QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT
COURSE SYLLABUS SPRING 2016
CH-106: CHEMISTRY AND THE ARTS
Pre-requisites: None
Hours: 3 class hours
2 Laboratory Hours
4 Credits
Course Description:
This course offers a general background in the connections between chemistry and the arts.
Topics include light absorption and reflection; the nature of color; additive and subtractive color
mixing; separation of mixtures; chemical properties, synthesis and use of dyes, paints and
pigments; the chemistry of art preservation and authentication of art objects; the hazards of
chemicals used by artists; and the principles of photography. The laboratory component
applies chemical theory and techniques to practices involved in creating works of art such as
photography, painting, textiles, and sculpture. Students use modern laboratory
instrumentation, such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, and other methods of chemical investigation,
such as chromatography, to examine materials used in art.
Curricula for which the course is required/recommended:
This course is required for the A.A.S. degree in Digital Art and Design and is recommended for
students in programs offered by the Art and Photography Department. This course satisfies the
laboratory science requirement for the A. A. degree. Completing CH-106 is equivalent to
completing CH-103 and CH-104. This course may not be used as part of the Mathematics or
Science concentration in A.S. in Liberal Arts and Sciences curriculum and is not open to
students who have completed CH-151, CH-152, CH-251 or CH-252.
General Education Objectives:
Use analytical reasoning skills and apply logic to understand the scientific study of materials
used in the construction of works of art. Integrate knowledge to qualitatively and quantitatively
understand the connection between chemistry and the arts. Identify the problems and use
scientific methods learned in the course to find solutions in everyday life. Work collaboratively
in diverse groups directed at accomplishing learning objectives. Employ concepts and methods
of the physical sciences to make informed judgments.
Course Objectives/ Expected Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will be introduced to the relevance of chemistry as well as the fundamental
understanding of the materials used in art; become knowledgeable in how to properly and
safely handle potentially hazardous chemicals that artists use in their daily operation; apply the
scientific method to explore natural phenomena such as the principles of light and color, and
erosion of metal sculptures and architectures; work in groups of two to perform experiments
and gain hands-on experience correlating theory and practice involved in works of arts;
perform experiments, gather, analyze and interpret data and draw conclusions related to works
of arts such as photography, painting, textiles and metal etching; document their findings in
effective written laboratory reports; identify and apply research ethics and unbiased
assessment in gathering and reporting scientific data when writing laboratory reports and
research paper.
Text:
CHEMISTRY AND ARTISTS' COLORS, 3rd Edition
By: Orna M. V., Goodstein, and M.P. ISBN: 978-0-9637747-6-7
Lab manual: CHEMISTRY AND THE ARTS Laboratory Manual, 3rd Edition
By: Sasan Karimi, Tirandai Hemraj-Benny, and Mihaela D. Bojin
bluedoor, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-68135-89-9
Methods by which student learning will be evaluated:
The general guidelines for assessing grades are as follows:
o Examinations, Assignments, Oral presentations and Classroom Performance
o Laboratory Work
o Final Examination
The distribution may be changed at the discretion of the individual instructor.
50%
25%
25%
Accommodations for students with disabilities:
Any student who feels that he/she may need an accommodation based upon the impact of a
disability should contact the office of Services for Students with Disabilities in Science Building,
room 132 (718-631-6257) to discuss his/her specific needs and to coordinate reasonable
accommodations for documented disabilities. Students should also contact their instructor
privately to discuss their specific needs.
Academic Integrity:
Academic honesty is taken extremely seriously and is expected of all students. All
assignments must be the original work of the student (and partners or group, if applicable). All
questions or concerns regarding ethical conduct should be brought to the course instructor. “It
is the official policy of the College that all acts or attempted acts that are violations of academic
integrity be reported to the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). At the faculty member’s discretion
and with the concurrence of the student or students involved, some cases, though reported to
the OSA, may be resolved within the confines of the course and department. The instructor
has the authority to adjust the offender’s grades as deemed appropriate, including assigning
an F to the assignment or exercise or, in more serious cases, an F to the student for the entire
course.” (Taken from the QCC Academic Integrity Policy, 2/14/2005.)
Attendance/Absence Policy
Attendance will be taken at every class. The Student Handbook states that you will be
considered excessively absent from a course and will receive a WU grade if you have been
absent for 15% or more of the total number of contact hours for your course. A WU is
computed as an F in your GPA.
Students who have valid excuses for missed classes should speak with their instructor and
present documentation explaining the reason for the absence. Absences that have been
excused by the instructor will not be counted toward a WU grade.

If your class meets twice per week: you will receive a grade of WU if you have
a total of 7 or more excused and/or unexcused absences.

For any lecture that meets only once per week, you will receive a grade of
WU if you have a total of 4 or more excused and/or unexcused absences.
Laboratory Policy: All lab policies will be explained in detail by your lab instructor.
Three (3) or more absences from the lab result in a grade of WU in the lab, which will
ultimately result in a WU in the course. The first and last lab meetings are mandatory and
count against your total attendance.
There are no make-up sessions for missed labs. Policies regarding excused and unexcused
absences will be explained by your lab instructor. A full lab report is required for each
experiment and is due the next class period. Your lab instructor will describe the format for lab
reports, as well as requirements for entry into the lab. Students who arrive after the pre-lab
lecture may not participate and will be marked absent.
Safety in the lab is extremely important. Therefore, the ACS safety video must be viewed
during the first lab session. A safety quiz must be taken and passed, and the safety
declaration sheet must be signed. A student that shows up for the lab, but who has not seen
the safety video and passed the quiz, will not be permitted to conduct the experiment, will be
considered absent, and will receive a zero for the lab. There will be several additional
showings of the safety video during the first three weeks of classes. A student who has not
viewed the safety video and passed the quiz by the third lab session will have
accumulated 3 absences in the lab and therefore will not be permitted to continue in the
course. They may either withdraw or receive a WU for the course.
Required attire: Students MUST wear safety goggles in the lab at all times. Shorts and short
skirts, tank tops and cropped tops, sandals and open-toed shoes, untied long hair, and any
type of food or beverage in the lab are forbidden. Students who fail to follow these rules will not
be permitted to perform the experiment. They will be marked absent and will be given a zero
that lab.
Chemistry and the Arts (CH-106)
LECTURE SCHEDULE
CHAPTER
TOPIC
HOURS
1–2
Introduction to the course;
Introduction to Light and Color
3
3; 4
Visible Light; Bending of Light
3
5; 6; 9.5
The Electromagnetic Spectrum; White Light;
Spectra of Light Sources; Luminous Vs
Illuminated Objects
3
10; 11; 12
Spectra of Illuminated Objects;
Subtractive Vs Additive Color Mixing and Primaries
3
7-8
Introduction to Matter and Energy;
Atoms and Elements; Excited Atoms;
Energy Level and Color
3
Student Presentation
Chemical Symbols Formulas, Equations;
The Periodic Table
1
2
16
Bonding: Covalent vs. Ionic; Molecules and Compounds:
Organic Chemistry; Colored Compounds
2
17
Dyes and Fibers; Dye Adhesion and Mordants;
Natural Dyes Indigo, a vat dye; Fiber-Reactive Dyes
3
18
Artists' Pigments and Commercial Pigments
3
19
Paints and Binding Media-Oil, Acrylics,
Tempera, Water Colors; Gouache paints
3
20; 21
Black and White and Color Photography
2
22; 23
Ceramics, Glasses, and Glazes
Hazards of Artists' Materials
3
Hand-outs
Art Conservation: How scientists preserve and
Restore art objects; Authentication of Art Objects
Some Famous Forgeries Detected using Chemistry
3
Exams
3
Final Exam
2
13; 14; 15
LABORATORY SCHEDULE
WEEK
EXPERIMENT TITLE
EXPT. #
1
Check in and safety film
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2
Light and Color
1
3
Visible Absorption Spectroscopy
2-A
4
Visible Absorption Spectroscopy
2-B
5
Chromatography
3
6
Dyeing with Indigo
4
7
Synthesis of Pigments: Chrome Yellow and Prussian Blue
5-A
8
Manufacture of Gouache Paint
5-B
9
Preparation of a Small Fresco
6
10
The Chemistry of Metal Reactivity and Acid Etching
7
11
Alloys: The Copper, Silver and Gold Penny Experiment
8
12
Chemistry of Photography
9
13
Alternative Photography
10-A
14
Alternative Photography
10-B
15
Check out
Note: Answer the questions at the end of each laboratory experiment
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