Course Syllabus and General Information
| Chemistry 125-E | Instructor: Dr. Frank M. Dunnivant |
| Fall, 2008 | 344 Hall of Science |
| MTTh 11:00-11:50 | dunnivfm@whitman.edu |
| www.whitman.edu/~dunnivfm | |
| 526-4751 |
***Lab: This week (TWTh) come at 1:00 to view the safety video in S242.
Text and Supplies:
A lot of scientists and educators think of chemistry as the central science; what do you think we mean by this? Think about it as we go through the course.
Chapters, Topics, and Time Table:
It is impossible for me to give you a day-by-day schedule and even if I could I'm sure that we would break the schedule in the first week. We will proceed at a pace determined by the needs of the class but we will cover the same material as the other sections. Our only limitation is that we must cover the following chapters in order for you to be ready for next semester.
TO BE SCHEDULED EXAMS:
YOU WILL BE GIVEN AT LEAST A ONE-WEEK NOTICE BEFORE EACH EXAM; exams will be given on an untimed basis on selected Friday afternoons, usually from 12:00 to 4:00.
Text Chapter Topics
Syllabus and General Information
Virtual Grade Book
Class Etiquette
1 Introduction: Matter and Measurement
2 Atoms and Elements
3 Molecules, Compounds, and Chemical Equations
4 Chemical Quantities and Aqueous Reactions
First Exam: Chapters 1-4 (Old Exams from a Different Textbook: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008; Sorry but I no longer have keys to these)
5 Gases
6 Thermochemistry I
17 Thermo II: Free Energy and Thermodynamics
7 Quantum-Mechanical Model of the Atom
Second Exam: Chapters 5, 6, & 17 (Old Exams from a Different Textbook: 2003, 2004, 2005 was lost, 2006, no 2007, 2008; Sorry but I no longer have keys to these)
8 Periodic Properties of the Elements
9 Chemical Bonding I: Lewis Theory
10 Chemical Bonding II: Molecular Shape, Valence Bond Theory, and Molecular Orbital Theory
Third Exam: Chapters 8-10 (Old Exams from a Different Textbook: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006; no 2007, 2008; Sorry but I no longer have keys to these)
Prior to 2007, I give a fourth exam and some of the topics are covered in our current textbook: Exams from 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 (again no keys are available). NOTE some of this material will not be covered until next semester; if we did not cover it then it will probably not be on your final exam.
Special Lecture: "Natural and Human Caused Global Warming" as time permits
Review as time permits
FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2:00-4:00 pm.
This will be a one to three hour COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM. The final exam is scheduled by the registrar. The schedule is published well in advance of the final and I cannot change this. Therefore it is your responsibility to plan accordingly as there are strict limitations set by the College on exceptions to the final exam schedule.
Lectures: When needed, additional lecture material (Your Turn Problems) will be posted on my home page or handed out in class. My homepage is posted at http://www.whitman.edu/~dunnivfm. The purpose of posting my lectures and handing out the crucial lecture material IS to allow you to listen to the lecture and class discussion without having to frantically copy the material on an overhead. It IS NOT to allow you to skip class and assume that you can learn everything from the posted lectures. As you will see, everything that we do in class is not posted on the web. As students ask questions, we will go off on tangents from the main subject, and these tangential subjects will be covered on the exams. If poor attendance becomes a problem, I will start giving pop quizzes (in addition to the Tuesday quizzes). Please bring the printed handouts to every class since we will proceed at a pace that assumes that you have the notes. If needed, I will have a recitation on Friday during out class time.
Weekly Tutoring Session: There will student-led tutoring sessions on most weeknights; I will notify you of this schedule. The location will probably be the chalkboard area on second floor at the top of the stairs of the new wing. This will not be a lecture. It is designed to give you an unlimited opportunity to ask questions, but you must come with specific problems to work.
Attendance: Prompt attendance is expected at every class meeting. NO CELL PHONES!
Missed Exams: There will be no make-ups for missed exams unless you have a documented illness (a note from a doctor or health clinic) or a death in your immediate family and I am notified one full day before the exam (this does not mean an e-mail during the missed class). Athletes may make arrangements if they must be away, but only if (1) this is done well in advance, (2) the absence is due to a game, not a practice, and finally (3) any make-up requires my pre-approval. Monday quizzes can be made up only on my approval (and a three day prior notification; on Friday before the Monday exam).
Quizzes: Every Monday, at the beginning of class, there will be a 5-10 minute quiz. The material covered on the quiz will be taken from material covered during the week before. These will be graded on a basis of 1 to 10, with a score of 10 being perfect. The purpose of these quizzes is not to overburden you will studying, but to let me know if I am clearly covering the material (on a weekly basis). These quizzes will also let you know what I think is important and give you an idea of what type of questions will be on the hourly and final exams. In the past, students have commented that these weekly quizzes are one of the best ways to keep up with the material.
Ungraded Homework: Homework problems from the text will be given out but not taken up or graded. This does not mean that you do not have to do it. Hourly quizzes will be directly based on homework, therefore if you can do the homework then you can do well on the quizzes, therefore you will do well on the hourly exams, therefore you will do well on the final exam, and therefore I will not see you again in this course next year. Keep up with these homework exercises in every chapter and youÕll do well in the course.
Office Hours: I generally keep an open door policy; if you can find me I will help you. However please respect my "quite office hours" when I am preparing for class. Most afternoons are great times to catch me in room 341 (my large lab across from my office). On Tuesday afternoons I have a laboratory, but you are welcome to stop by and see if I have time to answer questions. Friday is also a good time to catch me when I am conducting research with students. Special times can be arranged by appointment.
Overall Grading: Grades will be based on the following basis:
Item Points
Three-hour exams (short answer, discussion, & problems) 300
Monday Quizzes (based on 13 quizzes) 130
Final exam 200
Total 630
The above represents an approximate breakdown. I reserve the right as instructor to take into account attendance, effort, participation, and overall professionalism in my final grade evaluation. This has pleasantly affected several grades in the past.
You can constantly check the status of your grade, if you choose to participate in the "virtual grade book" on my home page. I encourage you to do this since I am also capable of making mistakes and if you have access to your grades you can call the error to my attention.
Academic Integrity/Honesty Policy: A very clear policy is given in your student handbook. I adhere to the College's policy of Academic Honesty, which you have or will sign in the present of your advisor. This means that cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty, as defined in the policy, will not be permitted in this class and that the penalties stated in the policy will apply. Cheating of any type (on quizzes or exams, conducting dry labs, or when the lab reports of two students are too similar) will guarantee you a trip to the Dean's office and depending on the severity of the offense, an ÒFÓ in the class and expulsion from college.
Exam Schedule: It is difficult to fairly evaluate your knowledge of the material in an hourly exam. Remembering back to my college years, I always hated timed exams since they add an unneeded (and unwanted) element of pressure. Therefore, with the classes consent, I will be giving the exams on Fridays in the Hall of ScienceÕs classrooms. The schedule is subject to change given student feedback, but exams can be taken from 12:00 to 4:00 on selected Friday afternoons. They will consist of discussion, short answer, true/false, and mathematical problems. Exams will be prepared as a one-hour test (if you perfectly understand the material), but you may have the complete four-hour period.
Keys to Earning A Good Grade:
- use multiple forms of learning as discussed in class
- come to every class
- read the textbook
- work the suggested homework problems in the text
- come to the tutors (or me) for help when you do not understand something