The University of North Carolina at Pembroke 

Department of Chemistry and Physics

 

Course: CHM 1300-003, "General Chemistry I"

Term: Spring 2013 Semester                                    

Meetings: MWF 8:00 am – 8:50 pm, SCI 3246

Office Hours: 1.00 pm-2.00 pm TWRF, 3.00 pm-4.00 pm M or by appointment

Professor:  Cornelia Tirla                           

 

Literature Resources:

class text – T. L. Brown; H.E LeMay, B.E, Bursten, "Chemistry: The Central Science" twelfth edition, Pearson Education, Inc.: NJ.
web literature - some useful resources are

 

Description: This course will be concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, including stoichiometry, atomic and molecular structure and theory, and chemical periodicity. 

 

Objectives: Consistent with the goals of the UNCP General Education Program (see p. 23 of the UNCP catalog), the activities associated with this course are designed to provide students an understanding of the fundamental principles of chemistry, to solve problems and to think critically and creatively.

Format: The conventional lecture format will be the primary teaching method employed in this course. Because of the importance of quantitative data manipulation in chemistry, students should bring scientific calculators to each class meeting to allow for participation in group problem-solving sessions.

 

Any student with a documented learning, physical, chronic health, psychological, visual or hearing disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible.  All discussions will remain confidential.  Please contact Disability Support Services,  DF Lowry Building, Room 103 or call 910-521-6695.

 

While exposure to chemicals commonly encountered in a university laboratory setting pose no or low risk to an adult, they can pose a significantly higher level of hazard to a fetus. Many of these hazards are not well studied, and it is not known what exposure level is safe for a fetus. It is therefore prudent for pregnant women to limit the unnecessary exposure of a fetus to any chemicals. This is especially true if the chemicals are mutagenic (causes damage to chromosomes) or teratogenic (causes birth defects and/or fetal death).

 

If you have recently become pregnant or anticipating becoming pregnant while you are enrolled in a laboratory course, please inform your laboratory instructor and s/he will provide, upon request, the Material Safety Data Sheets for the chemicals you will be exposed to during this course. You can then discuss with your physician the potential hazards these chemicals pose to the fetus in order to make a choice as to whether or not to stay enrolled in the laboratory course during your pregnancy. 

 

Course Requirements: Graded assignments for this course will include four preterm tests and a comprehensive final exam.  Pertinent questions and problems will frequently be suggested for work outside of class, though submission of these assignments is not required.

Evaluation/Grading: Graded assignments will be scored on a 100-point scale. Course grades will likewise be computed on a 100-point scale based on the average of the four preterm test scores (75% total) and the final exam (25%).  Letter grades for the course will be assigned according to the following scale:
100-95=A, 94-90=A-, 89-87=B+, 86-83=B, 82-80=B-, 79-77=C+, 76-73=C, 72-70=C-, 69-67=D+, 66-63=D, 62-60=D-, 59 and below=F
These letter grades will then be converted to the 4-point QPA scale by the University Registrar's Office prior to being recorded on student transcripts (see p. 41 of the UNCP catalog).

Dates

Chapters

Topics

January 7-11

Ch 1

Introduction, Matter and Measurement

January 14-18

Ch 2

Atoms, Molecules and Ions

January 23

Review 1

Ch 1 and 2

January 25

Test 1

Ch 1 and 2

January 28- February 1

Ch 3

Stoichiometry, Formulas and Equations

February 4-8

Ch 4

Aqueous Reactions and Solutions Stoichiometry

February 11

Review 2

Ch 3 and 4

February 13

Test 2

Ch 3 and 4

February 15-20

Ch 5

Thermochemistry

February 22-27

Ch 6

Electronic Structure of Atoms

March 1

Review 3

Ch 5 and 6

March 4

Test 3

Ch 5 and 6

March 6-18

Ch 7

Periodic Proprieties of the elements

March 20-25

Ch 8

Basic concepts of chemical bonding

March 27

Review 4

Ch 7-8

April 1

Test 4

Ch 7-8

April 3-8

Ch 9

Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories

April 10-15

Ch 10

Gases

April 17-26

Review 5

Ch 1-10

April 29

 

Final test

 

Attendance:   Poor attendance typically results in poor performance on graded assignments and, consequently, low course grades.  Though attendance per se is not factored into this course's grading scheme, students will be required to sign an attendance roster at each class meeting for purely bookkeeping purposes.  As CHM 1300 is a course included in the UNCP General Education curriculum, the policy regarding excessive absence reporting will be followed (see pp. 49-50 of the UNCP catalog). For religious holiday policy please refer to the following website for details: http://www.uncp.edu/chem_phy/religiousholidaypolicy.pdf.

Honor Code:  Students are expected to follow the UNCP Honor Code (see pp. 49-51 of the UNCP catalog); settled cases involving first-offense violation of the Honor Code will result in a minimum penalty of course failure.