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.

1. Generate a hypothesis to explain natural phenomena
2. Collect and organize experimental data in a format appropriate to a scientific field
3. Analyze data through the use of quantitative and/or qualitative scientific reasoning
4. Interpret a hypothesis in light of experimental evidence
5. Accurately communicate scientific knowledge, observations, analyses, and/or conclusions
6. Coherently integrate information from a variety of sources
7. Support valid arguments with empirical, textual, theoretical, and/or direct evidence
8. Identify strategies to formulate judgments, reach decisions, and/or solve problems

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.

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.

Weighted Exam Grades: The lowest test grade of the semester will be multiplied by 0.5 and the highest test grade of the semester will me multiplied by 1.5 in the final class average.

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. Student 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.

Online Homework: Online homework assignments will be administered via the CHEM101 platform. You must purchase an access key. 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.

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.

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.

Accommodations and ADA/504: “Students in need of accommodation due to a disability should contact the Access and Accommodation Office to complete the verification process to become approved for services. In order to receive accommodations, each term, students will request accommodation and faculty notification forms through the Access Office online system Accommodate. Students are strongly encouraged to schedule a meeting with each professor in a timely manner to discuss arrangements. Accommodations are not retroactive in nature. Note - Disability accommodations or status are not reflected on academic transcripts. 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 complete the verification process with the Access Office. Students must request accommodations in a timely manner to receive accommodations in a timely manner.

The Access Coordinator for Macon Campus is

Please note the following additional information from the Access and Accommodation Office (AAO):

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2009 (ADAAA), “otherwise qualified” students with disabilities are protected from discrimination and may be entitled to “reasonable accommodations” intended to ensure equal access to all courses, programs, and services without a change of curriculum. Examples of accommodations include but are not limited to: testing accommodations, providing alternative format textbooks and tests, note-taking support, and modifications of policies or procedures. Equal Access may require moving a class or event to a physically accessible room, making websites accessible to screen readers, providing sign language interpreters, and captioning videos. All students requesting to be recognized as a student with a disability or requiring accommodations must first self-identify by requesting accommodations with the designated Access Coordinator for their campus or program and complete the verification process.”

Mental Health and Wellness: “Mercer University faculty and staff recognize that mental health concerns can impact academic performance and interfere with daily life activities. Please notify your faculty member or academic advisor for academic assistance, as needed. The office of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) can also provide support if you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, lost, or are struggling with personal issues. Please call (478) 301-2862 or visit the CAPS website for more information. These services are free and confidential, and support non-traditional, graduate, and undergraduate students. The CAPS office on the Macon campus is located in Linden House (attached to the MEP Residence Hall).”

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.”

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.

FALL 2021 COVID-19 Policies:

• The University strongly encourages students and employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19. If you are fully vaccinated, your risk of serious illness from COVID-19 is remote, as confirmed by current data provided by area hospitals. If you are unvaccinated, you are at far greater risk of serious illness and hospitalization.
• The University does not currently require fully vaccinated students, employees, and guests to wear masks in indoor spaces on campus, except at the Campus Health Centers in Macon and Atlanta. Nonetheless, even vaccinated individuals are encouraged to wear a mask while inside campus facilities.
• Unvaccinated students, employees, and guests are required to wear masks while in indoor public spaces on campus. Current conditions are fluid and may necessitate a change in this policy depending on the conditions on our campuses and the needs of individual programs. Please check this policy regularly for changes.
• Instructors and event organizers may require masks in classes or campus activities regardless of vaccination status.
• The University does not require masks for individuals in outdoor settings.
• Health sciences students and employees in clinical settings may be required to wear masks, even if vaccinated. Students in health science programs with clinical experiences are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
• When wearing a mask, you must follow these guidelines:
  • Masks must have two or more layers of breathable fabric and completely cover your nose and mouth. Your mask must fit snugly against the sides of your face without gaps, and you should choose a mask with a nose wire along the top of the mask to prevent air leakage. Masks with vents or exhalation valves, folded bandannas, gaiter masks, and knitted masks are not allowable. If wearing a face shield, you must also wear a mask of two or more layers of breathable fabric that completely covers your nose and mouth.
  • Any branding, decoration, or labeling on masks must be appropriate to the professional University setting.
  • Guests, visitors, vendors, and contractors are expected to honor these guidelines and provide their own masks.
  • Each person will be responsible for keeping their masks clean and properly mended.
  • Student non-compliance is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will be reported accordingly. An incompliant student – who blatantly disregards the policy – will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs.
  • Employees failing to comply are to be reported to their immediate supervisor or Human Resources.
  • Under no circumstances should a student, faculty, or staff member initiate a verbal or physical altercation to force compliance with the mask policy. Reporting of noncompliance to the appropriate personnel is sufficient.
  • Masks may pose a safety hazard or insufficient protection in some labs, clinical environments, and industrial settings.
• An individual with a disability that impacts their ability to wear a mask may request a reasonable accommodation. Employees should consult with their supervisor or contact Human Resources for an accommodation. Students should contact the Access and Accommodations Office at https://access.mercer.edu/students/new to apply for accommodations.

¹ I reserve the right to modify this schedule as situations warrant.

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 copy pages from your lab notebook. Data and observations MUST 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).

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).

There will be eight lab reports (20 pts each) over the course of the semester for a total of 200 pts. The laboratory component is thus worth 20% of your final grade for CHM 111.

Laboratory reports:

Graphing protocol:

Instructions for Writing in Your Lab Notebook:

¹ The first laboratory will be completed as TWO separate reports, one for the density of water and one for the density of an unknown metal. These will be referred to as LAB 1A and LAB 1B respectively.

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.