CHEMISTRY IN SOCIETY
Instructor:
Susan Glenn
e-mail: susanglenn@usca.edu
phone: (803) 642-2616 (home)
(803) 643-6940 (office)
CHEM 105 Spring 2016 (4 credits)
office: Room 305 Science Building
office hours: Mondays 10 – 11AM
Wednesdays 9 – 10 AM
mailbox: Geology and Biology Office, Science 201
Lecture: Tuesday and Thursday 9:25 AM – 10:40 AM
Lab:
Tuesday or Thursday 10:50 – 1:30 PM
Room 301 SBDG
Room 315 SBDG
Final Exam: Tuesday, May 3 at 8 AM in Science 301 (do not purchase plane tickets before this date!)
Text: (strongly recommended) Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry to Society (8th edition)
• You may use ANY format of the 7th or 8th edition including the on-line only copy through McGrawHill, the loose leaf, or bound version from any suppliers. (see Blackboard for more details)
Lab Manual: (required) Chemistry: Chemistry in Society Laboratory (McGraw-Hill Primis)
• The USCA Bookstore has a custom version of this manual that contains only the labs you will need,
if you order on-line, be sure to use the correct ISBN from the bookstore information.
• DO NOT PURCHASE A USED MANUAL it does not contain all the needed pages!!!!!!!!
Calculator: You will need a basic scientific calculator for this course. (see calculator section below)
Course Objective:
The primary purpose of this course is to offer you an understanding of how chemistry affects your everyday
life. In addition, you will learn many of the fundamental principles and some of the vocabulary of chemistry. It
is hoped that successful completion of this course will leave you with the ability to be a wise consumer of
scientific information. This includes the ability to appreciate the pros and cons of decisions made by
businesses, politicians, and agencies such as the EPA. The positive experience gained through this course
should clearly give you the confidence and interest in promoting this central science regardless of your
chosen profession.
Course Format:
Our goal is to discuss four socially important topics that are covered in chapters 1-8 of your textbook. These
topics are: the air we breathe; protecting the ozone layer; global warming; and past, present, and future
energy sources.
Course Evaluation:
Exams: Understanding of the chemical principles and vocabulary will be evaluated through three one-hour
tests and a comprehensive final exam. While understanding chemical principles is crucial to those who plan
to take additional chemistry courses, critical analysis of environmentally and socially relevant issues may be
more important to those who are taking this course to satisfy general education requirements. Thus, the
material covered and assessed will be skewed more toward the qualitative than the quantitative aspects of
chemistry.
Quizzes: Quizzes will be given on a regular but unannounced basis throughout the semester. The purpose of
quizzes is to give you a brief checkpoint of your understanding of the current material. If you are reviewing
material covered on a daily basis and asking questions when needed, you should do well on quizzes. There
are no make-up quizzes for any reason.
Reports: In order to demonstrate your ability to independently collect, evaluate, and effectively communicate
information related to the issues discussed in the chapters covered but in more depth, you will be required to
submit a two-page, 1.5-spaced typed summary of these issues. You will be expected to incorporate a
minimum of three outside sources (internet, newspaper, magazines, and books) in addition to the textbook.
These three sources may not be on-line encyclopedias though they may be used as additional sources.
Each summary, written in your own words, will include information from these sources to expand the topics
covered in lecture. Each summary should also include a brief discussion of a local connection (i.e. why
should you care about this issue). The local connection must be supported by a source. The purpose of
these reports is to expand your knowledge, your ability to gather it, your ability to apply it to your own life,
and your ability to communicate it in a clear and professional manner. The final product will be in 12 point
Times or Helvetica font with top, bottom, left, and right margins of 1.0 inch from the edge of the paper. The
heading will include (at the left side); line 1 – your first and last name, line 2 – the date, line 3 – "CHEM 105
Report #". After the heading, skip one line, center your title, skip one more line and begin your paper. A
template file with all the appropriate settings pre-set is available on Blackboard under Writing Assignments.
The sources should be referenced at the end of the summary and may be on the same page. You may use
any citation format you like, but you must use a generally accepted format (e.g. ACS, APA, etc.). All
references must include the author, title, publisher, and date. Include page numbers for printed material and
the complete web address (URL) for on-line material. A handwritten copy of the student honor code should
be included with your signature at the end of the references or on the back of the paper. A hard copy of
each paper will be due at the beginning of the lecture on the date announced in class. In addition, an
electronic copy of the same paper must be submitted through Blackboard before midnight of the same date.
No grade will be recorded for a paper that is not properly submitted through Blackboard. If you are unable to
be in class that day you must submit through Blackboard a copy of your report BEFORE the lecture deadline
and then turn in a hard copy the next time you are in class. The Blackboard submission time stamp will be
used to determine if the paper was completed on time or if the grade will be reduced for tardiness.
Lab:
Chemistry is primarily an experimental science. Therefore, laboratory experiments are an important part of
the course. In order to gain any benefit from the lab, you have to read and prepare for the experiment ahead
of time. An on-line pre-lab assignment will asses your preparation for that day's lab. Some pre-lab
assessments may be assigned with a group component that will be added as a bonus to your individual
assessment. In order to be eligible for the group component, you must be in lab at the start of the group
component and on your regularly assigned lab day. After the experiment has been conducted as per the lab
instructor's guidance, calculations will be carried out and questions will be answered while you are still in the
lab. The lab report (including the data sheet) must be submitted at the end of each lab period before you
leave the room. Missed laboratories must be made up in the same week as the scheduled lab during another
lab section class meeting. [Labs meet on Tues. at 10:50 and Thurs. at 10:50 for about 2 1/2 hours.]
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to copying others’ work (even if
they took the class another year) and plagiarism of published material including copying text from internet
sites for any part of your paper. If I suspect academic dishonesty, I will pursue the issue through the
appropriate university channels according to the student handbook and university policy. This includes but is
not limited to assigning a 0 for the assignment and reporting the problem to the university officials.
Calculators:
I highly recommend you invest in a calculator if you do not already have one. You do not need to spend $100
on a graphing calculator with all the bells and whistles unless you will use it t in another class. You will
spend $15 - $25 for a calculator that will last you through all of 105 and as well as most other science or
math classes you might take. It needs to have scientific notation and exponential keys. The best way to be
sure of this is to look for a "Scientific" calculator as opposed to a "business" calculator. If you are not sure
about the calculator you own, bring it to me and I will show you where the important keys are. Cell phones,
laptop computers, iPads, tablets, and other handheld electronics will not meet your need for a separate
calculator and will not be allowed during quizzes and exams.
Policy for Electronic Devices:
(as per the faculty handbook and University Policy)
“The use of any portable devices, including cell phones, pagers, MP3 players, iPods, etc., during class is not
allowed for any reason unless prior approval has been given to a student from the instructor or unless
required for the course. If you are planning to have any of these devices in class, they must be turned off and
stowed away for the duration of the class period. If you use a portable electronic device during a test, quiz, or
other assessment, you are eligible to receive a failing grade on that assignment.”
Classroom Behavior:
(as per the student handbook and University Policy)
“It is the instructor’s right to remove from the classroom any student who disrupts or disturbs the proceeding
of the class. Disruption of the class includes but is not limited to the use of any portable electronic devices,
including cell phones, MP3 players; iPods, etc. unless prior approval has been given to a student or unless
required for the course. In extreme cases the faculty member can request assistance from University
Police. If the student who has been ejected causes similar disturbances in subsequent meetings of the
class, he/she may be denied admittance to the class for the remainder of the semester and assigned a
grade of F.”
Extra Credit:
You may earn extra credit by submitting a summary of a current event article appearing in a newspaper,
magazine, or on-line news service that you have read on topics that are being discussed in class. The
number of extra credit points will be decided by me on a case by case basis depending on the nature of the
article and the time you put into understanding it. Including a brief summary of the article, assessment of its
accuracy, and relevance to your life with a copy of the article will increase the point value. You may submit
one extra credit assignment for each exam period up to but no later than 1 week after the relevant exam.
You must turn in all writing assignments in order to apply Extra Credit points to your grade.
Attendance:
Attendance of all class meetings is expected, though excused absences are understandable. However, just
as class participation/preparation will be used to help determine borderline grades, regular attendance will be
looked upon favorably at the end of the semester. The Department of Chemistry has adopted the following
attendance policy for all of its 100-level courses: Students must attend at least 75% of all classes. Students
missing more than 25% of the lectures (7) will fail the course. Missed assignments including tests due to
EXCUSED absences may be made up at the discretion of the instructor. Unexcused absences on exam
days will result in a grade of 0 for the exam. You must notify the instructor IN ADVANCE or as soon as
reasonably possible for an absence to be excused. This means you must call, e-mail, or see me in person
about the absence BEFORE it occurs (if you are ill contact me as soon as you know you will miss class). In
the case of a missed exam, notification in person (i.e. a conversation with me) AND the make-up exam must
occur BEFORE the next class meeting. In the case of a missed exam, documentation will be required.
Documentation of the excuse may be required at the discretion of the instructor for other absences. What
constitutes proper documentation will be determined by the instructor but may include a SIGNED doctor's
excuse filled out on his/her form including a phone number and dates, funeral home/pastor's SIGNED
excuse filled out on their form/stationary, court appearance notice including proof you did appear either from
the court/judge involved or a SIGNED letter from the court/judge involved stating that you did appear on that
date and time (the reason for appearance need not be included).
Disabled Student Policy:
If you have a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability which might affect your performance
in this class, please contact the Office of Disability Services, B&E 134, (803) 643-6816, as soon as
possible. The Office of Disability Services will determine appropriate accommodations based on
documentation.
Lab Deductions:
I will take deductions starting at ONE FULL letter grade for each of the following;
•each safety violation
•inappropriate conduct
(includes not wearing proper eye protection) •improper (or failure to) clean up in lab
Students will not be allowed to participate in lab and will receive a 0 for that day if they are not properly
attired. This includes but is not limited to closed toe shoes and pants/covered legs.
Typical Grade Distribution:
Three (or Four) Reports @ 50 points
Ten Quizzes @ 10 points
Three Tests @ 100 points
Final Exam @ 200 points
Thirteen Labs @ 20 points
Thirteen Pre-Lab Assigns. @ 5 points
Total
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
150 (200)
100
300
200
260
65
1075 (1125)
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
90%
85%
80%
75%
70%
65%
60%
Grading:
•You must be in class to take a quiz. This means no make-ups. I will drop at least one quiz.
•You must make up any missed exam before the next class meeting.
•You must successfully submit an electronic copy of a report to Blackboard to receive a grade.
•You must be in lab ON-TIME to take the pre-lab quiz and participate in group bonus work.
•You must be in lab to turn in a pre-lab or a report.
•You must turn in all writing assignments in order to receive credit for Extra Credit writings.
•Lab reports are due before you leave the laboratory. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS.
How to Be Successful in this Class
Please feel free to ask questions in lecture and lab that is what this time is for. If you feel you need individual help, or encounter
difficulty outside of class, my door is always open (as long as my schedule permits it). Please do not hesitate to find me, e-mail me,
or call me. I may ask you to come back at another time, but I will schedule one right away with you. The best way to get a
message to me is to send me an e-mail but you can also call me at home.
Your responsibilities:
You need to come to class prepared. This means you have read the chapter and worked all the recommended problems/questions in
the text. You need to have reviewed your notes/text to make sure you understand everything or are prepared to ask questions about
the things that are not clear. You need to bring your textbook, lab manual, paper, a calculator, and any questions that you have or
topics you would like us to discuss. You also need to be prepared for the lab we will do that day. This means you have read the
entire procedure before coming to class and know how to do all the procedures and calculations that are required to complete the lab
report. It also means you are dressed safely and are carrying your common sense.
My responsibilities:
I will come to class prepared to lead discussion of the issues presented in the text and to answer your questions on anything related
to the class. If you need extra help outside of class, I am always able to set up a time to meet with you. In lab I am also there to
ensure your safety.
Sources for help:
Me - look for me in my office, e-mail, or call at home 10 AM to 10 PM (If you leave voice mail on campus, I get it at home as
an e-mail. Leave a message on my home machine instead.)
Classmates - working together forces you to explain to each other which is the best way to learn, if you can teach someone else
you are ready for the test
Friends/floormates/housemates etc. who have done well in this class in the past
Tutors – The Academic Success Office has some great FREE resources for you.
The WRITING room - They are excellent with grammar, sentence structure, organization, & clarity of expression (don't wait
until the last day, they are busy).
The librarians at the Reference Desk in the library and any of the reference librarians in the offices directly behind the desk are
more than happy to help you find sources for your research and properly cite them in your reports.
How to succeed in chemistry:
•Turn in ALL assignments
•Attend all class sessions (lecture/recitation/lab).
•Read the material once before it is covered in lecture.
•Take good notes (write down all examples and answers) -- put the date on each day's lecture so you know if one is missing
•Do all assigned problems on the same day they are covered in class -- rework them one day before exams
•Ask lots of productive questions ("I don't get it" is not as effective as "How do you get 23.0 from the second step?")
•Make a list of questions and bring it to class
•Treat each quiz as a practice test set. If you miss it on the quiz, make sure you figure out what went wrong and FIX IT before the
next class.
• Show all of your work in clear organized steps. This means start with the formula then show each step IN ORDER so I can help
you focus on your trouble areas AND so you can receive partial credit!
•Stuck? Get help ASAP! A small problem today will quickly turn into a major crisis if you don't fix it quickly because the new
material builds on previous material. See sources for help on front.
How to be successful in the lab
•Be safe - use your common sense, follow all the rules all the time, AND behave maturely
It is a shame to lose points or an eye for goofing around
•Be prepared. Read the lab thoroughly at least the night before. Make sure you know how to do all of the calculations required. It
may help to write in the procedure the line # of the piece of data you are to record at that step. Put a small star by each line
for data then you won't skip any. Pay careful attention to any safety concerns in the procedure, in an emergency you will not
have time to look them up. Review the lab procedure on the day of class to remind yourself what is happening.
•Show all formulas and each step you use when doing calculations. If I can't follow your work, I can't give you a score. Simply
filling in answers only shows me you know where to find the answers not that you know how to get them yourself.
•Ask questions whenever you are not sure. (Always read the directions one more time before you ask because the first thing I will
ask you to do is tell me what they say to do.)
Scoring Rubric for Reports in Chemistry in Society:
25 points for content - accuracy and quality of information, thoroughness in covering topic, quality of sources used,
connection/application of information to the reader, etc. *This includes Use of Sources (5 pts)
from below.
25 points for effective communication of content – all items shown below except Use of Sources which is included in
the content score (this rubric is from the Writing Portfolio)
Grading Rubric for Quality Writing (same as Writing Portfolio)
Clarity of Purpose
Purpose, Voice,
Audience Awareness
5
Positions are clear;
thesis/intent are obvious;
complexities and
various viewpoints are
addressed; clear sense
of audience.
Quality of Thought
Logic, Evidence and
Support
5
5
Attribution and
Documentation
4
5
4
5
4
4
Clarity and Effectiveness Diction and syntax are
Of Vocabulary, Diction, well chosen to express
and Syntax
ideas; no redundancies.
Grammar and Mechanics
Grammar, Agreement
Punctuation, Spelling
5
3
3
3
2
2
Grammatical structures
are well-chosen; errors don’t
distract from meaning.
3
Grammar carries
meaning forward;
some errors are
noticeable and.
distracting
1
Overall unity/coherence
are flawed; parts are
poorly connected; little
evidence of planning
and organization.
2
1
Obvious plagiarism;
little/no citation of
source material in text;
no text synthesis.
2
Acceptable language;
somewhat limited in
vocabulary and syntactic
fluency.
4
1
Little evidence of
controlling ideas;
ideas are not well
supported or support
is cliché; sloganeering.
Mixed use of sources;
some evidence for text
synthesis and citations
in text.
3
Weak
1
Lacks position on topics;
thesis/intent is unclear;
superficial attention to
addressing various
points of view; poor
grasp of audience.
Some evidence of
structural and linguistic
transitions; structure is
generally adequate for
the content.
Sources are clearly
indentified and synthesized
into text; citations and works
cited are correct.
Language and Style
2
Generally unified;
ideas are balanced;
opinions and claims
are adequately
supported.
Ideas are well connected
through structural and
linguistic transitions;
structure complements
and completes content.
*Use of Sources
Average
3
Positions are evident;
thesis/intent is evident;
some attempt to
accommodate various
viewpoints; somewhat
aware of audience.
Unified with strong
control of content;
opinions and claims
are well supported
with ample evidence.
Organization
Unity, Coherence and
Transitions
Excellent
4
1
Language errors and
limited syntactical form;
language and style
limits and distracts from
expression of ideas.
2
1
Grammar errors are
obtrusive; textual
meaning affected;
reader is seriously
distracted.
Tentative Schedule:
Date
Jan.
12
14
19
21
26
28
Feb. 2
4
9
11
16
18
23
25
Mar. 1
3
8
10
15
17
22
24
29
31
April 5
7
12
14
19
21
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
Tues.
Thurs.
May 3 Tuesday
Lecture
Lab
Welcome/Ch. 1
Ch. 1
Ch. 1
Ch. 1
Ch. 1/2
Ch. 2
Ch. 2
Ch. 2
Ch. 2
EXAM 1
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
no class
no class
Ch. 4
EXAM 2
Ch. 4
Ch. 4
Ch. 4
Ch. 8
Ch. 8
Ch. 8
Ch. 7
Ch. 7
EXAM 3
Ch. 7
no lab
no lab
Lab 1 (Exp # 1): Preparation and Properties of O2 and CO2
FINAL EXAM
Lab 2 (handout): Preparation and Properties of Pollutant Gases
Lab 3 (Exp #28): How Much Sugar is in Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices?
Lab 4 (Exp # 8): Chemical Moles: Soda to Table Salt
Lab 5 (handout): Determination of Iron
Lab 6 (Exp #17): Reactions of Acids with Common Substances
Lab 7 (Exp #27): How Much Fat is in Potato Chips?
Spring Break
Spring Break
Lab 8 (handout): Preparation of Soap and Its Properties
Lab 9 (Exp #11): Biodiesel: Preparation and Properties
Lab 10 (Exp #10): Comparison of Energy Content of Fuels
** LAST DROP DAY (Thurs. March 31)**
Lab 11 (Exp #22): Can We Get Electricity from Chemical Reactions?
Lab 12 (handout): Radiation
Lab 13 (Exp #24): Properties of Common Plastics
ALL WORK due (make-up, etc.)
8 AM (no make-ups or early exams!)
Tentative Report Schedule
due dates - reports are due approximately one week after the topic is completed in lecture - exact dates will be
announced in lecture
topic
Report # 1
Chapter 1
Air Pollution
Report # 2
Chapter 3
Global Warming
Report # 3
Chapter 4,7,8
Energy Production
Report # 4
TBA
TBA