CHEM 110 General Chemistry I

Class:TRF 1000-1140, McCracken 3292
Prerequisites:MATH 111 or equivalent
Text:Chang, Chemistry, 6th Edition
Instructor
General Information
Topic Schedule
Assignments
Quizzes & Exams
Grading
Class Policies

CHEM 110 is the first semester of a two semester introduction to the science of chemistry. It consists of instruction in the theory and fundamental principles, as well as practice with the common tools used to solve chemical problems: matter and its description, nomenclature, chemical equations, stoichiometry, measurement units and conversions, and reactions.

A portion of the course, including some quizzes and homework assignments, will be administered using WebCT via the internet at http://webct.wmich.edu:8900/SCRIPT/miller110/scripts/serve_home. Your Login ID and initial password are both your last name.

All information in this syllabus is also available at http://unix.cc.wmich.edu/~millerj/chem110/syllabus.htm

Instructor
Dr. John B. Miller
Office: Wood 3156, 387-2871
Lab: Haenicke 4450, 387-2951
john.b.miller@wmich.edu
Office Hours
TF 1330-1430
or by appointment


General Information  homearrow

The class meets three days per week. These will generally be broken down into:


Topic Schedule  homearrow

The course topics will be covered in a significantly different order than that of the text. The first half of the material is descriptive, developing a model and establishing common principles and language. The second half of the materials is more quantitative.

Week

Dates

Topics(s)

Reading

Notices

1

6/22-6/23

Introduction
Matter and its Properties
Atoms and Ions

1.1-1.6, 2.1-2.3, 2.5

Quiz #1

2

6/27-6/30

Molecules
Nomenclature
Chemical Equations
The Periodic Table

2.4-2.7, 3.7, 8

Quiz #2

3

7/6-7/7

Chemical Bonding
Lewis Structures
Molecular Geometry
VSEPR & dipoles
9, 10.1-10.2 Quiz #3
  • no class Tues 7/4

4

7/11-7/14

Atomic Structure
Orbitals & electron configurations
Hybrid Orbitals & molecular structure

7, 10.3-10.8

Quiz #4

  • Dr. Perkovic lecturing

5

7/18-7/21

Measurements
Gases
Intermolecular Forces
Liquids

1.7-1.9, 5, 11.1-11.3

Quiz #5

6

7/25-7/28

Solids
Phase Changes
Reactions & Stoichiometry

11.4-11.9, 3

Quiz #6

7

8/1-8/4

Reactions in Solution
Properties of Solutions

4, 12

Quiz #7

8

8/8-8/11

Thermochemistry

6

Final, Friday 8/11


Assignments  homearrow

Reading
Reading assignments should be complete before the topic is covered in class. Learning favors the prepared mind.

Homework
Suggested homework will be assigned on a regular basis. Homework is intended as a study guide. It will not be collected or graded. Some homework will be available through the WebCT. Many of the quiz and examination questions will be nearly identical to the homework problems. Student success is directly correlated to understanding and completing the assigned problems. A large portion of each review time will be spent in working student-suggested problems.


Quizzes & Examinations  homearrow

Quizzes
Seven short weekly quizzes will be administered, usually during the first half of class on Friday. Some quizzes will be taken using a Web-based tool, called WebCT. The lowest score from Quiz #2 through Quiz #7 will be dropped. Quiz #1 will be especially brief, and its score cannot be dropped It is to the student´s advantage to take all of the quizzes, regardless of how well-prepared you may feel; any points are better than no points. There will also be a brief quiz on calculator use early in the fifth week of the course, once significant computation is required.

Examinations
A comprehensive final examination will be given during the regular class time on
Friday 11 August.


Grading  homearrow

Quizzes: 175 points
  • 1@10 points
  • 6@30 points,
     lowest score dropped)
  • 1@15 points (calculator quiz)
64 %
Final Examination:100 points36 %
TOTAL:275 points
Approximate grading scale
A90-100%
BA85-89%
B80-84%
CB75-79%
C70-74%
DC65-69%
D60-64%
E0-59%

Current individual scores will be available through the WebCT course (http://webct.wmich.edu:8900/SCRIPT/miller110/scripts/serve_home).


Class Policies  homearrow

Attendance
Attendance in class is important, as material is often covered in lecture that is complementary to the text. Missed announcements of schedule changes, etc., due to absence will not be grounds for making up a quiz.

Make-ups
Make-up quizzes and examinations will generally not be permitted. Under the rare circumstances where a make-up might be granted, prior notification and consent of the instructor will be required.

Re-grades
Any quizz or examinations that is submitted for a re-grade will be completely regraded. It is possible for your score to decrease. This policy does not apply to simple clerical errors, which will be corrected upon request.

Academic Integrity
Adeherance to the University Academic Integrity policy as explained in the Undergraduate Catalog is expected. No breach of this policy will be tolerated. Any offenders, explicit or complicit, will be dealt with in accordance with the established University procedures.