not an excuse for missing assignments, exams, etc.
There will be times for giving feedback on the effectiveness of the course materials. Please
plan on participating and giving your honest feedback. I want to make this the best science
class you have ever taken and only you can help me make this happen.
Laboratory
1) You must complete all the labs and lab reports in order to obtain credit for the class. A single
unexcused absence means that you will fail the class.
2) If you know you are going to miss a lab or have missed a lab due to sickness that you can
document you must contact me by email (cc: your lab instructor) and we will discuss your situation.
3) Laboratories begin the first week of classes.
4) You must purchase a pair of approved chemical splash-protective goggles that must be worn
at all times when in the lab. Goggles are not available to borrow from the chemistry department.
Failure to wear goggles can result in expulsion from the lab. If you come to lab without goggles,
you will need to leave and return with some.
5) If you come to lab not dressed according to the safety code, you will also be asked to leave and
return when dressed appropriately.
6) Gloves are needed for certain experiments. Gloves are no longer provided but can be purchased
in the campus store.
7) You will be asked to sign a form that indicates you have read, understand and agree to abide
by all the safety policies. You must sign the form in order to be allowed to work in the lab.
Failure to obey all safety rules may lead to expulsion from the laboratory and/or receiving little
or no credit for laboratory work. In spite of precautions, it may be possible for an accident to
occur. No matter how small the accident, please report it immediately to the lab instructor. The
SUNY Cortland Laboratory Safety Manual will be posted on Blackboard.
8) If you are working with a piece of laboratory equipment you must be trained to use it as well
as follow all safety rules associated with the equipment. If you are ever not certain about a
piece of equipment, please speak to your lab instructor.
9) All data must be recorded in a well-organized laboratory notebook.
10) You must complete the pre-lab assignments prior to being admitted to the laboratory.
11) A detailed laboratory schedule will be provided in lab.
12) Laboratory reports that are more than one day late will not be accepted for point credit, but
must be submitted for credit for the course.
13) Your lab instructor will have additional policies and procedures for you to follow.
Final Grades
Your grade will be determined by the components given below. Final grades will be calculated
based on percentage as follows: A: ≥ 90.0%; B: ≥ 80.0%; C: ≥ 70.0%; D: ≥ 60.0%. Incompletes will
be issued only when an unforeseen calamity prevents completion of some major aspect of the
course. The instructor reserves the right to adjust the grading scale or weights, and use +/modifiers on letter grades, as necessary.
35% Midterm Exams (3 exams)
15% Online Homework
25% Final Exam
25% Laboratory (total lab grade, as determined by your lab instructor, normed)
TOTAL 100%
GRADE = (lab average)(0.25) + (homework average)(0.15) + (midterm average)(0.35) + (final
exam)(0.25)
This formula can be used at any time during the semester to determine your standing in the
course. It is your responsibility to keep track of your grade. Grades will be posted to Blackboard
at several points throughout the semester.
Academic Honesty: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students are expected to
perform their own work on tests, quizzes, and in any written material submitted. In the case of
lab reports, although data is collected with a partner, written summaries and explanations must
reflect an individual effort. Academic dishonesty will be dealt with in accordance with university
policy:
The College is an academic community whose mission is to promote scholarship through
the acquisition, preservation and transmission of knowledge. Fundamental to this goal is
the institution's dedication to academic integrity. Providing an atmosphere that
promotes honesty and the free exchange of ideas is the essence of academic integrity. In
this setting all members of the institution have an obligation to uphold high intellectual
and ethical standards. Students must recognize that their role in their education is active;
they are responsible for their own learning. Specifically, it is the responsibility of
students to protect their own work from inappropriate use by others and to protect the
work of other people by providing proper citation of ideas and research findings to the
appropriate source.
(SUNY Cortland Handbook, §340.01, Statement of Academic Integrity)
Accommodation of Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and wish to
request accommodations, please contact the Office of Student Disability Services located in B40 Van Hoesen Hall or call (607) 753-2066 for an appointment. Information regarding your
disability will be treated in a confidential manner. Because many accommodations require
early planning, requests for accommodations should be made as early as possible.
Course Schedule: (Subject to Change)
Week of
Jan 24
Jan 31
Feb 7
Feb 14
Feb 21
Feb 28
Mar 7
Mar 14
Mar 21
Mar 28
Apr 4
Apr 11
Apr 18
Apr 25
May 2
May 9
Mon, May 16
Topic
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
SPRING
BREAK
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Exams
Wed Feb 16, Chapters 1 & 2
Wed Mar 9, Chapters 3 & 4
Mon Apr 18, Chapters 5-7
Final Exam 1:00-3:00 PM
Students majoring in Adolescence Education: Chemistry 7-12 will focus on acquiring knowledge
and developing skills aligned with learning outcomes from the College's Conceptual Framework
for Teacher Education and those established by the National Science Teachers Association. In
particular, this course addresses Conceptual Framework Learning Outcome 2: Possess in-depth
knowledge of the subject area to be taught; Conceptual Framework Learning Outcome 13:
Demonstrate sufficient technology skills and the ability to integrate technology into classroom
teaching/learning; NSTA Standard I: Content; NSTA; Standard 2: Nature of Science; NSTA
Standard 3: Inquiry; NSTA Standard 4: Issues; and NSTA Standard 7: Science in the Community.