CHEM 207:05  General Chemistry I - Fall 2010

Class meets MW 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm in SN 21.       

I.        General Information

      Instructor:         Dr. Lisa S. Park-Gehrke, aka Dr. Park

      Office:               Snyder 34

      Email:               lparkgeh@shepherd.edu

      Instructor’s Web site:  http://webpages.shepherd.edu/lparkgeh/

      Course Web site: on Sakai

      Office Hours:    Monday 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Tuesday 9:00 am – 10:00 am, Wednesday 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Thursday: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Friday: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm.  I am also very happy to arrange office hours by appointment.

                               Please come to my office hours – in Snyder 34.  I love talking about how to think about chemistry and solve chemistry problems!!

II.   Course Description

General Chemistry (CHEM 207) is a three-credit course that serves as an introduction to modern chemistry for students who have had a previous chemistry course either in high school or college.    The course provides a basis for, and is a prerequisite for, advanced courses in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology.  This course, along with CHEM 207L, CHEM 209, and CHEM 209L fulfills the Shepherd University General Studies requirement for eight credits in the Life or Physical Sciences. 

Specifically this course addresses the following General Studies intended student outcomes:

2.3 Understand cause and effect relationships

2.4 Understand basic scientific concepts and methods

3.5 Utilize tools such as charts, graphs, and equations to represent functional relationships     and explain their meaning.

The general topics covered include atomic and molecular structure, periodic properties of the elements, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, chemical reactivity, thermochemistry and the structure and properties of gases, liquids and solids.

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III.  Textbooks/Materials

Chemistry, A Molecular Approach, N. J. Tro, Prentice Hall, 1^st ed. (2008)

ISBN-10:  013000659, ISBN-13: 978-013000650

If you are taking the Chem 120 lab (Chem 120L), the lab manual is available in the bookstore.

Students will also need a basic scientific, non-programmable calculator that can perform exponential and logarithmic (log and ln) functions, such as a Texas Instruments TI-30Xa. Graphing calculators and cell phones will not be allowed during quizzes and exams! 

IV.  Course Requirements/Attendance

    Attendance and classroom conduct:  The lecture meets for 75 min, MW.  This is not a lot of time – so distractions must be kept to a minimum.  Therefore, cell phones and other distracting devices should be turned off and put away during class.  It is advisable that you attend every lecture, as it has been shown that those who do not attend course lectures often fare worse than their classmates.  I reserve the right to give pop quizzes at the beginning of class, to ensure that people attend, and arrive on time. 

Lecture Notes:  Students may obtain lecture notes, exam study guides, additional practice problems, and other resources from our class Website. Students are required to download and print lecture notes for each chapter from the class Website. One of my focuses as an instructor is to provide as much extra practice material as I can.  I try to find lots of practice problems for you – because in chemistry, practice is the key to understanding, and to success!

    Homework: The student is responsible for reading the assigned chapters and working the in-chapter exercises and end-of-chapter problems assigned (listed at the beginning of each section of lecture notes). Please note: the assigned homework problems and the worksheets are very similar to the types of problems you will see on quizzes and exams. Homework must be turned in and only selected problems will be graded.  However, it is critical to your success in this class to complete the homework assignments.  Homework keys will provide solutions to the homework problems so that you can check your methods.

Take-home and In-class Worksheets: We will work through problems together, and independently, in class.  I will sometimes give you worksheets to complete at home and bring back the following day.  We will discuss the take-home problems as a class so that you get feedback on your problem-solving skills.  Some worksheets will be worth points for completion and effort.  These are critical learning tools!  I want you to learn!  J

Quizzes: Quizzes will be given in class to review previously covered material.  You will be allowed to drop your lowest quiz score.  Quiz dates are on the CHEM 207 schedule. Make-up quizzes will ONLY be allowed for excused absences (e.g. illness with a doctor’s note) as determined by the instructor. The instructor’s decision regarding make-up quizzes is final. 

Exams: Three midterm exams will be given (see CHEM 207 Schedule for exam dates). Make-up exams will ONLY be allowed for excused absences (e.g. illness with a doctor’s note) as determined by the instructor. The instructor’s decision regarding make-up exams is final.

Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive and will cover all material presented during the term. The final exam will be given on the assigned date according to the Final Exam Schedule.

Extra Credit:  You will have one opportunity to turn in an extra credit assignment, worth 2% of the total points in the course.  The extra credit assignment will consist of a “Special Topics” 2-page paper that relates a chemistry topic that you have learned about in class to an item or principle that you encounter in every day life.  For example, we will learn about electrolytes.  You might be interested in doing some research (internet or library) on electrolytes in sports drinks – to evaluate the electrolytes used.  Or, you might be interested in fuels, and you might choose to write a short paper about the chemical properties of fuels, and what makes some better than others.  You MUST have your topic approved by me before you submit the paper, or I will not accept it. 

          V.  Grading/Evaluation

            The course grade will be determined from the following:

            Homework/Worksheets 10%      Quizzes: 15%     Midterm Exams: 40%        Final Exam: 35%

An "A" is given to the student who obtains 87.5% or more of the (required) points possible for the course, a "B" if he/she is within the next 12.5% bracket, and so on.

The last day to change a course from Credit to Pass/Fail is Aug 27.  The last day to change a course from Credit to Audit is Sept 3.  The last day to withdraw from the course is Nov 5.

VI.   General Policies

Taping Policy: Audio-taping is allowed for personal use only.

Pager/Cellular Phone Policy:  Pagers and cellular phones must be off/silent during class.

Academic Honesty (taken from the Student Handbook): Cheating is a violation of academic integrity and cannot be tolerated. Examples of cheating include copying from another student’s paper or test, receiving information from a student who has already taken a test, giving a student information about a test, and falsifying a report. Another form of cheating is plagiarism, which involves using someone else’s ideas or words without giving credit. If you quote material, you must use quotation marks and an appropriate citation. If you paraphrase material, then you must use an appropriate citation.

A student found cheating will receive a “0” for the assignment or test and will be reported to the Dean of Student Affairs for discipline. Such discipline may include a Restorative Action Plan (as described in the Student Handbook) or dismissal, as determined by the Dean of Student Affairs. If you are aware of cheating or plagiarism, you should report it to the professor immediately.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Any student with special needs must bring documentation to the Disability Support Services (DSS) office on the campus before any academic adjustments will be made. Any contacts and/or information will remain strictly confidential.  The DSS office is in the student center, room 216.

Tutoring and Study Skills: Tutors are available to assist you. Please contact the tutoring center, located at the Academic Support Center on the first floor of Scarborough Library.  http://www.shepherd.edu/ascweb/.

Learn about lifelong, better study habits and skills by asking around – ask the professor, fellow students, and the chemistry tutors how they became successful.

Disclaimer:     Course content may vary from this outline to meet the class’ needs.

CHEM 207: Lecture Schedule for Fall 2010