Chemistry 145 Syllabus

Fall 2008
CHEM 145
General Chemistry I

Dr. S.E. Van Bramer
Kirkbride 465
499-4516
svanbram@science.widener.edu 		Office Hours
Mon 10:00-10:50
Mon 1:00-1:50
Wed 10:00-10:50
Thu 2:00-2:50
Fri 10:00-10:50

Textbook

  1. Required Text:
    1. Kotz, J.; Treichel, P.; Townsend, J Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity 7th ed.; Thomson, 2008.
    2. Banks, A. Student Solutions Manual; Thomson, 2006.
  2. Supplemental Text:
    1. Townsend, J. Student Study Guide; Thomson, 2006.

Course Description:

CHEM 145 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (FORMERLY FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY I) This is the first semester of a two semester introductory chemistry sequence for science, engineering, and pre-med programs. Topics include elements, atomic structure, molecular structure, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, gases, liquids, and solids. Prerequisite: High school chemistry or permission of the instructor; MATH 101 or satisfactory performance on the Mathematics Place-ment Test. Corequisite: CHEM 147. 3 hours lecture. 1 hour recitation. 3 semester hours

Course Goals:

Schedule:

Lecture is scheduled for Mon, Wed, Fri. Recitation/Quiz is scheduled for Tuesday. For a detailed list of topics, see the course web page at: http://science.widener.edu/~svanbram/chem145/chem145.html

The typical student should expect to spend 12 hours a week studying for this class. "How to make the grade in chemistry" is a collection of comments about what it takes to succeed in this class.

Cheating and Plagiarism:

Cheating and Plagiarism will not be tolerated and are grounds for FAILURE in the course. The University's policy on cheating and other forms of academic fraud will be strictly enforced. When in doubt about what is acceptable, ask the instructor. You will do some work in small groups and interaction is strongly encouraged in this setting. You, however, are ultimately responsible for the material. Working together on homework problems is acceptable, but you must reference other people's ideas. Quiz's and Exams must be your own work. You are allowed to use a calculator and a pen or pencil for quizzes and exams. No other materials are allowed. For additional information read "What is Plagiarism". A copy of the appeal procedure for student academic grievances is available in the Science Division office.

Attendance:

You are expected to attend lecture and quiz sections. Lecture will supplement the textbook and a significant amount of time is spent working problems. Attendance is taken to enforce university attendance policies. Poor attendance is the most common cause of failure in this course.

Grading:

If you have a disability that may require assistance or accommodation, or you have questions related to any assistance or accomidations, please speak with me or contact the Enable office at x1266.

+/- grades are used. Your grade is based upon performance on the following:

  1. 110 pts. 11 Homework sets. There are two parts to each homework set. The first part are problems from the textbook. The second part is the problem set available on the web. Each part is worth 5 points. Late work will result in a loss of points. Late work will not be accepted after work has been returned.
  2. 100 pts. 10 Quizzes. There will be a short quiz on Tuesday each week.
  3. 50 pts. Research Paper.
  4. 20 pts. Current Events Report.
  5. 400 pts. Exams. There will be four exams during the semester. The schedule is given below. These exams are cumulative in coverage.
    Exam Schedule
    Exam 1 September 23
    Exam 2 October 14
    Exam 3 November 11
    Exam 4 December 2
  6. 200 pts. Final Exam. A comprehensive final exam will be given durring finals week. Date to be announced.

Make Up Exams and quizzes:

  1. If you have advance notice of an absence you must make arrangements with the instructor before the exam is given. Failure to do so will result in a ZERO for the exam.
  2. If you are unable to take an exam and do not have advance notice you must have an acceptable and documented excuse, be prepared to document your absence, and contact the instructor before the next class meeting.
  3. Late, undocumented or unacceptable absences result in a zero on the quiz or exam.
  4. If a makeup exam is given, your grade will be the LOWEST of the following:
    1. Your score for the makeup exam or quiz.
    2. Your class weighted average for the final.

Office Hours:

I will be available in my office during scheduled office hours. Any changes in my schedule will be posted on my office door and on the Web site. At other times I am happy to help you, if I have time. Feel free to call or e-mail and make an appointment if you need extra help. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions and seek help early. Chemistry is challenging. When you do not understand something, ask.

WWW:

Supplementary course material and a listing of topics is posted on the WWW http://science.widener.edu/~svanbram. Any updates to the course Syllabus will be posted here. In addition the site includes; lecture notes, solutions to homework problems, solutions to problem sets, links to interesting sources on the Web, handouts, multimedia resources, and reading guides. Spend some time using this site and becoming familiar with the resources available. If you have your own computer, see the instructor for more information about how to use helper applications.

CD-ROM

A CD-ROM accompanies the textbook.

Chemistry Now

The Publisher's website for the textbook. This includes all the content on the CD-ROM and lots more. It is an excellent resource IF YOU USE IT. http://now.brookscole.com/kotz6e/

E-Mail:

Each student has access to e-mail through Campus Cruiser. As soon as you have your account send an e-mail message to me at: svanbram@science.widener.edu. You may also send e-mail to me through Campus Cruiser. I check my account often (including evenings and weekends) and will respond as soon as possible.

Current Events Report

Starting the third week of the semester, each Tuesday class period will begin with two or students presenting their current events report. You will each do one report. Additional details are available on the course website.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry Research Paper

You will write a 1-2 page report on a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Each student will select a different award. A sign-up sheet will be available on the door of my office. This paper should include the historic context of the discovery, information about the laurieats, outline the chemistry involved, and discuss the current significance of the work. You must use multiple resources and verify all information. Do not plagiarize. Do not copy and paste. Be careful that you don't just paraphrase your sources. You should be able to write the paper without continually referring to the reference. Set it aside and write from your head. That will ensure that the words are yours and that there is no confusion. It will also do a better job of showing how well you understand what you are writing about. When you keep the reference open and continually look at it while you write, you don't show what you know. The timeline for this project is as follows:
  1. October 1, Select an award (sign-up on office door)
  2. October 11, Resource list due (e-mail to Dr. Van Bramer, 5:00 pm EST)
  3. November 3, Draft of report due, 5:00 pm EST
  4. November 24, Final report due, 5:00 pm EST
This page is maintained by
Scott Van Bramer
Department of Chemistry
Widener University
Chester, PA 19013

Please send any comments, corrections, or suggestions to svanbram@science.widener.edu.

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Last Updated 8/28/2007