CHEM 110  Summer
Home Page

Instructors

Schedule

General
Information

Lecture Notes

General Information

COURSE GOALS AND PHILOSOPHY: Welcome to Chemistry 110, the first course in a two-course sequence in General Chemistry. Chemistry impacts every area in our lives: from how our bodies work, to the environment, to new materials, to how we live and work.  Our goals for this course are for you to recognize that what happens at the molecular level profoundly affects our macroscopic world, and how fun chemistry is.  By the end of Chem. 110, you will understand conceptually (1) how atoms combine to form molecules; (2) how molecules interact and react with each other; and (3) how the molecular-level structure affects macroscopic properties.  Throughout the semester, you will learn problem-solving skills by applying simple mathematical equations and through interpretation of graphs to these physical phenomena. We urge you to carefully read the material below.  It will tell you how the course will be run and what will be expected of you.  A detailed course syllabus is also included.

APPROACH: Our goal in Chem. 110 is to conceptually understand how the structure and energy of atoms and molecules at the nanoscale affect the properties we can observe in the macroscopic world.  We will progress from an understanding of atoms to how atoms combine to form compounds.  We will then discuss how molecules interact with each other, which ultimately leads us to reactions between molecules.  Throughout the semester, we will emphasize the relationship between energy and atomic and molecular structure.
Go to TOP

PREREQUISITES:  We assume that you have some background in chemistry and algebra from high school or elsewhere and that this background is sufficiently recent that you have not forgotten it. Look at the page titled “Prerequisites for Chem. 110” in the Supplement Booklet for more details. If you have never studied chemistry (or if your previous exposure to chemistry was so long ago that you have forgotten it) you should not be in this course.  It is very important that you follow the placement recommendations for Chemistry and Math that appear on your Profile of Academic Abilities.  If you have any doubts or questions about your preparation for this course you are strongly urged to consult your instructor as soon as possible.

WEB PAGE: http://courses.chem.psu.edu/chem110/summer/index.html
Go to TOP

 TEXTBOOK AND OTHER MATERIALS:

1.      Required Textbook: Brown, T.L., LeMay, H.E., and Bursten, B.E., Chemistry, The Central Science, 10^th ed., Prentice-Hall, 2006.

2.      Chemistry 110 Required Packet of Materials. This packet has the complete syllabus, course policies, supplemental homework problems and practice exams from previous semesters.

3.      A suitable scientific calculator (one that handles numbers in scientific notation and provides log/antilog functions) is essential.  Calculators with text-storage capabilities (such as the TI graphics calculators) will not be permitted for use on exams or quizzes.

4.      Hill, Student's Guide to Brown, LeMay, and Bursten and Wilson, Bursten, and LeMay, Solutions to Unanswered Exercises are available in the bookstores if you wish to use them.

Go to TOP

CLASSES: The first lecture will meet Wed. July 2 in 108 Forum. Subsequently, lecture classes will meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:00–9:15 a.m. (except July 4). The Wednesday classes will be recitations. A complete schedule of class meetings is given in the syllabus.

You are expected to attend every lecture even if you think you already know the material.  You are responsible for all course material presented in class as well as administrative announcements, including problem assignments, syllabus changes, and exam locations. An attempt will be made to post most announcements on the Web as well.

Copies of the lecture notes will be posted on the Web. You should print them out before lecture and bring them with you to class.

EXAMINATIONS: There will be two online midterm examinations during the semester and a comprehensive final examination during the final exam period.  The dates for the mid-semester exams are given below.  Exams will be taken online at a secure testing site (Pollock).  These dates are fixed; you must work out any conflicts that arise.  Details for all exams will be announced in class and posted on the course website.
Go to TOP

RECITATIONS are small classes led by a teaching assistant.  Their purpose is to give you an opportunity to participate actively in class work and to ask questions about the current material. Be sure to learn the name of the Teaching Assistant in charge of your class. You must bring your textbook, Chem.110 Student Packet with supplementary problems, and your calculator as well as your completed homework assignments to each recitation class. Homework that is due on recitation days will be collected immediately at the end of the recitation.
Go to TOP

LECTURE PROBLEMS: Instructions will be provided during lecture for the lecture problems, which are designed to provide student and instructor feedback about conceptual understanding and problem solving processes.  Full credit will be given for any answer as long as a reasonable explanation is provided.  Lecture problems will involve group work during lecture periods and will be handed in and graded twice per week. Lecture problems will take the place of weekly quizzes:  there will be no quizzes. There will be a total of 10 Lecture Problems, each worth 14 points (140 points total).  If you accumulate a total score of 100 or more, you will earn the full 16 course points.  A total score of 75 would give you 75/100 of 16 course points, or 12 course points.  There will be no make-ups due to the built-in excess of points;  you must attend every lecture.
Go to TOP

HOMEWORK: Homework assignments are given in the syllabus, and consist of textbook problems and supplemental packet problems.  Supplemental packet problems will be handed in for grading once per week at THE END of recitation, and are found in the required packet and on the website (6 homework collections for regular sections).  The last homework assignment before the final will not be handed in or graded.  The homework is designed to help you understand and apply your understanding of concepts presented in class and in the readings. 

Six randomly selected homework problems per week will be graded by the TA’s.  To get credit for the homework assignment, you must do the following:

1. attend the entire recitation and hand in the work at the end
2. show all of your work, not just the answer
3. place your name must be prominently at the top of each page
4. write the TA’s name and section number at the top of each page
5. do work neatly
6. do all supplemental problems 

No credit will be given for no attempt or for an answer only.  Work must be shown.  A portion of the grade is awarded for neatness and completeness;  all problems must be attempted, even those that are not graded.  No late homework will be accepted.

Each homework set will be worth 24 points, so the maximum possible is 144 points.  If you accumulate a total homework score of 100 or more, you will earn the full 16 course points.  A total homework score of 75 would give you 75/100 of 16 course points, or 12 course points.  There will be no opportunities to make up for missed assignments because you have the opportunity to earn more homework points than you need.
Go to TOP

CHEMISTRY RESOURCE ROOM: The Department operates a Resource Room, 211 Whitmore Lab, which provides free help to Chemistry 110 students.  It will open early in the session and its hours of operation will be announced in class.  You are strongly encouraged to make use of this service as soon as you discover the need for help.  Excessive delay may put you too far behind to catch up.
Go to TOP

BASIC SKILL TESTS: You will be tested specifically in the area of Basic Skills on EVERY test in Chem. 110. Approximately 20% of the questions on each test will be Basic Skills questions. Furthermore, to get practice and gain competence in Basic Skills, you will be required to take computer based Skill Check Tests and pass them. 7% of your grade will be based on the results of these tests. Therefore approximately 20% of the grade in Chem. 110 will depend on your ability to master Basic Skills. The computer-based Skill Check Tests that are required and the deadlines for completion are included below. The instructions for using the Skill Check Tests will be provided separately.

Go to TOP

 REQUIREMENTS FOR SKILL CHECK TESTS

·        You will earn points when you pass each of the computer-based tests listed below by getting 100% on the test. However you can earn Extra Credit by passing the test by the early deadline given in the table.

·        You may repeat each test as many times as needed to get 100% but there will be a daily request limit of 8. (This is actually a request limit per 24 hour time period.)

·        The final deadline for all Skill Check Tests is midnight, Friday August 8, 2008.

·        The computer-based tests can be accessed on the Web at the URL: http://cms.psu.edu   (Angel)

TO PREPARE FOR SKILL CHECK TESTS

The table below is a listing of the computer based Skill Check Tests available on the University computers. The third column gives the section in your text that deals with that material. If you find you are having trouble with the tests, reading these sections should help.

When taking the computer Skill Check Tests, a periodic table may be used for all Skill Checks and you may use a calculator for Skill Check 8 (Concentration dilution).

The Skill Checks can be used any time to provide practice in the Basic Skills that will be covered on the Chem. 110 tests. Even after you have received 100% on a test you may continue to take the test for more practice and you will not jeopardize your grade, even if you score lower on a subsequent test.

 *All Skill Check Tests must be completed by Fri. Aug. 8 to receive credit. You need to score 100% on a computer-based test to get credit.  Each Skill Check Test is worth 1.75 course points; passing all 8 tests means you receive all 14 course points.

Bonus points (1/4 point per test) can be earned by passing a test by the early deadline given in the table below. It is therefore possible to earn as much as 2 course points of extra credit by passing these tests EARLY!

 *The deadlines for all Skill Check Tests will be midnight on the day given.
Go to TOP

GRADING: Your course grade will be completely determined by two mid-session exam grades, the final exam grade, Skill Check Test Scores, homework and quiz scores. These will be weighted as follows:

The final letter grade for the course will be based on the expectations of the course instructor.  A typical distribution for this course is:

There is no assurance that it will be the same this session; you may assume, however, that it will not be greatly different. There is no predetermined grade distribution for this course.  If, at the end of the course, everyone has a final score in the A range then everyone will get an A.  You are not competing for grades with your fellow students.

 Go to TOP

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Instructors are asked (Senate Rule 49-20) to provide a statement at the beginning of a course to "clarify the application of academic integrity criteria to that course". The Senate Rule includes the following:

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabrication of information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students.

Specific instances of academic dishonesty in this course would include (but are not limited to) copying or helping someone else copy during an examination, using unauthorized materials during an examination, stealing or destroying course materials or another student's examination paper, altering answers or grades on graded examinations, having someone take an examination for you, and attempting to do any of the above. Such infractions are considered cause, at the least, for awarding a grade of "0" on the exam in question (and not allowing the student to drop the class).  For detailed procedures see: http://www.science.psu.edu/academic/integrity/Policy.htm

Go to TOP

Procedures listed below are designed to facilitate smooth administration of the course, even when the unexpected happens. Please be familiar with them and follow them closely.