CHY 113
Principles of Chemistry I

Spring Semester 2007

Syllabus

Schedule

(NOT OFFICIAL OR COMPLETE UNTIL FIRST CLASS MEETING)
Official syllabus and policies.
Last revision, Tuesday, January 2, 2007.

This course does not happen until you work the problems.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT -- CLICK HERE!

Instructor

Gale Rhodes
See Contact Information and Office Hours

Tutoring
(pending availability of tutors)

Tutoring
• TBA

Meetings

8:45 - 9:35 AM, M W F
Room 303 Payson Smith

Required
Texts
&
Materials

LOOK!!!
How to Save Money on Textbooks

  1. Chemistry, 9th Edition, Chang, McGraw Hill, 2007

    BUY OLDER EDITIONS OF THIS TEXT IF YOU CAN FIND THEM. The 8th edition (ISBN 0072512644) is identical to the 9th. Earlier editions might differ slightly in such things as problem numbers. All editions are named Chemistry, by Raymond Chang. Any other title is not the same text and will not fit this course.
    BRING THIS BOOK TO CLASS DAILY.
  2. Student Solutions Guide for Chang.
  3. USM computer account, with e-mail
    NOTE: All students must have active USM accounts that either receive mail or forward it to your preferred address.
  4. A calculator that can handle scientific notation and logarithms.
    NOTE: CELL-PHONE CALCULATORS NOT ALLOWED FOR EXAMS!

Assignments

All assignments are listed on the course Schedule.

NEED MORE PROBLEMS AND GUIDANCE?
Try the lessons at ChemReview Tutorials.

Evaluation

1) Three Exams, each 100 points. See exam dates on Schedule.

2) Twelve First-Step Quizzes, worth 100 points total. Score based on best 10 quizzes.

3) Final Exam, 200 points

For details on computation of your final grade, see Grading Policy.

Exam Dates
&
Quiz Dates

See Schedule for dates and contents of exams and quizzes. Exams will emphasize new material since the last exam, but all exams are comprehensive, including material from the first semester.
NOTE: No early, late, or makeup exams or quizzes-- no exceptions! See Fine Print.
Another NOTE: First-Step Quizzes not accepted after 8:55 AM on quiz days.

Notice to Disabled Students

 

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please inform me during the first week of the semester, after consulting with the Office of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities, 237 Luther Bonney (780-4706). For problems with writing or study skills, make an appointment at the Learning Center, 253 Luther Bonney (780-4228) or the Counseling Center, 106 Payson Smith (780-4050).

Course Schedule, Topics, and Assignments

I may revise this table of assignments as the course proceeds. I will inform you when I make changes.

Surviving Chemistry

How to study, get the most out of class, and be ready for exams.

General Chemistry Resources

Various aids and supplements, added as the course progresses.

The Fine Print

Make sure you get full credit for your work. See this statement of policies, practices, and penalties.

Course Objectives

The main purpose of Chemistry 113 and 115 is to begin equipping you to use chemistry as a tool. Most of you are here because your major (or a major you are considering) contains a chemistry requirement. This requirement is present because the designers of your curriculum know that workers in their field must understand chemical concepts and use chemical techniques in their everyday work. For instance, modern biology draws heavily on chemical skills: such techniques as genetic engineering, detecting viruses, screening for AIDS antibodies, testing for pregnancy, assessing water quality, and establishing evolutionary realtionships among animals and plants all require understanding, judgment, and skill in chemistry. Chemistry is biology's most important tool, and it is vital also in physics and engineering, where it provides a basis for understanding the substances that make up construction materials, semiconductors, and new high-temperature superconductors. Chemistry is crucial in the geosciences as well, providing the basis for understanding the structures and chemical reactions of the earth's minerals. Whatever scientific field you choose, you will be, at least in part, a chemist.

A skilled chemist

  1. understands chemical terms and concepts;
  2. knows how to make and interpret chemical measurements;
  3. knows how to solve mathematical problems in chemistry, which usually entails drawing conclusions from chemical evidence; and
  4. knows how to find, read, and use chemical information in the form of procedures, explanations, and tables of useful data.

In this course, you will have the opportunity to develop all of these skills. How skilled you become depends mostly on how much time and energy you are willing to invest. In the end, no matter how hard I work in the course, the amount and quality of your work will determine whether chemistry becomes one of your tools.

I will appreciate your advice and criticism as the course proceeds.

GENERAL CHEMISTRY RESOURCES