Chemistry 120 — University Chemistry I
Course Syllabus — Spring, 2009
Instructor: Dr. Thomas Wiese
Office: 351 Tomanek Hall
Office Phone: 628-4505
E-mail address: twiese@fhsu.edu Please put “Chem 120" in the subject so I am sure to read the email.
Office Hours: 8:30-9:20 Monday, Wednesday and Friday; other times by appointment or chance. Feel free to stop by any time, but I would recommend you call or email to see if I’m available. Be sure to check my research lab if I am not in my office.
Course Web Address: http://www.fhsu.edu/chemistry/twiese/120/120.htm. You should bookmark and become well acquainted with this address. In addition to an expanded version of this document, the site also contains homework and reading assignments. Other valuable documents include old quizzes and exams, specific chapter objectives, PowerPoint slides, and vocabulary terms you are required to know. Your input as to what additional items you would find valuable is appreciated. The site will continuously evolve throughout the semester. Your input as to what additional items you would find valuable is appreciated.
Textbook: Chemistry; 9th Ed. Chang; McGraw-Hill 2007 including semester WebAssign access.
Other Items that may be of interest and/or value:
Schaum's Outline Series. Theory and Problems of College Chemistry 8th ed., Rosenberg and Epstein, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1997
Student Solution Manual to Accompany Chemistry 9th Raymond Chang McGraw-Hill 2007.
Course Scope: This is the first semester of the standard full-year freshman chemistry course for science, math, and engineering majors. Prerequisites are eligibility to enroll in MACS 110 (College Algebra), and high school chemistry, or CHEM 112; CHEM 120 and CHEM 120L are corequisites.
Objectives
1. To instruct the student in the study of matter and its properties. To accomplish this task the basic skills of abstract thinking, vocabulary, problem solving, and symbolism will be used.
2. To foster an understanding of the scientific method.
3. To examine quantitative relationships among the various forms of matter.
4. To prepare students for further studies in chemistry and other sciences and to develop a background capable of extension in any preprofessional curriculum.
5. To expose the students to the use of computers in the study of chemistry, particularly in the compilation, computation, and interpretation of laboratory data.
Grading: Lecture and laboratory scores are combined and the same letter grade will be assigned to each at the end of the semester. The target cutting scores for overall performance are as follows:
A: >90%
B: >80% and <89%
C: >70% and <79%
D: >60% and <69%
U: <60%
Actual cutoff scores will be determined after all work for the semester has been evaluated. Cutoff percentages may be lowered, but they will not be raised.
Schedule: A tentative lecture schedule is attached to this handout. The laboratory schedule appears on the same attachment. Work to be submitted and its value toward the final grade appears in the following table. It is divided such that laboratory work is valued at 40% of the final grade and lecture material is valued at 60% of the final grade, corresponding to 3 credit hours for lecture and 2 credit hours for lab.
Lecture:
4 examinations 400 Points
1 comprehensive final 150 Points
Best quizzes 100 Points
Problem Assignments 150 Points
Total 800 Points
Laboratory:
13 Lab Exercises 1300 Points
Course % = (Lecture Points × 60/800) + (Lab Points × 40/1300)
The final examination will consist of questions from the material covered in class since the fourth examination and questions from the material covered the entire semester. About one-third of the questions on the final will cover the new material and the other two-thirds will be from material covered on the first four examinations.
Policies
1. Lecture examinations missed for unavoidable reasons may be made up within one week of the student's return to classes. There is no makeup for quizzes.
2. Laboratory work is due as follows: For Labs 01-07, you will be expected to conduct all your experimental work and complete the experimental and analysis sections of the laboratory report during your three hour lab period. These sections of the report will be turned in at the end of class. A separate section of the laboratory report, the Application of Principles questions, will be completed outside of class. This section will be turned in on the Friday following lab. For Labs 08-12, only the experimental work must be completed during the laboratory class period. For these experiments, the entire report will be due on the Friday following lab.
3. Problem assignments will be collected in class at the beginning of the class period. Assignments and due dates will be announced in class at least one week before the assignment is due.
4. Late laboratory reports and problem assignments will be accepted but may be assessed up to a 10% penalty for each class day the work is late.
5. Laboratories missed for unavoidable reasons may be made up at the discretion of and upon arrangement with the laboratory instructor up to two weeks after the laboratory session was missed, or the end of the semester, whichever comes first.
6. Only in very unusual circumstances will the instructor permit a variation from these policies.
Attendance — Attendance is expected and recorded, but it is not used in the evaluation of students. The attendance is recorded on a sign-up sheet passed through the class. This is an official document and serious consequences will befall those who sign another individuals name. If you arrive late and it has already gone past your seat, stop at the podium after class to sign in as late.
Behavior — I expect students at FHSU to act in an adult, socially-responsible manner. The groundwork you are laying for yourself now will determine your path through the remainder of your life. I expect, therefore, that you will retain academic integrity (not cheat or plagiarize). I specifically retain the right to discharge from the classroom any student engaging in socially irresponsible or disruptive behavior, including, but not limited to: talking, eating or drinking, violent behavior, sexual harassment or disorderly conduct, as defined in your student handbook. See also page 64 of the 2005-2008 Catalog.
Grades of incomplete — Grades of incomplete are recorded in those cases that comply with the current University policy. This policy states that for an incomplete to be given, performed work must be of passing quality, and that if the incomplete work is not finished within 1 year the grade changes to "NC." Note, however, that I have the discretion as instructor to mold this policy. In particular, I am likely to give less than one year to complete the requirements, and a grade will be assigned at the end of the time period. The consequence of this is that if you do not complete the work, you will quite possibly fail the course.
Grade Appeals — You have the right to appeal all grades earned at Fort Hays State University. Details pertaining to this policy can be found on page 61 of the 2005-2008 Catalog.
Writing Center — Remember that the Writing Center is an excellent place to write or to go for feedback on any kind of writing. Located in the basement of Forsyth Library (FL20), it features a computer lab and trained writing tutors. Drop by or call ahead for an appointment (628-4106)--preferably well before the due date of your paper. Beginning Tuesday, January 20, 2009, the Writing Center will be open the following times: 9:00am-5:00pm Monday-Thursday, 6:30pm-8:30pm Monday-Wednesday evenings, and 9:00am-12:30pm Fridays. It’s FREE.
Cell phones — The use of cell phones in this classroom is expressly forbidden. I reserve the right to discharge from the classroom anyone whose cell phone rings. Do not leave the classroom to take a call and come back in.