Dr. Andrew Pounds,
Office: Rm. 105 Willett Science Center, (478) 301-5627
Rm. 203, Computer Science Building
e-mail: pounds_aj@mercer.edu
Alt. Phone (SMS) : (478) 227-3444
Office Hours: T 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m., 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (WSC 105) (or by appointment)
CHM 111 is the first course in a two-part sequence to introduce students to the foundational principles of Chemistry. Students in CHM 111 will be exposed to the fundamental laws of mass and energy conservation and their application to chemical systems and reactions. Students will also be introduced to various models of atomic and molecular structure and, within these contexts, shown how these models can be used to explain and predict elemental and molecular properties. Students in CHM 111 are expected to read at the college level and also set up and solve algebraic and trigonometric equations. For that reason, students taking the course must have sufficent math preparation to place them into MAT 191.
Learning outcomes: As part of the natural world block in the College of Liberal Arts general education program, CHM 111 guides students toward the following learning outcomes.
Class Meeting Times and Locations
Lecture: TR 8:00-9:15 a.m., WSC LEC
Lab: (Section 016) R 3:05 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., WSC Room 302
(Section 017) R 3:05 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., WSC Room 308
(Section 018) R 9:25 a.m. - 12:05 p.m., WSC Room 302
Course Materials
Chemistry, 4th ed., Burdge.
Sapling Learning online homework subscription, http://www.saplinglearning.com/
Laboratory Notebook (numbered, carbonless pages, available at bookstore)
Scientific Calculator (graphing with numerical solver preferred)
Laboratory Instructions (From WWW)
Approved Safety Glasses/Goggles
Lock (for lab drawer)
Course Structure
Portions from eleven chapters of the text will be covered during the semester in the order listed on the class schedule. The lecture time will be used to expound on and augment the text and also discuss problem solving strategies. Students are responsible for all material covered in class as well as the material from the textual sections listed in the class schedule. While homework from the book will not be collected, students are encouraged to complete as many problems as possible to gain competency with the material. The online homework assignments will be graded. Several unannounced in-class quizzes will be given during the semester. The best five grades from the quizzes will count toward the final grade. Four 70 minute exams will be given per the schedule and the best three exam grades will count toward the final grade. A three hour final exam will be administered at the end of the term.
Grading Course Grade Scale
Tests ( best 3 @ 100 pts) 300 pts A 900 pts Quizzes (best 5 @ 30 pts) 150 pts B+ 880 pts Sapling Online Homework 100 pts B 800 pts Laboratory (8 @ 30 pts) 240 pts C+ 780 pts Final Exam 210 pts C 700 pts ___________ D 600 pts Total Possible 1000 pts F 600 pts
The above course grading scale is assured, but may be slightly lowered based on class exam performance.
General Information
Honor Code: All students in CHM 111 are expected to adhere to the Mercer University Honor Code. Any suspected violations will be reported to the Honor Council for further investigation.
Attendance: Attendance will be taken for the first ten class periods. Even if a student is not in class, they are responsible for all material covered in class as well as any announcements made during the lecture period. Laboratory attendance is mandatory.
Missed Quizzes: No makeup quizzes will be given.
Missed Exams: Anyone missing an exam for any reason (personal illness, death in the immediate family, or other emergency) must notify Dr. Pounds in advance via e-mail, text message, phone, or voice message. The absence will be considered unexcused otherwise and no make-up opportunity will be offered. Make-up exams will be individually scheduled.
Partial Credit: Partial credit will not be awarded on any quiz, exam, prelab, or lab report unless individuals show their work and clearly delineate how they arrived at their answers.
Re-grading Policy: If a student suspects that an error was made in the grading of a submitted work, they may return the paper for re-grading with the understanding that the entire work will be re-graded and not only the portion in question.
Posting of Grades: To protect confidentiality, grades will not be posted. Students needing information about their grades should contact Dr. Pounds via e-mail.
E-mail Listserve: I maintain an e-mail listserve which I use use copiously to send information to the class and which you can use to communicate with each other. Students Mercer e-mail addresses are automatically subscribed to the listserve. To add other e-mails to the listserve and to learn how to send information to it, please go to: http://theochem.mercer.edu/mailman/listinfo/chm111.
Sapling Learning Online Homework: Online homework assignments will be posted at saplinglearning.com, which you must purchase. Begin the assignments early so that you have an opportunity to address any technology issues. Late work will not be accepted except in extreme circumstances. Homework is an individual assignment; it is an honor code violation to work in groups or ask others how to do problems. As a group, you can study problems from the text on the same topics; however, when you are actually doing the online homework, it should reflect your individual understanding.
Directions for Students to Access Sapling:
Once you have registered and enrolled, you can log in at any time to complete or review your homework assignments. During sign up or throughout the term, if you have any technical problems or grading issues, send an email to support@saplinglearning.com explaining the issue. The Sapling Learning support team is almost always faster and better able to resolve issues than your instructor.
The bookstore also has ISBN numbers which will allow those on scholarship to have their sapling paid by their scholarship. They should have these numbers from my summer course, but if not, the Tech TA (or Devin Lindsey - manager) can supply you with those ISBN numbers.
Starfish: This course will use Mercer's web-based success platform, Starfish. Throughout the term, you may receive Starfish emails containing feedback. These communications are sent to support your success at Mercer. You can access Starfish through your MyMercer portal.
American Disability Act: ``Students requiring accommodations for a disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon as possible. The instructor will refer you to the ACCESS and Accommodation Office to document your disability, determine eligibility for accommodations under the ADAAA/Section 504 and to request a Faculty Accommodation Form. Disability accommodations or status will not be indicated on academic transcripts. In order to receive accommodations in a class, students with sensory, learning, psychological, physical or medical disabilities must provide their instructor with a Faculty Accommodation Form to sign. Students must return the signed form to the ACCESS Coordinator. A new form must be requested each semester. Students with a history of a disability, perceived as having a disability or with a current disability who do not wish to use academic accommodations are also strongly encouraged to register with the ACCESS and Accommodation Office and request a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester. For further information, please contact Katie Johnson, Director and ADA/504 Coordinator, at 301-2778 or visit the ACCESS and Accommodation Office website at http://www.mercer.edu/disabilityservices''
Electronic Submission of Materials: ``Students bear sole responsibility for ensuring that papers or assignments submitted electronically to a professor are received in a timely manner and in the electronic format(s) specified by the professor. Students are therefore obliged to have their e-mail client issue a receipt verifying that the document has been received. Students are also strongly advised to retain a copy of the dated submission on a separate disk. Faculty members are encouraged, but not required, to acknowledge receipt of the assignment.''
Cell Phones and Pagers: ``Out of courtesy for all those participating in the learning experience, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off, or placed on vibrate, before entering any classroom, lab, or formal academic or performance event.''
Course Evaluations: In an ongoing effort to improve the quality of instruction, each student enrolled in this course is required to complete an end-of-semester course evaluation. Details about the evaluation process will provided at the end of the term.
FERPA and Assessment: The College of Liberal Arts is keenly interested in assuring the quality and integrity of its general education program. Every semester, randomly selected samples of student work from general education courses will be independently and objectively assessed. No personally identifiable information about any student will be used for the purposes of this assessment, and assessment results will have no bearing whatsoever on student grades.
Tips for Succeeding in Chemistry 111
There is unquestionably a lot of material to be covered in Chemistry 111. For that reason it is imperative to keep up with the class. The last thing you want to worry about is covering two chapters of new material the night before the test. You are expected to keep up with the class reading and problems. The unannounced quizzes are an added incentive for you to do this.
Problems will be provided on a regular basis that are representative of some of the problems you will see on the exams and quizzes. Your textbook also has numerous examples and end of chapter problems designed to help you master the material. To become proficient you will need practice. In short, work as many problems as you can before the quizzes and tests. Solutions to problems given by Dr. Pounds will be posted on the class website (http://theochem.mercer.edu/chm111), or worked in class. Solutions to all of the book problems are available from your SI instructor or Dr. Pounds.
For more help in the course you should utilize the SI sessions for your class. This resource is here for you to use and, although it can not guarantee a higher grade in the course, they will most likely increase your understanding of chemistry and thereby positively affect your performance in the class.
Week Starting | Chapter Sections | Lecture and Problem Solving Topics |
August 20 | 1.1 - 1.3 | Classification of Matter |
Measurement | ||
August 27 | 1.4 - 1.6, 2.1 - 2.5 | Significant Figures |
Unit Conversions | ||
Atoms, Molecules, and Ions | ||
Atomic Mass and the Periodic Table | ||
September 3 | 2.6 - 2.7, 3.1 - 3.5 | LABOR DAY 9/4/17 |
Chemical Nomenclature | ||
The Mole and Molar Mass | ||
Stoichiometry of Compounds | ||
September 10 | 3.6 -3.7 | Stoichiometry of Reactions |
Limiting Reactant | ||
September 17 | 4.1 - 4.6, 19.1 | EXAM #1, 9/19/17 |
Stoichiometry in Solutions | ||
Aqueous Solution Chemistry | ||
Acids & Bases | ||
Oxidation/Reduction and Charge Balance | ||
Concentration | ||
September 24 | 5.1 - 5.6 | Intro to Thermodynamics |
Enthalpy and Calorimetry | ||
Hess's Law and Standard Enthalpies | ||
October 1 | 18.1 - 18.4 | Entropy and Spontaneity |
Gibbs Free Energy | ||
FALL BREAK 10/5-10/6 | ||
October 8 | 18.5 | Predicting Spontaneity |
EXAM #2, 10/12/17 | ||
October 15 | 6.1 - 6.4 | Light, Photons, and Quantum Theory |
Emission Spectra | ||
Bohr and the Old Quantum Theory | ||
October 22 | 6.5 - 6.9 | Modern Quantum Theory |
Wave-Particle Duality | ||
Schrödinger Equation | ||
Atomic Orbitals and Electron Configurations | ||
Withdrawal Deadline, 10/27/17 | ||
October 29 | 7.1 - 7.7 | The Periodic Table |
Ionization Energy and Electron Affinity | ||
Periodic Trends and Properties | ||
November 5 | 8.1 - 8.5 | EXAM #3, 11/7/17 |
Introduction to Bonding | ||
Lewis Dot Diagrams | ||
Electronegativity and Polarity | ||
November 12 | 8.6 - 8.9 | Formal Charge |
Exceptions to the Octet Rule | ||
Bond Enthalpies | ||
November 19 | 9.1 | Molecular Geometry (VSEPR) |
THANKSGIVING BREAK 11/23-11/25 | ||
November 26 | 9.2 - 9.3 | Polarity |
Valence Bond Theory and Hybridizatoin | ||
EXAM #4, 11/30/17 | ||
December 3 | 9.4 - 9.7 | Molecular Orbital Theory and MO Diagrams |
and Molecular Orbitals, Bond Order | ||
Molecular Electromagnetic Properties | ||
December 10 | FINAL EXAM, 12/14/17, 2 p.m. | |
(Thursday) |
I reserve the right to modify this schedule as situations warrant.
The Laboratory
Safety always comes first in lab. Developing good lab safety habits is important, even if the day's lab activities are not particularly dangerous. You will not be allowed in lab if you are not prepared. That means being appropriately dressed, having your safety glasses and knowing what you are supposed to do during the lab. The lab schedule is found at the end of this document. A link to the lab instructions and report forms is found on the class web page.
The lab instruction PDF files SHOULD NOT be printed and brought to lab. No points will be awarded for printed laboratory procedures. Instead, read the manual and think about what you are going to do and why. Write down the procedure and any questions you have in your lab notebook before coming to lab. If you do not have your notebook with the hand written procedure in it, you will not be allowed in lab. The lab report forms available from the same web site should be printed and turned in along with the yellow copies from your notebook. Data and observations MUST to be written in your notebook, not on the lab report form. Due dates are listed on the class schedule. No credit is available for the lab report if you miss lab for any unexcused reason, including showing up unprepared, or if you are more than 10 minutes late. It is important to show up on time, since we will go over safety notes in the first few minutes. You will lose 1 pt for each safety violation in a lab period (ie. removal of safety glasses for any reason in the laboratory). Lab reports are due before, NOT during the next laboratory session.
If you must miss a laboratory meeting for a Mercer University event, you need to see Dr. Pounds at least one week in advance to attempt to schedule an alternate laboratory meeting. Students will not be penalized for laboratories missed due to excused absence (as defined below) - up to a limit of three laboratory absences -and a complete laboratory report will still be required on the announced due date. A passing grade for CHM 111 will NOT be available to any student who misses more than three laboratory meetings (excused or otherwise).
Laboratory Grading:
There will be eight pre-lab exercises (5 pts each) and eight lab reports (25 pts each) over the course of the semester for a total of 240 pts. The laboratory component is thus worth 24% of your final grade for CHM 111.
Prelabs:Pre-lab exercises will be administered via Canvas. More information related to these exercises will be provided prior to the first lab.
Laboratory reports:Complete laboratory reports will be turned in at the start of the next laboratory period following the period during which the experiment was conducted. The laboratory reports will consist of the following items, stapled together in this order:
Graphing protocol:All required lab report graphs must be computer-drawn, usually with Microsoft Excel, although other software options are permissible if pre-approved the instructor. CHM 111 students are allowed to sketch graphs (and anything else related to an experiment) in their lab notes, but the lab report that’s turned in should include a computer-drawn graph if graphing was required. All data points should be shown on graphs, and the axes should be correctly labeled with both a measurement descriptive word (like ``length'') and the corresponding units (like ``cm'') inserted in the graphing software. Don’t include any hand-written work on your submitted graph unless specifically instructed to do so for a particular report.
Instructions for Writing in Your Lab Notebook:Part of learning science includes practicing appropriate scientific methods. That process includes documenting your work. Here are a few instructions for using your laboratory notebook properly:
Instructions for Calorimetry Lab
Data from Titrations Lab
Calculations for Nickel Lab
Report Due Dates and Late Policy: Labs are due prior to the beginning of the following lab session (see table below), and lab 8 will be due to Dr. Pounds at the end of lab on 12/30/17. Late labs will lose 10 points/day, with a grade of zero resulting if the write-up is more than 3 days late.
Cell Phone: Out of courtesy for all those participating in the learning experience, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off before entering any classroom, lab, or formal academic or performance event.
Chemical Sensitivity Statement: This course includes the handling of chemicals, and the reasonable accommodation policy also applies to any chemical sensitivity, allergy, or other physical or medical condition that might limit a student's ability to participate in the required course activities. In these cases, the instructor may require a physician's documentation of the student’s condition before arranging accommodation. If the instructor determines that the student's condition cannot be reasonably accommodated, then the student will be asked to select an alternative course.
Physical Limitations Statement: This course includes significant physical activity, and the reasonable accommodation policy also applies to any physical or medical condition that might limit a student’s ability to participate in the required course activities. In these cases, the instructor may require a physician’s documentation of the student’s condition before arranging accommodation. If the instructor determines that the student’s condition cannot be reasonably accommodated, then the student will be asked to select an alternative course.
Safety Statement: This course includes activities for which there are certain risks as well as established safety procedures to minimize these risks. The instructor will explain both the risks and the prescribed safety measures. Students enrolled in this course are required to document in writing their awareness of the reasonable risks inherent in the course activities and their agreement to follow the safety procedures specified by the instructor. If a student cannot meet these terms, then the student will be asked to select an alternative course.
Lab Day | Experiment |
August 24 | NO LAB |
August 31 | Check In |
Density of Water and an Unknown Metal | |
September 7 | NO LAB |
September 14 | Alum Synthesis |
September 21 | Standardization of 0.13 M NaOH |
September 28 | Analysis of KHP |
October 5 | NO LAB - FALL BREAK |
October 12 | Thermochemistry |
October 19 | Spectroscopic Determination of Ni |
Check Out | |
Pack | |
October 26 | NO LAB |
November 2 | NO LAB |
November 9 | Atomic Spectra |
November 16 | NO LAB |
November 23 | NO LAB (Thanksgiving) |
November 30 | Molecular Models |
December 7 | NO LAB |
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