Ronald L. Drisko, Ph.D.

Fall 2010

Office: F512

Phone: (443) 840-1478

Email: Rdrisko@ccbcmd.edu

Science Office Phone: (443) 840-1380

Office Hours:

CHEM 107--3 Credits--Fundamentals of Chemistry serves as a prerequisite course for allied health, engineering or science majors.  It surveys the concepts of general chemistry. Topics include states of matter, atomic structure, periodic table, bonding, nomenclature, chemical reactions, chemical equations, and quantitative relationships. This course is mainly meant for students intending to enroll in higher-level chemistry courses.

3 lecture hours & 1 recitation hour per week
Prerequisites: (ENGL 051 or ESOL 051) and (RDNG 052 or ESOL 054) and MATH
 082
Concurrent enrollment in CHEM 108 is highly recommended.

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. apply inorganic and physical chemical principles required for the health sciences, or for continuation in a higher-level chemistry course;
2. apply scientific concepts and methodologies to physical science;
3. make conversions within the metric system as well as from the English system of measurement;
4. explain the structure of matter;
5. explain the principles behind chemical bonding;
6. explain the difference between ionic, covalent, and polar covalent bonds;
7. apply basic knowledge of chemical and physical properties and periodic relationships to predict characteristics of specific elements;
8. give the names or formulas of simple inorganic compounds and ions.
9. explain the physical properties of the major classes of gases, liquids and solids in terms of the Kinetic Molecular Theory;
10. use mathematics in problem solving;
11. determine the concentrations of solutions;
12. perform mass calculations;
13. correctly name compounds;
14. write balanced equations;
15. apply solubility rules to predict outcome of reactions;
16. explain the concepts behind the s, p, d, and f orbitals, and relate them to the Periodic Table;
17. analyze in collaboration with fellow students a chemical technological application from ethical, economic, sociological, and political perspectives;
18. identify the materials being oxidized and reduced in a reduction-oxidation reaction;
19. calculate heat change in a chemical reaction; and
20. determine pH (integer values only) and hydrogen ion concentration.

      Science vs. Technology
      Measurements, Metric System & Chemical Calculations
      Chemical Nomenclature
      Atomic and Molecular Weights, Moles & Stoichiometry
      Chemical Reactions
      Properties of Gases, Liquids and Solids & Changes in State
      Atomic Structure and the Nucleus
      Atomic Structure: Electrons and Energy Levels
      Periodic Properties
     Chemical Bonding and Molecular Shapes
     Solutions: Properties and Calculations
     Thermochemistry
     pH scale

CHEM 107 (along with its laboratory component, CHEM 108) is a required course for students seeking a career in some fields of allied health as well as for students getting ready to take General Chemistry. It is designed to provide the background that students should have had after successfully completing a rigorous study of high school chemistry. The course surveys the concepts, principles and methodologies that are fundamental to our understanding of general chemistry. 

Evaluation
 

Exams (3)	--------------	55%
Final Exam	--------------	25%
Homework	-------------- Total	20% 100%

Final Average	Grade
90 - 100	A
80 - 89	B
70 - 79	C
60 - 69	D
< 60	F

Three exams (one hour length) will be given throughout the term (see tentative syllabus) and a final exam (two hours) will be given during the final exam week (see tentative syllabus). The average of the three exams will comprise 55% of the final grade, the final exam score will count 25%, quizzes will count 15% and OWL homework will count 20%. 

No make-up exams will be given under any circumstances. For the purpose of this document, a make-up exam is defined as an exam which is different from the exam taken by the class on an announced exam date.  If a student knows in advance that he/she cannot take the exam on the announced date, he/she should contact the instructor immediately to arrange to take the exam at another mutually agreed-to time.  If, on the announced date of an exam, a student is unable to be present to take the exam, he/she must contact the instructor by telephone or email on that day.  If arrangements can be made to take the exam before it is passed back to the class (usually the next class period after the exam was given), this is not a make-up.  If the instructor is not notified of a student's inability to take the exam on the scheduled date or if the student fails to appear to take the exam at the agreed-to date and time, except in extremely extenuating circumstances, the student will receive a score of zero for the missed exam.

Students are also advised that the college operates a free tutoring program. The schedule of chemistry tutors is not yet available but students who feel that tutoring might be needed should contact the tutoring office in the Student Success Center. The time to seek tutoring is before one gets in trouble in the course not after failing the first exam!

Each student is expected to attend class regularly. Students who miss lectures are responsible for obtaining notes and/or other information from classmates or from the instructor.

Habitual lateness for lecture reveals a lack of respect for the instructor and fellow students as well. All students are expected to be present in the classroom when the lecture is to start. Students who arrive late for lecture interrupt the learning process of the classroom. If you must be late for lecture due to an unavoidable circumstance, please enter the classroom quietly and sit at the nearest available desk.  

All cell phones, beepers or other types of electronic devices must be turned off during class times! Students are not permitted to use cell phones or to text message in the classroom. Failure to heed these rules may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the College's policies concerning disruptive behavior. Notebook computers may be used in class only for the taking of class notes. The instructor reserves the right to request the student to show him the file containing the class notes taken at any particular time in the class period.

Course Materials :

Introductory Chemistry: An active Learning Approach, Fourth Edition, Caracolice & Peters

OWL Access Card for Homework (packaged with the text if new copies are purchased, also available on-line at http://www.cengage.com/owl/)

Electronic Calculator (with exp or Y^x functions)

Office Hours

All students are invited to avail themselves of the opportunity of meeting with the instructor during office hours. No appointment is necessary to confer with the instructor during these times. It must be stressed that some questions asked by a student during lecture may not be appropriately dealt with at that time. The time required to deal with a matter which is particular to only one student is time which is not available to the other members of the class. If the instructor asks a student to confer with him about a particular matter after class or during office hours, the student should not feel put-off but should take advantage of the chance to work with the instructor one on one.

Tentative Syllabus

Important Dates

 

Reading Assignments	Problem Assignments, OWL
Introduction to CHEM 107	There are several required introductory items in OWL , due 9/7
Chapter 2, Matter & Energy	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 9/14
Chapter 3 Measurement and Chemical Calculations	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 9/21
Chapter 5, Atomic Theory: The Nuclear model of the Atom	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 9/28
Exam #1	September 30
Chapter 6, Chemical Nomenclature	OWL:6.3b Homework, 6.8 Homework, 6.9 Homework, End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 10/
Chapter 7, Chemical Formula Relationships	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 10/
Chapter 8, Chemical Reactions	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 10/
Chapter 9 Chemical Change	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 10/
Exam #2	November 3
Chapter 10, Quantity Relationships in Chemical Reactions	End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 11/
Chapter 11, Atomic Theory: The Quantum Model of the Atom	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 11/
Chapter 12, Chemical Bonding	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 11/
Chapter 13, Structure and Shape	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, due 12/
Chapter 16 , Solutions	OWL: End of Chapter Questions, Exercises, and Problems, optional for Extra Credit, due 12/
Exam #3	December
Review
Final Exam, Dec 16, 12:00 -2:00

Reading Assignments

Reading assignments for each chapter covered this semester are presented in the tentative syllabus. It is expected that students will read this material prior to the students going over it in lecture. This provides an opportunity for the student to anticipate which sections of a chapter may be troublesome and, hopefully, will stimulate questions as the material is presented in class. The tentative syllabus also lists the numbers of assigned homework problems for each chapter. These assignments are those that must be done online using the OWL homework system and which will constitute the homework grade. Owl assignments must be completed by specific dates which correspond to the date for which exams will be scheduled.These date will be announced in class when the exams are scheduled. Other homework assignments will be given for each chapter.These will be posted here on my web page on a weekly basis. These additional assignments will not be graded but are intended to help the student to prepare of quizzes on the chapter material. It is recommended that every student attempt as many of the end-of chapter problems as possible. It should also be noted that the textbook provides complete solutions to many types of exercises assigned in the homework sets within the reading assignments. Such information provides an excellent resource and model for set-up and solution of the “classic” types of problems encountered in this course.

Homework and Recitation

A portion of our class time each week will be devoted to recitation which is intended to be student active.  Recitation may involve individual student board work and presentation of homework problem solutions and from time to time short quizzes may be given.  It is important, therefore, that all homework assignments be attempted. It cannot be emphasized too strongly that the homework constitutes the nucleus of material that the student is expected to know in this course. It is logical, therefore, that exam and quiz questions will be structured similarly to homework problems. In some situations items placed upon such tests are taken directly from the homework!!