Syllabus

Chemistry 211, Fall 2004

MWF 8:-8:50

Dr. John W. Larson S-466

 

"...that mollycewels is a stickin' together of millions of atoms o' sodium, carbon, potassium o' iodide, etcetera, that, accordin' to th' way they're mixed, make a flower, a fish, a star that you see shinin' in th' sky, or a man with a big brain like me, or aman with a little brain like you!"- Sean O'Casey in the Plough and the Stars.

"You see, the chemists have a complicated way of counting: instead of saying one, two, three, four, five protons," they say, "hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, and boron."- Richard Feynmen in QED, Princeton University Press, 1985."

Purpose of the Course

The goals of this course are:

1. To introduce students to the vocabulary, concepts, and intellectual machinery of chemistry.

2. To introduce the students to various kinds of problem solving as applied to chemistry and science in general. Particularly to show how to approach problems in some depth and to start to develop the discipline needed to work complex, multistep problems.

3. To encourage the students to develop the "habits of successful students".

All hour exams will have approximately the following mix of questions:

30% review 70% on current chapters

Final grades will be determined based on: Hour exams 65% Final exam 35% Bonus reading 0-3

Absence Policy:  Any work missed without an excused absence will be given a zero for a grade.  Students who think they deserve a excused absence should go to the College of Science office for such an excuse.   Make up work and the grading of such work for excused absences will follow College of Science rules. 

Previous students have generally found regular class attendance and regular working of homework assignments essential to the successful completion of the course. Persistent tardiness to class will not be tolerated. 

Students who hire a tutor or obtain tutors from student services generally receive lower grades than they would if they worked on their own. Tutors (even the best ones) can not study for you or do your homework for you. They can only help you over a rough spot. They should be used with extreme caution!
 

Week 1

August 23

chapter 1
Course Format. Introduction, SI units 

1.3, 17, 19, 24, 35, 43, 46f 

Start Chapter 2

Methods of Problem Solving-Dimensional Analysis, Proportions, Derivation of Equations

2.3,13,17

Basic Definitions, Atomic History, Theory, Structure

Aug. 30


Ions, Valence Electrons 

2.24, 48,50
Formulas of ionic compounds, Names



Exam 1 thru Chapter 2 



Mole Concept-Short Calculations of Weight , Molecular Weight , Mole



Sept 6

Labor Day


Percent Composition, Empirical Formulas

Stoichiometry

3.59, 63, 90

Sept 13

 Limiting Agents and % Yield 

3.67, 69, 73 

additional

Weight-Solution Calculations 

4.5,51,55, 57

Oxidation numbers

Solution Reactions

Sept 20

Exam 2 thru Chapter 4

Introduction to quantum theory: Light, Atomic Spectroscopy
6.2, 5,11,13,23,27

History of Quantum Theory, Simple Applications

Sept 27

Quantum Numbers and Electron Wave Properties

6.41, 43,45,47,55

 

Electron Configurations of atoms

 Exam 3 thru Chapter 6

Oct 4

Understanding Valence electrons, Valence, total electrons, metals, non-metals, periodic table.
7.1, 3, 11, 15, 16, 20,22, 24


More Electron Configurations -ions

7.37, 38, 39, 40

Atomic properties and Periodic Table- Atomic size, ionizaton potential, common oxidation numbers 

7.33,43, 45, 46,49, 57


Oct 11

 Ionic Bonding 

8.1,9,14, 15,20

Exam 4 thru sections 8.2 

 Covalent bonding-

Oct 18

Bond Polarity and Electronegativity,Bond Distances, Resonance,

8.25, 31, 35, 45, 57

 Bond Energies, Exceptions to Octet Rule, Formal Charge,Molecular Stucture 

8.61, 63,

Additional

Exam 5 Thru chapter 8

Oct 25

 Molecular Shapes 

9.7,8,9,11,15 

Molecular Polarity 

9.21, 25, 26,27,28

 Hybridization and isomerization 

9.30,31, 43,44,46 

do hybridization of each atom in 9.25

Nov 1

 Molecular Orbitals 

9.53, 55, 57

 Exam 6 thru chapter 9

 Gas Laws I 

10.9,19,23, 27, 41

Nov 8

 Gas Laws II 

10.47, 48 

The density of a gas is 1.2 g/L at STP. What is its MW? 

Kinetic Theory of Gases 

62, 66,71

 First Law of thermodynamics 

5.29,31,60, 61

Nov 15

Enthalpies of Reaction. 

5.71, 72

Other energy conversions
8.63 using both bond energies and enthalpies of formation

 Exam 7 thru 10 

Nov 22

 Intermolecular Forces and Material Properites

 vacation

 vacation

Nov 29


Intermolecular Forces and Material Properites 

N2; NaCl; etc 

11.7,9,10,17,21

Exam 8 thru Chapter 11 

 Review  

Sample Final

Sample final2

Sample final3

FINAL EXAM Dec. 4 9:50 am Room TBA