COURSE SYLLABUS: CHEM 115.001, FALL, 2007

 

 

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

CHEMISTRY FOR ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Course Syllabus for Honors Section

I. Instructor Information

 

Professor: Joseph J. Topping                                            Office Hours: T&TH 11AM - Noon

Office:       Smith Hall, Room 514F                                                 or by appt.

Phone:       (410) 704-3056                                               E-mail: jtopping@towson.edu     

 

Lecture:    T & TH 930- 1045 AM, Smith 506

 

Laboratory: 100-150 PM, Smith 506, for laboratory introduction.

                                                                     

                  Laboratory work done in Smith 505, immediately after lab introduction, ending approximately 350PM.

 

II. Course Content

 

Text:         Denniston, Topping, and Caret, General, Organic, and Biochemistry,  McGraw Hill, 2007, Fifth Edition. [REQUIRED]

 

Henrickson, Byrd, and Hunter, A Laboratory for General, Organic, and Biochemistry, McGraw-Hill, 2007, Fifth Edition. [REQUIRED]

 

Denniston and Topping, Study Guide/ Solutions Manual,  McGraw Hill, 2007, Fifth Edition. [RECOMMENDED]

 

Materials:      Safety goggles - required by state law (Available in University Store or through TU Chemistry Club.)

 

III. Course Goals, Rationale, and Outcomes:

 

                  This course is the Honors College version of CHEM 105. It is similar because it covers the same core concepts as CHEM 105. This is essential because some of you will be taking CHEM 106; that course builds on the framework of  this experience. It is different because it tries to integrate the chemistry into everyday experiences…global warming, acid rain, ozone problems, and so forth. Additionally, you, the student must take personal responsibility for more of the learning…you will have some input into the pace of the course, topics covered, level of discussion, and so forth. The laboratory will provide an opportunity to learn , and reinforce learning, by doing. Most of the laboratory experiences will be group projects. You will be expected to communicate your level of understanding with clear, concise laboratory reports, participate in discussion, and solve problems and explain concepts in written exams (no true-false, multiple choice, etc.)

 

                  Conceptual learning goals are clearly listed at the beginning of each chapter of the textbook, and are referenced throughout the chapter. Classroom time will be used to explain and discuss. Out-of-class reading and writing on selected topics will be expected.

 

IV. Assignments and Evaluation:

 

4 Hour Examinations - 56%     

[Dates of Exams to be set at least 1 wk in advance.]

 

Quizzes - 10%  (Top 5 count toward grade)

[Quizzes will be announced one class day in advance.]

 

Three written critiques of assigned readings – 9%

 

Laboratory - 25% (Written or oral reports required)

 

Final Examination period is reserved for the fourth hour exam.

 

V. Course Policies

 

      Grading Scale                         90 - 100   A

                                                      80 -   89   B

                                                      70 -   79   C

                                                      60 -   69   D

 

      Tutoring Center: Free tutoring in Chemistry is available to all students.  No appointment necessary.

 

                                        Location:      Chemistry Tutoring Center Room 538

                                        Director:       Ms. Liina Ladon

                                        Phone:         (410) 704-3054

                                        Hours:        Posted on Door of the Tutoring Center

 

Attendance:    Attendance at the lectures is not mandatory, yet expected.  I strongly suggest that you attend, as the material that will be emphasized on the exams will be emphasized in the lecture.

 

            Attendance IS mandatory for the laboratory sessions.  If you know ahead of time that you must miss a laboratory, please inform me and we will try to make other arrangements.  If you miss a lab due to illness (etc.), come with a valid excuse and we will attempt to accommodate you.

 

Make-up Exams & Labs: Make-up opportunities will be given only for extremely convincing excuses.

 

Cheating and Plagiarism:      Any cheating on exams (copying from other students work, copying from materials brought in, substitute examinees, changing answers after the tests have been returned, stealing tests etc.) or labs (results invented, fudged, doctored, copied etc.) will result in a grade of  F for the course. Similar penalties apply for plagiarism.

 

 

Lecture Schedule

                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                   

Ref. Text:  Denniston, Topping and Caret, General, Organic, and Biochemsitry.    McGraw Hill, 2007,  Fifth Edition.

 

Chapter           1          Chemistry: Methods and Measurement

                         "               2           The Structure of the Atom and the Periodic Table

 

                    EXAM I        End of September

                       

                        "                 3            Structure and Properties of Compounds

       "               4            Calculations and the Chemical Equation

 

                    EXAM II      End of October

 

       "              5            States of Matter: Gases, Liquids, and Solids

 "              6            Solutions

      "                7            Energy, Rate and Equilibrium

 

                    EXAM III     Beginning of December

 

      "                8            Acids and Bases and Oxidation-Reduction

      "                9            The Nucleus, Radioactivity and Nuclear Medicine

 

EXAM IV/FINAL      Determined by University Final Exam Schedule

 

 

Laboratory Schedule

 

                 Henrickson, Byrd, and Hunter, A Laboratory for General, Organic, and Biochemistry

 

                 EXPERIMENT                                                                  

 

                 Math Review and graphing using Excel (08/30)…. Lab Manual & Handout

 

                 Check-in and Measurement and Density (09/06)….Lab Manual

 

                 Identification of an Unknown Liquid (09/13)….Lab Manual

 

                 The Structure of Covalent Molecules (09/20)….Lab Manual & Handout

 

                 Simple Chemical Reactions (09/27)….Lab Manual

 

                 Analysis of a Mixture (10/04)….Lab Manual

 

                 The Ideal Gas Law (10/11)….Handout

 

                 The Combined Gas Law and Dalton’s Law (10/18)….Lab Manual

 

                  Spectrophotometry and Chemical Analysis (10/25)….Handout

 

                 Calorimetry (11/01)….Handout

 

                 Rates of Chemical Reactions (11/08)….Handout

 

                 Acid Base Titration (11/15)….Lab Manual                                                                       

 

                  Acids, Bases, and Buffer Systems   (11/29)….Lab Manual

 

                 Check-out (12/06)

 

Laboratory Evaluation: 

 

Reports will be graded on scale of 10/9/8/7/6. Written reports must be your own work.  They will be due, unless stated otherwise, one week after scheduled lab period.  Reports submitted more than one week late will be graded down by one increment each week.   Reports that receive an “R”, that are subsequently corrected and resubmitted, will also be graded down by one increment.