Chemistry 121- Introduction to Chemistry
INSTRUCTOR
Winter 2016
Sharmila Pal
Email: muniapal@gmail.com
Office: TBA
Office hours: by appointment
Course Meetings
Lecture: TEC T 417
Tues/Thurs
8:00 - 10:50 am
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed for non-science majors in two-year degree programs. The course is a first step
toward achieving scientific literacy and the content includes measurements, energy, atomic theory,
bonding, chemical reactions, the mole concept, calculations involved in chemical reactions, acids and
bases, and nuclear chemistry. This course should give you a good grasp of introductory chemistry before
you go into higher level chemistry courses and it will also enhance your problem solving skills. This 5credit class includes laboratory activities.
COURSE OUTCOMES
Upon completion of Chemistry 121 students should feel confident in making the following statements:
 I know and can recognize basic chemical symbols and their associated names and can use these
symbols to write molecular formulas.
 I can use basic math skills to solve chemistry problems and be in a position to build on this ability in
more advanced problem solving sessions.
 I will understand the process of scientific inquiry and how it is common to all investigative processes
involving questioning, analyzing and reporting.
 I am able to use appropriate documentation to exchange spoken, written, and visual information in
order to communicate effectively and to participate as an effective team member within the scientific
learning community and other appropriate settings.
TOPICAL OUTLINE
I. Methods and measurements
II. Matter and energy
III. Mole concepts and stoichiometry
IV. Atomic theory and periodic law
V. Chemical bonds and compounds
VI. Kinetic theory and states of matter
VII. Solutions and colloids
VIII. Acids, bases, and ionic compounds
IX. Reaction kinetics and equilibria
X. Oxidation and reduction processes
XI. Radioactivity and nuclear chemistry
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MANDATORY COURSE MATERIALS:
1. CHEM 121- Pearson Custom Library, Custom Edition for Lake Washington Institute of
Technology. Chapters written by: John McMurry, David S. Ballantine, Carl A. Hoeger, Virginia E.
Peterson
2. Custom 121 Chemistry Lab Manual (available at the LWIT bookstore)
3.
An inexpensive, non-graphing scientific calculator. No graphing calculators! You MUST make sure
you have your calculator every day in class.
4. Laboratory goggles , Lab coat (available at the bookstore)
COURSE WEBSITE
To obtain lecture notes, homework, and worksheets go to the following website and click on CHEM 121_LWIT:
http://facweb.northseattle.edu/spal/
ATTENDANCE
This course is fast-paced and covers a broad range of content. Attendance is critical for success in this
class. If for some reason you are unable to make a session, please make sure you get all notes,
assignments, readings completed. No make-up quizzes will be given. See Exams below for the rare
exception to the no make-up policy.
HOMEWORK and OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
Homework: Homework is the key to success in this class!!!! Homework assignments will be given on a
weekly basis. Typically there will be about 10-12 problems. Homework will be due at the beginning of
class. You are encouraged to work together on the problems, but every student needs to turn in their own
work. Please put time and effort into the assignments since it will determine your performance on the
exams.
Worksheets: In addition to homework, there will be chapter worksheets designed to help you master the
material. They will be collected at the end of the quarter as a packet/portfolio. It your responsibility to
keep track of all the worksheets and have them completed. Points will be deducted if they are not
arranged according to their serial number, if they are in-complete, and if they are sloppy.
QUIZZES and EXAMS
We will regularly engage in quizzes (most likely on a weekly basis) to keep you on top of the course
material.
A total of four in-class exams will be given during the quarter: 3 midterms and a cumulative final exam.
Please see the schedule for dates. The final exam will be cumulative. No Make-ups!! Mark your
calendars. Only for true emergencies will an alternate exam time be allowed. If you believe you have an
unavoidable conflict and will not make it to the exams, you must arrange with the instructor an alternative
time for taking the exam.
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Midterm 1: January 21
Midterm 2: February 11
Midterm 3: March 3
Final Exam: March 17
LABORATORY
The laboratory is an integral part of the course, and you CANNOT PASS the course without completing
(performing, writing, and submitting) the assigned laboratory experiments. All lab work and written work
for lab must be done individually unless specified otherwise. If you miss one lab, you will get a zero for
that lab, and if you miss two labs, you will fail the course.
1) You must attend lab each week and be prepared before entering the lab. Read the lab and answer
the pre-lab assignment questions prior to the beginning of lab. . Pre-Lab is due at the beginning of
each Lab. Pre-labs will not be accepted late (zero credit for late pre-labs).
2) ALWAYS wear Safety goggles, closed-toe shoes and long pants. If you attend lab without the
appropriate attire, you will not be allowed to participate in lab.
3) No food or drink is allowed in the lab
4) Your lab manual includes introductory material for each lab, which is followed by directions for
conducting the lab exercises and space to record data and observations. You are expected to know
and understand the background/introduction and the lab procedure before you come for the
lab – this will make you prepared for the lab and being prepared is the safest way to do a lab. I
will assess from the way you work in the lab.
5) The labs will complement the lecture material, but there may be times when the lecture and lab are
not quite in synch. Don’t worry, the information will eventually be woven together.
6) A portion of your grade will be assigned on lab behavior. You will be expected to enter lab
prepared and work in an efficient and safe manner. You must also be fully involved in the experiment
and not just a pas-sive observer.
7) All materials in the lab reports (prelabs, hand-ins, follow-up questions, results, etc) reports must be
written, prepared neatly and STAPLED before they’re handed in. Untidy and unstapled reports will
not be graded.
8) Your lab reports must be your own work, it must be written independently by yourself. The only
part that might be the same as your partner(s) would be your lab data and/or the observations recorded
in the lab. Other than that anything that appears copied from anyone would result in zero points for
both parties involved.
9) After each experiment, complete all calculations and answer all of the post‐lab questions.
Completed lab reports are due by the start of lab the week after the completion of each
experiment. Lab reports turned in after being due will lose 1/3 of their points. Lab reports turned in
within a week will lose half of their points except in cases of excused absences with prior notice given
GRADING AND GRADING SCALE
Homework: 15 pts each;
Quizzes: 15 pts each;
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Worksheet: 10 pts each
Pre-lab: 10 pts each;
Final Lab reports: 20 pts each
Midterms: 50 pts each;
Final exam: 100 pts
%
Earned
GPA
LetterGrade
% Earned
GPA
LetterGrade
% Earned
GPA
Letter-Grade
100-98
4.0
A+
80
2.7
C / C+
67
1.4
D
97-96
3.9
A
79
2.6
C
65
1.2
D
95-94
3.8
A
78
2.5
C
64
1.1
D
93-92
3.7
A-
77
2.4
C
63
1.0
D
91
3.6
A-
76
2.3
C
62
0.9
D
90-89
3.5
B+
75
2.2
C
61
0.8
D
88-87
3.4
B / B+
74
2.1
C-
60
0.7
D
86
3.3
B
73
2.0
C-
59 and < 59
0.0
D
85
3.2
B
72
1.9
C- / D+
84
3.1
B
71
1.8
et cetera
83
3.0
B / B-
70
1.7
D
82
2.9
B-
69
1.6
D
81
2.8
B-
68
1.5
D
CLASS ETIQUETTE
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Arrive on time. If an emergency causes you to arrive late, enter quietly through the rear doors of
the lecture hall.
Do not begin packing your belongings until after the end of lecture
Keep conversations to a minimum
Keep your cell phone (or other device) on silent and refrain from using phones or other
electronics not associated with Chem 121 during class time.
Do not browse or read materials that are unrelated to the lecture. This includes – but is not limited
to – newspapers, magazines, books, e-mail inboxes, and the internet. If computers are used for
these applications computers may no longer be allowed in lecture.
Expectations for Success
1. Cheating and Plagiarism: Will not be tolerated! Cheating or plagiarism of any kind will result
in a zero grade for the assignment and you will be reported to the college for academic
dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined as:
 Incorporating five words in a row from a print, electronic, or oral source without quotations
marks and proper citation (APA format)
 Paraphrasing another source so closely that the work is not truly your own
 Submitting work done by another person or receiving so much help from another person that the
work cannot honestly be considered your own.
2. Attendance: It is my expectation you come to every class on time. If your attendance is
poor or you are frequently tardy, you will not do well in this class. If you miss a class, it is
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your responsibility to obtain the necessary materials from classmates, the webpage or myself
and to hand in any assignments.
3. Late Assignments: Late assignments will not be accepted.
4. If I can’t read it I can’t grade it. Illegible or ambiguous work will receive a zero so write
carefully.
5. Show your work! Partially correct problems will receive partial credit. Problems showing no
work will receive no credit. Make sure your work is organized and clear because I will not sift
through a mess.
6. Multi-page assignments will not be accepted unless stapled.
7. Quizzes and Exams: Quizzes and Exams are completed alone, but you will be permitted a
limited amount of notes. Make up exams/quizzes shall not be given under any circumstances
so be sure to arrive on time on quiz/exam days!
8. Lab Reports: Will generally be due one week from completion of the lab and are to be
completed individually. Although you will have the same data as your lab partner, the content of
the lab report must be unique from your partner.
9. “Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
10. What you get out of this class is related to what you put in.
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The majority of learning occurs outside of the classroom!! The learner is responsible for
mastering the material.
Organization – Sticky tabs may be used to mark important pages or questions in your notebook
or textbook. Folders will help keep you from losing papers.
Class Preparation – Come to class with pens, pencils, a notebook and a functioning calculator.
Practice – The textbook and notes offer example problems. The homework problems/worksheets
offer practice. If you need more of either, try using a google search of .edu webpages (click
advanced link and restrict search to .edu domain). It is your responsibility to practice outside of
class.
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CLASS SCHEDULE
The following schedule for Readings, Lectures and Exams is TENTATIVE. The instructor always
reserves the right to make changes in the published schedule. It is your responsibility to stay
informed of the class schedule.
Date
Tuesday
Thursday
Jan 5,7
Introduction and Syllabus
Chapter One: Matter and Measurement
Finish Chapter One
Chapter Two: Atoms and the Periodic Table
Jan 12,14
Chapter Two: Atoms and the
Periodic Table
Chapter Three: Ionic Compounds
Lab 1: TECH 430 Laboratory Techniques:
Safety Precautions & TECH 382 Transfer
and Measurement in Chemistry
Lab 2: PROP 0383 Density of Liquids and
Solids
Jan 19,21
Chapter three: Ionic Compounds
MIDTERM 1
Chapter four: Molecular Compounds
Jan 26,28
Chapter 4
Chapter Four: Molecular Compounds
In-Service Day...No Class
Feb 2,4
Finish Chapter 4
Begin chapter 5: Chemical Reactions
Finish Chapter Five
Lab 4 STRC 0631: Worksheets: Visualizing
Chemical Structures Using Lewis Models
Molecular Models
Lab 3: Resolving a Two-Component
Mixture/ Alternate (Not in lab manual)
Feb 9,11
MIDTERM 2
Begin Chapter Six: Chemical Reactions,
Classification and Mass Relationships
Advising Day- No Class
Feb 16,18
Chapter Six: Chemical Reactions,
Classification and Mass Relationships
Begin Chapter Seven: Chemical Reactions:
Energy, Rates, and Equilibrium
Lab 5: Law of Chemical Equilibrium & Le
Chatelier’s Principle
Feb 23,25
Chapter Seven: Chemical Reactions:
Energy, Rates, and Equilibrium
Continue Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight: Gases, Liquids, and Solids
Mar 1,3
Finish Chapter Eight
Begin Chapter Nine: Solutions
Lab 6: Lung Capacity, Gas Laws and
Metabolic Rate (Not in lab manual)
MIDTERM 3
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Chapter Nine: Solutions
Mar 8,10
Finish Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten: Acids and Bases
Mar 15,17
Finish Chapter Ten: Acids and Bases
Exam Review
FINAL EXAM
Disclaimer: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus at any time. The
changes will be announced in the class and the updated syllabus will be posted on the instructor’s
website. It is entirely your responsibility to stay up-to-date with the website and any changes and
important announcements.
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