Chemistry 110 is the first in a two-course sequence in general chemistry. ...
Required textbook: J. Burdge and J. Overby, Chemistry, Atoms First, McGraw Hill,
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GENERAL INFORMATION SPRING 2013 Chemistry 110 is the first 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; and (3) how the molecular-level structure affects the macroscopic properties. Throughout the semester, you will learn problem-solving skills by applying simple mathematical equations and through interpretation of graphs of these physical phenomena. Approach: The 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 molecules. We will then discuss how these molecules interact with each other, which ultimately leads us to chemical reactions between them. Throughout the semester, we will emphasize the relationship between energy and atomic and molecular structure. Prerequisites: We assume that you have some chemistry and algebra background (including logarithms). Please follow the Profile of Academic Abilities Chemistry and Math placement recommendations. Before the beginning of the course you will take an on-line assessment in ALEKS to make sure that you have a chance to review the required materials. Based on the initial assessment in ALEKS, we may make recommendations that will ensure that you are enrolled in the appropriate chemistry course. We want all students to succeed in chemistry, and that means starting with proper placement and review. Please see your instructor as soon as possible, if you have any questions or concerns about your preparation for CHEM 110. Textbooks and other materials: 1. Required textbook: J. Burdge and J. Overby, Chemistry, Atoms First, McGraw Hill, 2012 2. Required student packet: Chemistry 110 Student Packet. This packet contains the complete syllabus, course policies, and supplemental homework problems. 3. Required calculator: A suitable scientific calculator (one that handles numbers in scientific notation and provides log/antilog functions); calculators with text-storage capabilities (such as the TI-83 used in Math 140) or communication capabilities (such as cell-phone calculators, or BlackBerries) are not permitted on exams. 4. Optional study guide: A. El-Ashwamy and D. Richardson Problem-Solving Workbook with Selected Solutions are available in the bookstores, if you wish to use them. They are strongly recommended for students who have difficulties with solving the assigned problems. 5. Required access: ALEKS website (http://www.aleks.com) is the Basic-Skill learning website. Access will be provided to all students before the beginning of the semester. 6. Required access: ANGEL website (https://cms.psu.edu/) is PSU course management system. Quizzes and other critical materials are provided on this site. 7. Required access: CHEM 110 web site (http://courses.chem.psu.edu/chem110Spring) provides all the important information about the course. You should check it on a regular basis, especially the section containing News and Updates, for announcements. You may not claim ignorance as an excuse.
Lectures are offered three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Forum. You are expected to be at every lecture even if you think you already know the material. You are responsible for all course material and administrative announcements, including problem assignments, syllabus changes, and exam locations. There are eight lecture sections offered in the Fall. If you have to miss your assigned lecture, you should try to attend the other one. Copies of lecture notes shown in class are available on the CHEM 110 website or on ANGEL. You should print them before the lectures and bring them to class.
INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. Mary Bojan Dr. Greg Barber
Lecture Time
Office
e-mail
8:00am (102 Forum) 11:15am 12:20pm
203 Whitmore 220 Chemistry 220 Chemistry
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
*Schedule appointments by e-mail. When requesting an appointment, please state the purpose of the meeting and provide several alternative times when you are available. Recitations are small classes led by a teaching assistant. The time and location depends on the section for which you are registered. The purpose of recitation is to give you an opportunity to participate actively in class work and to ask questions about current material. You should bring your textbook, the Student Packet, and a calculator to each recitation class. Attendance at recitation is mandatory. Frequent absences will adversely affect your grade in CHEM 110 as recitation queries (RQs) will be given for course credit each week (see below for details). Electronic devices (cellphones, laptops, ipads, etc.) will NOT be used and will not be allowed during recitation. Teaching assistants will hold regular office hours to provide free help to CHEM 110 students. Office hours and examination review sessions times and locations will be posted on the course website. GRADING will be completely determined by your exam, Basic Skill (ALEKs), Quiz and Recitation Query scores. There will also be a limited opportunity to earn bonus points. The details for all these assignments are provided below. The assignments are weighted as follows: Assignments
Percentage
Course points
Examinations Exam 1
17%
34 points
Exam 2
17%
34 points
Exam 3
17%
34 points
Final Exam
29%
58 points
Basic Skills (ALEKS)
7.5%
15 points
Quizzes (ANGEL)
7.5%
15 points
5%
10 points
100%
200 points
Other assignments
Recitation Queries (RQs) Total Bonus points:
Students may earn 2 bonus points for completing the course on ALEKS
Under exceptional circumstances, grades will be awarded based on fewer than the points indicated.
The exact course point requirements for each letter grade will be decided at the end of the course. A typical distribution for this course is as follows: Grade
Percent
Course points
A, A−
90 -100
180 -200
B+, B, B−
80 - 90
160 - 179
C+, C
69 - 79
138 - 159
D
57 - 68
114 - 137
F
0 - 56
0 - 113
There is no assurance that this distribution will be exactly the same this semester, however it does not change much from year to year. The +/– grade-lines will be announced after the third exam and before the late-drop deadline. The grade lines have to be drawn somewhere, and it is inevitable and unavoidable that some students are just "a point" away from the higher grade. For the reason of fairness, the policy in this course is to NOT adjust individual grades in such circumstances. There is no predetermined grade distribution for this course; if, at the end of the course, everyone has a final point grade in the A range, then everyone will earn an A. EXAMINATIONS : There will be three mid-term evening examinations during the semester (total of 51% of your grade) and a comprehensive final examination (29% of the grade) during the final exam period. The dates and times for the mid-semester exams are given in the class syllabus and listed below. These dates and times are fixed; you must work out any conflicts that arise (see the procedures, below). The final exam will be given at the time and place set by the University in its final exam schedule. Do not make plans to leave the University before you know the final exam date for CHEM 110. Locations for all exams will be announced in class and posted on the web (please do not phone for exam locations!). Date Time Examination 1
Monday, Feb. 4
6:30-7:45 pm
Examination 2
Monday, Feb. 25
6:30-7:45 pm
Examination 3
Monday, Apr. 1
6:30-7:45 pm
Make up (only for students who missed a midterm exam)
Monday, Apr. 15
6:30-7:45 pm
Comprehensive Final Exam
Date and time to be announced
A student having a legitimate excuse (family emergency, illness, university-scheduled activities, etc.) for missing any of the three scheduled tests will be provided with a single make-up opportunity near the end of the semester (see above). This make-up test will cover the material of all three exams (see the procedures below). Homework is designed to help you develop basic skills and to understand and apply your understanding of concepts presented in class and in the textbook readings. Doing all assigned problems is essential to success in this course. If you have questions about the homework you can raise them during recitations, office hours, and seek help in the Resource Room (211 Whitmore). There are two phases to the homework assignments: the Basic Skills section consisting of ALEKS objectives, and the problems in the Student Packet. The dues dates for the ALEKS objectives are given in the syllabus. The due dates for the homework assignments in this packet are given at the beginning of each homework assignment. There will be no extension of deadlines or make-ups allowed for any assignment or quizzes due to built-in excess of points. Do not put these off until the last minute.
ALEKS is a artificial-intelligence based teaching tool that we will be using this semester to help you learn the basics needed to do the homework in chemistry. There are 15 assignments (the Prep course + 14 objectives) in ALEKS, each worth 10 points toward your Basic Skill score. Your ALEKs score will be equal to the percent score of the objective in the ALEKS gradebook (after the due date for the objective) divided by 10. If the sum of all your objective scores is 125 points or more, your will have the full 15 course points. No extra credit is possible. Lower number of points will translate into proportionally smaller number of course points. For example, a total objective score of 100 would give you 12 course points. Bonus points (2 course points) can be earned by completing the course in ALEKS and taking the final assessment. Please note that taking intermediate assessments (see the syllabus for deadlines) does not earn any course credits, but it is required for you to proceed with fulfillment of ALEKS objectives. More details on ALEKS are provided on CHEM 110 website. Assigned problems from the Student Packet will not be collected for grade. However, they must be done before recitation each week and knowing how to solve these problems is necessary to earn credits on recitation queries (RQs) and essential for doing well on quizzes and exams. Recitation queries (RQ) will be given for credit each week during the recitation period. They will consist of one problem similar to those in the assigned set. There will be 5 points associated with each recitation: 3 possible points for the RQ (correct answer and correct explanation of the solution) and two additional points earned for attendance and participation in recitation. Your RQ score will be equal to the sum of your recitation query scores. There will be 14 RQs (70 total points possible). If you accumulate a total RQ score of 50 or more, you will earn the full 5 course points. Lower number of points will translate into proportionally smaller number of course points. For example, a total RQ score of 40 would give you 4 course points. There will be no make-up RQs due to the built-in excess of RQ points. Quizzes will be given on ANGEL on Thursdays in most weeks (see syllabus) to help you assess your mastery of the course material. Each quiz will consist of 5 - 7 questions randomly chosen from the question bank containing questions similar to the assigned homework material. Working on quizzes you should use ONLY a calculator, the periodic table, and the datasheet. Looking up answers or getting help during quizzes is not allowed. You will have access to the quiz for one day only, but you will be allowed to take the quiz 2 times and keep the highest of the two scores. Each time a set of different random questions will be presented to you and there will be a 30-minute time limit per quiz. We are allowing two attempts so that you can get a valid attempt even if there is a computer error. Make-ups and extensions will not be given if you miss the quiz for any reason, or if you accidentally submit incomplete work, use the browser back key, or have other kinds of computer problems. Please make efforts to be prepared for the quizzes on the day they are due, and if your computer is not working properly, be sure to get to a PSU computer lab to take your quiz before the deadline. There will be a total of 14 quizzes, each worth 10 points. If you accumulate a total quiz score of 100 or more, you will earn the full 15 course points. Lower number of points will translate into proportionally smaller number of course points. For example, a total quiz score of 80 would give you 12 course points. No extra credit results from accumulating a score of more than 100 points. There will be no make-up quizzes due to the built-in excess of quiz points. Details about quizzes and possible bonus points are given on our website. 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 semester and its hours of operation will be posted on the web site. You are strongly encouraged to make use of this service as soon as you discover any need for help. Delay may put you too far behind to catch up. Students with Disabilities: Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. For further information, please visit the Office for Disability Services Web site: http://equity.psu.edu/ods.
Academic integrity: Instructors are asked (Senate Rule 49-20) to provide at the beginning of a course a statement 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. You should also be aware of the extensive parts of this Rule that describe procedures for handling alleged instances of academic dishonesty. 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, providing false excuse for missed exams, 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 College of Science academic integrity web site. In a broader context, your should be familiar with and follow the Penn State Code of Conduct and the Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation. The following actions during an exam will be construed as cheating and will result in academic sanctions: using a text programmable calculator during an exam, having notes of any kind, extra papers, etc., writing of any kind on the scantron other than name, ID, section number and bubbling in answers. 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. First day of classes
Monday, January 7
MLK day, no class
Monday, Jan. 21
ADMINISTRATIVE Drop/add period ends DATES Late drop deadline
Friday, Apr. 5
Spring break
Mar. 4 to Mar. 8
Final exams
Apr. 29 to May. 3
about chemistry
You are encouraged to discuss chemistry and/or the course with your instructor and TAs. TAs hold office hours in the Chemistry Resource Room 211 Whitmore. (See "Help" for details.)
administrative
For administrative questions, questions concerning exam scores, registration issues, etc., contact Mike Joyce in our undergraduate office in 210 Whitmore (814-863-3261). Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm Mon. through Friday.
conflict exams
Conflict exams will be provided on the same day as the normal exam at different times. In very special circumstances (such as unavoidable travel) students may take the exam one or two days earlier than scheduled. If the travel involves a Penn State team with an instructor or a coach, an on-the-road exam may be arranged. Students with valid conflicts (for example, University scheduled activities) must sign up in class for the alternative time, or make alternative arrangements with Mike Joyce in 210 Whitmore when the request is made.
Contact points
Wednesday, Jan. 16
make up exam
exam day Exams
Make-up exam will be provided only to students with valid excuses (family emergency, illness, university-scheduled activities, etc.). In order to be permitted to take the make-up exam you must provide Mike Joyce in 210 Whitmore with a written explanation of your absence within 2 weeks of the exam date. This explanation must include your signature, but should not include any unnecessary private details. Only one comprehensive make-up exam (covering material from Exams 1, 2, and 3) will be given. It is your responsibility to sign up for this exam when the announcement is made in class shortly after the third exam. You should bring to each examination your student ID, some #2 pencils, an eraser, and a suitable scientific calculator (one that handles numbers in scientific notation and provides log/antilog functions). Calculators with textstorage capabilities (such as the TI-81 used in Math 140) or communication capabilities (such as cell-phone calculators, or BlackBerries) will not be permitted for use on exams. Except for simple scientific calculators (mentioned above) no other electronic devices of any kind are permitted on the exams. If such devices are detected (whether in use or not) students may receive a zero score on the exam in question. An exception to this rule for medical (or otherwise essential) equipment must be arranged before the exam. A periodic table of the elements and data sheet with equations and constants will be provided with each examination. Be sure you know your correct section number and student I.D. number and that you enter these correctly on your scantron (examination answer sheet).
About one or two days after each exam you should check your grade on your e-mail access account. The grades are only send to "@psu.edu" score reports accounts and are not forwarded. When viewing your grade report, it is important that you set both screen and print fonts to Courier so that "Item Number," "Correct Choice," and "Your Errors" line up properly. score problems
Late drop
Deferred grade
If you feel that your grade is incorrect or you cannot find your grade, or you get an e-mail note asking you to contact your instructor, you should see Mike Joyce in room 210 Whitmore within one week after grades are announced. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm Mon. through Friday.
deadline
Late-drop deadline is April 5, 2013 (just after the 3rd exam).
grade designation
Students who late-drop will receive WN designations on their transcripts.
Deferred grades are granted only in special circumstances when for reasons beyond a student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time. It is the student's obligation to request a deferred grade, and to take a comprehensive final exam before the University-set deadlines. The deferred grade will be based on the weighted average of the scores obtained on all exams taken by the student (the score on the comprehensive final will substitute for the missing score).
