Course Syllabus

Course Description: Fundamentals of inorganic chemistry including history, atomic theory, bonding, stoichiometry, gases, solids, solutions, chemical equilibria, acids, bases, salts, pH, and electrochemistry.   

 

Class Meeting Times:

    • Lecture material and quizzes will be provided in an online format
    • Labs and exams will be in-person on Thursdays from 11:00 – 12:40 pm in NW 104

 

Instructor Contact Information:

            Dr. Claire Miller

Email: ctornow@lakelandcollege.edu

Office Phone: 217-234-5323

Office Hours are held in NW 008:

Tuesdays 8:00 – 9:00 am

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00 – 11:00 am

Mondays from 8:00-9:00 am will be a virtual office hour, where I will be available online via email and Canvas message.

 

Course Outcomes:

  1. Use measurements, unit systems, and dimensional analysis in calculations.
  2. Apply scientific language to describe chemical phenomena.
  3. Use Atomic theory to predict elemental reactivity and properties based on the periodic table.
  4. Solve all types of stoichiometry calculations.
  5. Compare and contrast ionic and covalent compounds.
  6. Describe and quantify the driving forces of a chemical reaction, thermodynamics, kinetics and equilibrium.
  7. Explain the chemical uniqueness for the gas, liquid and solid states.
  8. Discuss the characteristics and the reactions of acids and bases.
  9. Safely collect data and analyze data obtained through experiments.

 

Required Materials:

 

  • Access to Canvas is necessary for lecture files, grades, and quizzes. A link can be found on the Lake Land College homepage.
  • General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry; H. Stephen Stoker; Publisher: Cengage Learning; Volume/Edition: 6th Edition; Copyright Date: 2013.
  • A scientific calculator is highly recommended

 

 

The following is a tentative schedule of topics that will be covered, including dates of labs and exams.

 

Lecture Material and Tentative Schedule:

Chapter

Topic

Dates

Lab

1

Careers in Chemistry and Basic Concepts of Matter

1/8 – 1/12

Lab Safety and Check-In

2

Measurements in Chemistry

1/15 – 1/19

Experiment #1

3

Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table

1/22 – 1/31

Experiment #2

 

Exam 1

Chapters 1, 2, 3

2/1

 

4

Chemical Bonding: The Ionic Bond Model

2/2 – 2/9

Experiment #3

5

Chemical Bonding: The Covalent Bond Model

2/12 – 2/16

Experiment #4

6

Chemical Calculations: Formula Masses, Moles, and Chemical Equations

2/19 – 2/28

Experiment #5

 

Exam 2

Chapters 4, 5, 6

2/29

 

7

Gases, Liquids, and Solids

3/11 – 3/15

Experiment #6

 

8

Solutions

3/18 – 3/22

Experiment #7

 

9

Chemical Reactions

3/25 – 4/3

Experiment #8

 

Exam 3

Chapters 7, 8, 9

4/4

 

10

Acids, Bases, Salts

4/5 – 4/19

Experiment #9

 

 

Electrochemistry

4/22 – 5/1

Experiment #10

Exam 4

Chapters 10 and Electrochemistry

5/2

 

Final

Cumulative

Online during finals week

 

 

Course Policies

 

  1. Course Material

All course content, such as lecture material, lab files, and quizzes are located on Canvas. You will find that the content is organized into modules. A module is created for every week of the course and will “unlock” weekly. You will also find additional resources in a module that might be helpful in learning certain topics.

 

  1. Attendance Policy

This course does not have an attendance policy. It is your responsibility as a student of chemistry to learn the material and the best way for that to occur is to donate the necessary time to lectures and labs.

 

Chemistry is a challenging subject and this course is designed to help prepare you for future coursework at a four-year institution. The study of chemistry can be very time consuming and will often “test your limits” and challenge you to think in ways you didn’t think possible. However, I guarantee that you will find that your hard work will indeed pay off in the end. I recommend that you set aside 3-4 hours outside of class for every hour in class. This time should be spent re-reading lecture material, reading the text, and completing as many suggested problems as possible. And please remember that should you need any help, I will make myself available as much as possible. Since I am here to help you succeed, I welcome feedback from all of my students at any time.

 

  1. Suggested Problems

Suggested problems are found in the textbook at the conclusion of each chapter. These problems are for your benefit as practice problems to be used in preparation for a test. They will not be graded. Those that succeed (A or B) in this course, usually prove to be avid problem solvers. It would be beneficial to use them as study tools. I have placed a list of suggested problems at the end of each PowerPoint lecture. If you have questions about any of the problems, the perfect time to ask would be during our virtual meetings or during office hours.

 

  1. Online Quizzes

There will be ten online quizzes on Canvas throughout the semester. Each quiz will be between 10-25 points. You will be allowed two, 30-minute attempts at each quiz, with the highest score of the two attempts being counted. If you run out of time, you will receive the score earned on what was completed. Quizzes have set due dates. You are given one week to complete the two attempts for each quiz. It is your responsibility to pay attention to the due dates and complete the quizzes when indicated. If you “forget” to take a quiz, you will receive a zero. One quiz score will be dropped at the end of the semester.

 

  1. Exams

Exam dates are listed in the tentative class schedule. The dates are subject to change, so please pay attention to any Canvas announcement. In the event that an exam is missed, the following guidelines must be followed in order to be permitted to make up the exam:

  • The instructor must be notified of your intention to miss an exam no later than 8:00 AM the day of the exam. Failure to provide proper notification will result in a grade of zero.
  • A student will only be granted one make-up exam during the semester.
  • Must provide valid reason for missing the exam, such as a school related event or a doctor’s note.

 

Exams will be in-person. You will have no more than one hour to complete each of the four regular exams. You will have two hours to complete the final exam. No exam scores will be dropped.

The date and time for the in-person final exam has been set by the college. All students are required to take the final exam during the published exam period. Rescheduling of a final exam is not permitted without approval of the instructor and the Vice-President of Academic services. Permission will only be granted in the event of a legitimate emergency situation. Leaving early for break or vacation is not an emergency situation.

 

  1. Labs

Lab attendance is mandatory. Missed labs will receive a zero as the score. The lowest lab score is dropped, so a missed lab will be the one dropped. If you are more than fifteen minutes late to a lab, you will receive half the total points for that lab.

Experiments are run in groups of two. You will be permitted to choose your lab partner. If the class has an odd number of students, I will assign one group of three.

A lab report from each partner group will be turned in following the experiment. This report will include, but may not be limited to, all calculations and mathematical work, recorded lab data, and the overall result of the experiment.

Lab reports are due by the beginning of the next lab period. Late lab reports will incur a 10 point deduction for every day that the report is late. Make sure you are communicating with your lab partner.

Points (5) will be deducted (from the entire class) if the lab is not clean at the conclusion of a lab period.

 

  1. Classroom Behavior

Students are expected to be attentive and to participate in class. Ask questions and answer questions. An engaged class is much more productive and earns better grades than a disconnected class. “Clowning around” will not be tolerated. If someone becomes a distraction in class, he or she will be asked to leave.

Cell phone use in class is not permitted. Cell phone ringers should be turned off. Any student found talking on a phone, texting, e-mailing, etc. will be asked to leave.

The following is Lake Land College’s Policy for Food and Drink in the classroom:

Board policy 09.10 states: Food and drink, with the exception of water in a sealable container, shall be prohibited in the theater, main level of the Learning Resource Center (library) and all classrooms and labs.

 

  1. Academic Dishonesty

Cheating of any form will not be tolerated. Cheating includes, but may not be limited to, i) giving or receiving answers during exams or quizzes ii) copying or manipulating lab data iii) copying another student’s lab report sheet iv) discussing exams or quizzes with students who have not yet taken them, v) using a cell phone during an exam. If caught cheating the following measures will be taken:

  • 1st offense: a grade of zero for that activity, written documentation that is

            sent to college administration

  • 2nd offense: a failing grade for the class, recommendation of dismissal

            from the college sent to administration.

 

  1. Grades

Calculation

Your grade will be calculated using the raw scores from the following items:

  • Four one hour exams
  • Online Quizzes
  • Lab Reports
  • Final Exam

 

Your overall point total divided by the total points available will be fitted to the scale below. Final percentages may be adjusted (curved) when or if the class average warrants it.

A 100% - 89.5%, B 89.4% - 79.5%, C 79.4% - 69.5%, D 69.4% - 59.5%, F Below 59.4 %