Syllabus: Chemistry 116

Syllabus: Chemistry 116 Instructor: Weisshaar “Spring” Semester 2008 Chemistry 115-116, “Chemical Principles”, is a first-year sequence for highly motivated students who have an especially strong background in high school chemistry and in mathematics. In principle, the combination of 115-116 takes the place of Chemistry 109 and one of the analytical courses Chemistry 327 or 329. The core topics of Chem 116 will include chemical thermodynamics, including equilibrium, enthalpy, entropy, and free energy; chemical kinetics; acids and bases; and electrochemistry. We will try hard to relate these themes to modern chemical research. Instructor: James C. Weisshaar, 4211 Chemistry, 262-0266, [email protected]. Lectures: CHEM 2311, 08:50 AM - 09:40 AM, MWF Weisshaar Office Hours: Monday and Friday, 4:00-5:00 pm (nominal), 4211 Chem. Teaching Assistants: Stephanie Ruth Hogendoorn, ([email protected]) Schuyler “Skye” Kain, ([email protected]) Location: TA Office Desk #46 Text: Principles of Modern Chemistry, by David W. Oxtoby, H. Pat Gillis, and Alan Campion. (Oddly enough, I went to grad school with two of these guys!) With luck, we may look at some material found in Molecular Driving Forces: Statistical Thermodynamics in Chemistry and Biology by Ken A. Dill, Sarina Bromberg, and Dirk Stigter and in Quantitative Chemical Analysis, by Daniel C. Harris. I’ve placed copies of these on reserve in the Chemistry Library. Web Page: The Chem 116 web page (http://www.chem.wisc.edu/courses/116) will provide access to lecture notes, problem sets, exam and problem set answer keys, reading assignments, etc. The web page will be available by the second week of classes. Lectures and Discussion Sections: The lectures will supplement the text, define goals, and attempt to stimulate discussion and thought. Attendance is important. I assume you can read and learn from the text, which seems excellent. Please keep ahead in your reading. In the discussion sections, the TAs will answer questions and demonstrate problem-solving techniques. Section 301 meets Thursday at 9:55 and Section 302 meets Tuesday at 9:55. Feel free to attend both discussions if you like! The TAs are your first and best resource when you have questions or problems. Problem Sets: Approximately weekly, usually assigned Friday and due the following Friday. Written answers will be collected and graded. Solutions will be posted on the class web page. We encourage you to work together in solving the problems, but you must take the exams alone! Examinations: Three evening exams during the semester. Two hours: 5:40-7:40 pm. Tentative dates: Thursday, February 21; Thursday, April 3; Thursday, May 1. Final exam: Monday, May 12, 12:25–2:25 pm.

Chem 116 Syllabus, Page Two Laboratory: It is not possible to pass Chem 116 without a satisfactory grade in the laboratory work. The laboratory is an integral part of the course in which you will carry out chemical reactions, make quantitative chemical measurements, and think critically about the results. For the first six weeks of class (January 22 to February 28), we will work on “defined” labs whose primary purpose is to teach careful, quantitative chemical technique. See the web page for the schedule and pre-lab handouts. Section 601 meets Tuesday 7:45-11:50 am and Section 602 meets Thursday 7:45-11:50 am. Safety goggles are required! Sandals (and bare feet) are forbidden! These defined labs will often precede the corresponding topics in lecture. It is very important for you to read and understand the laboratory before coming to lab each week. For the following eight weeks of class (March 3 to May 2), students will work (in pairs, mostly) on a genuine research problem related to chemistry, broadly speaking. To the extent possible, we will match students up with research projects based on your interests, but keep an open mind. You will work closely with a graduate student in a professor’s research lab somewhere on campus. Our goal is to give you an “immersion experience” enabling a first-hand understanding of some of the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of modern research! You should set a target of spending about eight hours per week actually in lab, working on your project. The exact hours are flexible and may well require adjustment to meet the needs of the project. There will be lots of background reading material as well. In the last week of the semester (May 5-9), each student team will present a short mini-talk explaining their project and (hopefully) describing the results. Progress in research does not come easily, but give it your best shot! It is important to learn as much as you can from your research mentor and to ask questions when you are confused or intrigued! Some of you will be hooked on research and might want to arrange to continue your projects into summer or next fall. Others will decide they like research but will want to find a different project going forward. Still others will decide that research is really not their cup of tea! Interestingly, we consider any of these outcomes to represent real progress as you begin to figure out what to do in your career. Grades: We will develop a numerical scale that is remarkably accurate and precise, including contributions from problem sets (10%), exams (15% each for the evening exams plus 20% for the final), and laboratory work (about 25%). I expect most grades to be A, AB, or B.