Syllabus for College Chemistry (CHEM 120, 122; 3+3 cr.)    January 1, 2012

Note: 1. You can find this syllabus at http://webpages.shepherd.edu/evolker/main.htm.

2. The syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. It is not a contract.

Instructor: Dr. Eugene J. Volker, 304 876 5285. The best way to contact me outside of class is by email at evolker@shepherd.edu.

Content: College Chemistry is often referred to in catalogs of other colleges as Chemistry for the Health Sciences or as Allied Health Chemistry. It is primarily for nursing students. Together with CHEM 120L and CHEM 122L College Chemistry fulfills the General Studies requirement of Shepherd University for one year of a laboratory science.  This is an introductory course in chemistry with special emphasis on those aspects of the field that have connections to physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and medicine.

Textbook:  Karen Timberlake “General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry” 3d edition, Prentice-Hall, New York, 2010.

CHEM 120 treats chapters 1-10 of the text. CHEM 122 treats chapters 11-22 and a number of special topics which vary from year to year. For a list of the chapter topics in the text, see below.

Note: The use of cell phones or cameras in the classroom is prohibited. It is the student’s responsibility to bring a simple calculator to each quiz and exam.  Cell phones cannot be used as calculators.

Quizzes: There will be frequent short quizzes for 10 points each. If you are absent for any quiz for whatever reason, temporarily you get a grade of zero for that quiz. During the finals period at the end of the semester a comprehensive make-up quiz will be given and the grade earned on it will be substituted for up to two (but no more than two) missed quizzes.

Exams: During each semester three exams will be given after appropriate segments of the course material have been discussed. The exact dates of the exams depend on the progress made by the class. Exam dates will be announced at least one week in advance.

Exams will consist of a combination of problems and multiple-choice questions. Each examination is worth 100 points. The highest grade allowed on any exam, including the final, is 100 points. Regular exams will be graded and returned. The final will not be returned. The best way to prepare for the exams is not to miss any lectures, read the text, and work the assigned problems.

Final Examination: The final exam at the end of each semester is comprehensive. It is worth 100 points.

If the grade on the final is higher than the lowest grade among the three examinations, and the student has taken all three examinations, the final grade will replace the lowest exam grade. If a student misses one exam, the final grade will replace the missed exam only. If a student misses two exams, a comprehensive make-up exam, consisting of problems only will be given to him/her along with the final. The final grade will replace one of the missed exam grades, while the make-up exam grade will replace the other missed exam grade. The highest score allowed on the make-up exam will be 100 points.

Research papers: There will be two research papers each semester on topics of current interest in chemistry. Each of these is worth 20 points. Students will usually have three weeks to write a paper. Topics and deadlines will be given out during the semester.

 The format of the papers is as follows: They must be double-spaced and must consist of a minimum of 1000 words. Two students may submit a joint paper of at least 1300 words. Joint papers are encouraged. You may count the words of the instructor’s outline provided to you in these totals (see below), but not the references. Papers should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. No cover sheets or covers of any sort should be used. Each paper should start with

Title of Paper
Name of the student(s)                                                                  Word count

Papers should be written as direct answers to the paragraphs of the outline provided by the instructor to the student electronically and in print. Display each paragraph of the instructor’s outline in turn in your paper, then provide the appropriate answers. Attach your list of references at the end.

Try to write using your own words. If you copy verbatim from a source, such as the Internet, that source should be one of your references and you should cite it by its reference number. In such a case you must use quotation marks. An example is "Semisynthetic penicillins are prepared from 7-APA by the technique of acylation.” (ref. 3)

Some criteria for the evaluation of a research paper are:

Homework: You can accumulate bonus points by completing and handing in the assigned problems from each chapter. Each chapter is due on the day indicated by the instructor. You may receive 0- 2 points for each chapter, depending on how completely you answer all questions. While that sounds little, remember that by the end of the semester you may have accumulated more than 20 bonus points which are added to your total points earned in the course before your percentage is calculated. Besides, working the homework teaches you a lot of chemistry.

Homework must be written by hand on the form provided by the instructor. The name of the student must be prominently indicated on every page of the homework. Only selected problems of the homework will be evaluated in order to speed up turnaround time. Late homework will be accepted (for a 50% penalty) at the next class.

Grading: An "A" is given to the student who obtains 87.5% or more of the (required) points possible for the course, a "B" if he/she is within the next 12.5% bracket, and so on. You can compute your grade at any time during the course. Let's say you have a 60 and a 70, respectively, on the first two exams. You have also accumulated 10 bonus points on homework. So you have earned a total of 140 points of the 200 possible so far. (Remember, the homework is "bonus".) Your grade at this point is (140/200)*100=70% and you have earned a "C".

Puzzled by chemistry? If chemistry proves difficult for you, organize or join a study group. Still not happy?  Make use of the tutoring service available at the Academic Support Center through its website of http://www.shepherd.edu/ascweb/

 Chapters in Timberlake studied in CHEM 120

Ch 1. Measurements

Ch 2. Energy and Matter

Ch 3. Atoms and Elements

Ch 4. Nuclear Chemistry

Ch 5. Compounds and their Bonds

Ch 6. Chemical Reactions and Quantities

Ch 7. Gases

Ch 8. Solutions

Ch 9. Chemical Equilibrium

Ch 10. Acids and Bases

 Chapters in Hill Studied in CHEM 122

Ch 11. Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Alkanes

Ch 12. Alkenes, Alkynes, and Aromatic Compounds

Ch 13. Alcohols, Phenols, Thiols, and Ethers

Ch 14. Aldehydes, Ketones, and Chiral Molecules

Ch 16. Carbohydrates

Ch 17. Lipids

Ch 18. Amines and Amides

Ch 19. Amino Acids and Proteins

Ch 20. Enzymes and Vitamins

Ch 21. Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis

Ch 22. Metabolic Pathways for Carbohydrates


 

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