Chemical Principles I

Instructor: Cindy Strong
Office: West Science 317A
Phone: (office) x4316
(home) 895-6506

Office hours:
M 11:00-12:00; T 3:00-4:00; W 11:00-12:00; Th 11:00-12:00; F 11:00-12:00
These office hours are a minimum; I am often in my office at other times, and you are welcome to come in for help. You may also call me at home in the evening before 11:00 pm. If you are stuck on a problem, calling to ask a question can save you a lot of time and frustration! Also, I check email at around 10 pm each evening, and I’m happy to answer questions then.

About Chem 121: Chem 121 begins with some basic ideas about elements, compounds, and chemical reactions. We will deal with stoichiometry -- mass/mole relationships in chemical reactions -- and three major types of chemical reactions. Next, we consider energy changes in chemical reactions. In the second half of the class, we will deal with atomic structure, the periodic table, and the bonds that form between atoms. The class ends with a discussion of the shapes of molecules and the forces between molecules.

Text: Chemistry, 9th edition, by Raymond Chang. In addition, a bound (not spiral) notebook is required for lab; these are available in the bookstore. Lab goggles are also required; they are available in the chemistry stockroom for $5.00. You will need a calculator with scientific notation. Graphing calculators are allowed but not necessary.

Lab: Charles Halsey will teach the lab portion of the course; he will distribute further information about lab. You must pass the lab in order to pass the course.

Class and lab schedule:
Mornings: Class will meet from 9:00 to 11:00 am Monday through Friday. If you have questions about the problem set assignment, come early: we will work on those questions from 8:45 to 9:00.
Afternoons: The class will be divided into two sections; each section will meet twice a week for lab from 12:30 to 3:00. (See the attached schedule for more details.)
Optional: Problem sessions will be offered Tuesday through Friday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:30. These sessions are a good opportunity to ask questions and work on problem sets or additional practice problems. Question sessions will also be offered on the evenings before tests.

Math support: Jessica Johanningmeier, the Quantitative Reasoning Consultant, is available to help with math review, quantitative problem solving, data presentation, and other math-related issues. Jessica’s office is located in room 126 of Cole Library, x4222. On the first Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:30, Jessica will offer math review sessions tailored specifically to the material in Chem 121.

Problem sets: Problem set assignments are listed on the daily schedule. It is essential that you work the assigned problem set each night and not wait until the weekend before the test. The details:

• Problem sets will be due day after they are assigned, at 3:00 pm. If you have questions about a problem set and are unable to finish it in time, I will accept it one day late with no penalty.
• I will collect your problem sets and check to see that they are complete, but I will not grade them. If you complete all of the problem sets, you will receive 100% of the points for the “problem sets” portion of your grade (see below).
• Answers for many of the questions are in the back of your textbook; I will post the answers to the remaining problems on the web site. You are responsible for checking to be sure that your answers are correct. I will check to see that problems have been completed, but I will not correct them.
• Partial credit will be assigned for partially completed problem sets.
• I will drop your lowest problem set grade when I calculate final grades.
• Late problem sets will be accepted at any time and counted for half credit.

Grading: Your grade will be based on your scores on the quizzes, two exams, and the comprehensive final exam, as well as the quality of your lab work, your course notebook and your participation in in-class group work.

Three quizzes 12%
Two exams 32%
Lab work 20%
Problem sets and participation 10%
Final exam 26%

Grading cutoffs:
A- 90%
B- 78%
C- 67%
D- 55%

Accommodations for learning disabilities: Cornell College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students.  If you have a documented learning disability and will need any accommodation in this course, please request the accommodation(s) from me as early as possible and no later than the third day of the term.  Additional information about the policies and procedures for accommodation of learning disabilities is available on the Cornell web site at www.cornellcollege.edu/academic_affairs/disabilities/.

Health issues: For your safety and the safety of those who will be working with you in the lab, please inform me and the lab instructor if you have a health issue that may be exacerbated by exposure to chemicals. Examples would be asthma, severe allergies, seizure disorder, or pregnancy. We will keep this information confidential and work with you to minimize your risk.

Other policies: I encourage you to work together as you study the material and work the problems. Examples of inappropriate cooperation would be copying from a current or former student's lab notebook or problem sets, or sharing information during a test. Please be aware that these actions constitute cheating and will be handled in accordance with the policies in the student handbook.
A student who wishes to drop the course on the 15th day must have completed all the work for the course and must have attended class faithfully. Since the problem set grade and the lab grade are based largely on effort, your grades in these two areas must be at least 50% if you wish to drop.

Schedule, reading assignments, and problem sets

Notes on the reading assignments