Experimental Discovery Core Science ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT CCEX-SHU 203, Spring 2021 Tuesday and Thursday 11:15 – 12:30 Room: 102 My zoom id: 6857105527 Dr. Amrita Pal (Assistant Professor) Office: 1114-2 E-mail: pa76@nyu.edu 1 1. Course Description This course explores the scientific foundations of current energy and environmental issues and their implications for public policy. The syllabus is divided into sections, each examining a current environmental theme in depth. The first sections investigate the composition of the atmosphere and the chemical processes that cause air pollution, ozone depletion, and global warming. Moving to the study of water, the course explores the properties of this unique solvent and the effect of various aqueous pollutants. The course also includes an investigation of energy from chemical reactions, our continuing reliance on fossil fuels, and the potential of alternative energy sources. The laboratory experiments are closely integrated with the lecture topics and provide hands-on explorations of central course themes. Throughout the course we also will examine how scientific studies of the environment are intimately connected with political, economic and policy concerns. 2. Course Learning Objectives Your learning objectives for the course: Acquire knowledge of foundational science concepts, processes, and terminology needed to understand critical issues related to energy and the environment. Develop skills in problem solving and quantitative reasoning. Understand the methods of scientific investigation. Evaluate energy and environmental issues, including those often reported in the media. Examine the economic, societal, and policy aspects of energy and environmental issues. Hone analytical and critical thinking skills needed to evaluate evidence and make informed decisions about complex energy and environmental issues. 3. Course Materials a) There is one book required for this course, available in the NYU Bookstore: Catherine H. Middlecamp et al., Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry to Society, 10th Edition (ISBN-13: 9781260570816). It is recommended that you purchase the electronic version which is available at NYU bookstore. b) Laboratory Manual for Energy and the Environment: this will be made available in the course page on NYU Classes. The manuals will be uploaded one chapter at a time. Hard copies of the lab manuals will also be provided during the lab classes. c) You will be provided with safety glasses and lab coats at the laboratory. Many of the laboratory sessions require you to use chemicals that are potentially damaging to your eyes, so SAFETY GLASSES ARE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED DURING THESE LABS. d) It is compulsory for you to wear face masks in the lab during all times. Also note that for your safety, each laboratory will be sterilized by UV lights weekly. e) Lecture classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Rm. 102 (Time: 11.15 am -12.30 noon). It is compulsory for all students to wear masks in the lecture classes, at all times. Lectures will be telecast via zoom at the same time, i.e. synchronously, for the remote students. My zoom id is: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/6857105527; f) There will be one lab session per week. Due to a cap of 24 students per lab, the same lab will be held over three sessions, two each on Fridays held simultaneously (10.00-12.30) and one on Monday (10 am -12.30 pm). You have registered to either of these 3 sessions. You cannot switch between sessions. For students outside of China/Shanghai and attending the semester remotely, virtual lab and additional explanatory slides will be posted with requirement of tasks and online assignment submissions. 2 4. Electronic Resources All course materials (announcements, homework instructions, additional readings, etc.) will be posted on NYU Classes under Energy and Environment https://newclasses.nyu.edu/. 5. Lecture and Laboratory Schedule The readings listed in this schedule are based on Chemistry in Context, 10th Edition. You will also be provided with additional readings, videos, and websites throughout the semester (uploaded in the NYUClasses) that will help you to further explore the environmental topics in the course syllabus. Laboratory dates and topics are in italics. Date Lecture Topic (Lecture classroom 102) 1 Mon Jan 25 Tue Jan 26 2 3 4 Thu Jan 28 Fri Jan 29 Mon Feb 01 Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Course Introduction THE AIR WE BREATHE The Air We Breathe Lab Groups 1 and 2 Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) 5 6 7 Tue Feb 02 Thu Feb 04 Fri Feb 05 Chemical Principles Air Pollution Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) 8 9 Mon Feb 08 Tue Feb 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Mon Feb 22 Tue Feb 23 Thu Feb 25 Fri Feb 26 Mon Mar 1 Tue Mar 2 16 17 18 19 20 Thu Mar 4 Fri Mar 5 Mon Mar 8 Tue Mar 9 Thu Mar 11 21 22 23 Fri Mar 12 Mon Mar 15 Tue Mar 16 24 25 Thu Mar 18 Fri Mar 19 Reading Laboratory Sessions at rooms 703/704 (homework assignment) No lab during first week Chapter 2 (Homework 1) No lab during first week Lab safety training, Lab safety quiz (Submit homework 1) (Homework 2) Lab safety training, Lab safety quiz Chapter 2 Chapter 2 THE OZONE LAYER Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 1: Math Review Ozone Introduction-atomic structure Chapter 3 (Submit homework 2) 11th-19th February, Chinese New Year/Spring Festival Holidays Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 2: Properties of Air Molecules and Lewis structure Chapter 3 Light and the Ozone Layer Chapter 3 (Homework 3) Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 1: Math Review Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 3: Properties of Light Ozone Depletion-Science and Policy Chapter 3 (Submit homework 3) CLIMATE CHANGE Earth’s Climate & Greenhouse Gases-I Chapter 4 (Homework 4) Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 2: Properties of Air Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 4: Sunscreens Earth’s Climate & Greenhouse Gases-I Chapter 4 (Submit homework 4) Carbon Emissions & Carbon Chapter 4 (Homework 5) Footprint-I Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 3: Properties of Light Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 5: Molecular Vibrations Carbon Emissions & Carbon (Submit homework 5) Footprint-II & Midterm 1 Review Chapters 2, 3 Midterm 1 (11.15 - 12.30) Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 4: Sunscreens 3 26 27 Mon Mar 22 Tue Mar 23 28 29 30 31 32 33 Thu Mar 25 Fri Mar 26 Mon Mar 29 Tue Mar 30 Thu Apr 1 Fri Apr 2 34 Thu Apr 8 35 36 37 Fri Apr 9 Mon Apr 12 Tue Apr 13 38 39 40 41 42 43 Thu Apr 15 Fri Apr 16 Mon Apr 19 Tue Apr 20 Thu Apr 22 Fri Apr 23 Sun Apr 25 44 45 46 Mon Apr 26 Tue Apr 27 Thu Apr 29 47 Fri Apr 30 48 49 50 Tue May 4 Thu May 6 Fri May 7 51 52 53 54 Mon May 10 Tue May 11 Thu May 13 Fri May 14 Mon May 17 Tue May 18 55 56 Thu May 20 Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab6: Chemical Reactions Midterm 1 discussion and finishing Chapter 4 Chapter 4 WATER FOR LIFE Water and Ions Chapter 5 (Homework 6) Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 5: Molecular Vibrations Monday Lab Group (Rm 704) Lab 7: Aqueous ions Measuring Concentration Chapter 5 (Submit homework 6) Water Quality – Science and Policy Chapter 5 (Homework 7) Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab6: Chemical Reactions 5th-7th April, Spring Recess and Holidays ENERGY FROM COMBUSTION What is Energy & Energy from Chapter 6 Combustion Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 7: Aqueous ions Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 8: Water hardness Fossil Fuels and Biofuels Chapter 6 (Submit homework 7) ENERGY FROM ELECTRON TRANSFER Electron Transfer Reactions Chapter 8 (Homework 8) Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 8: Water hardness Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 9: Building Batteries Fuel Cells and Electrolytic Cells Chapter 8 (Submit homework 8) Midterm 2 Review (Homework 9) Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 9: Building Batteries Legislative day following Monday routine. We may have a makeup review class; no lab (To decide later) Monday Lab Group (Rm 703) Lab 10: Solar & PV Cells Chapters 4, 5, 6 (Submit homework 9) Midterm 2 (11.15 - 12.30) Discussion of Midterm 2 and finishing Chapter 8 (Homework 10) Chapter 8 Friday Lab Groups (Lab 703, 704) Lab 10: Solar & PV Cells 3rd May, Monday, Holiday Solar Cells Chapter 7 (Submit homework 10) Solar Energy - Science and Policy Chapter 7 Lab 10 is final lab, no lab class this day; We may have a make-up class (To be decided) THE FIRES OF NUCLEAR FISSION Lab 10 is final lab, so no class this day No Lab Nuclear Energy-I Chapter 7 Nuclear Energy-II Chapter 7 Final Exam Review-1 (Lecture class instead to prepare before final exam) No lab or class Final Exam Review-2 Tentative date of the final exam (Details to be announced later) 4 6. Lecture and Laboratory Schedule The readings listed in this schedule are based on Chemistry in Context, 10th Edition. Additional readings will be posted on NYU Classes and announced in class. Grade Components Attendance & Class Participation Midterm Exam 1 Midterm Exam 2 Final Exam Homework Laboratory 5% 15 % 15 % 35 % 10 % 20 % 7. Exams The course has two midterm exams and a final exam on the dates given below. Midterm Exam 1 Thursday, March 18 Midterm Exam 2 Tuesday, April 27 Final Exam (Tentative date) Thursday, May 20 (Room: 102) (Room: 102) (Room: TBA) Midterm Exam 1 will contain questions on material from Chapters 2 and 3. Midterm Exam 2 will contain questions from Chapters 4, 5 and 6. The final Exam will be cumulative, with a bit more focus on Chapter 7 & 8. Each exam also will contain one or two questions based on the laboratory projects. If you will miss a midterm exam because of illness, you must contact Professor Pal by e-mail before the start of the exam and provide a doctor's note explaining your absence. No make-up exam will be given for the midterms. Instead, the final exam will count as 45% of your course total. Since the final exam will be cumulative, this option is not advisable unless extreme circumstances prevail. The final exam is scheduled by the NYU Registrar’s Office and no alternative exam date will be provided. A make-up will be given for the final exam only under exceptional circumstances that must be discussed with Professor Pal prior to the exam. In the rare cases where approval is granted, a grade of incomplete will be given for the course and the make-up will be scheduled for the Spring 2021 semester. 5 8. Homework Written homework assignments based on course content and/or additional readings will be made available on the NYU CLASSES site each Thursday, or as specified in the syllabus. All homework assignments will be due at the beginning of the next Tuesday’s class (11.15 AM) unless otherwise announced. You will be expected to submit your completed homework assignment at the beginning of Tuesday’s class. Homework must be submitted on time. Late homework will not be accepted. If you suffer from an illness during the course and cannot complete homework assignments, you must provide a doctor’s note to Professor Pal. The graded homework assignments will be returned to you the following week. Mode of homework submission will be discussed in the first week. Also, you will be introduced to your TAs in the first class. 9. Laboratory Sessions You must be registered in a laboratory section in order to receive credit for the course. The sections have a capacity of 24 students, which is determined by safety issues and availability of laboratory equipment. The section enrollment will not be increased. If you are not appropriately registered for a laboratory section, you will be required to drop the course. Two laboratory sessions will be held in parallel in Lab 704 and Lab 703 on Fridays, and another laboratory session will be held in Lab 703 on Mondays. Students are strictly requested not to touch any other equipment present in lab 703, other than what you are instructed to work with. You cannot change between groups. Lab marks breakup: Attendance and class participation Quiz 25% Lab Assignment 50% points 25% Attendance Credit: You are expected to arrive punctually for the beginning of the lab session. Arriving more than 10 minutes late will result in a loss of attendance credit for the session. Laboratory Quiz: Questions will be based on the introduction to the experiment in the laboratory manual. Arriving more than 10 minutes late for the lab will exclude you from taking the quiz. Laboratory Assignment: This assignment should be completed and submitted during the laboratory period by working collaboratively with your laboratory partner. Some laboratories may have a take-home component in addition to the in-lab exercises. Lab Absence Policies You are strongly advised to avoid missing any of the lab sessions. Because of the logistics of using the laboratory room, no make-up labs are possible. In the event, however, that you cannot attend a lab session because of serious illness, you must email Prof. Pal and attach a doctor’s note. If you cannot attend a lab session because of a religious observance, you must email to Professor Pal in advance of the missed lab. In case of absences, you will lose credit for the lab session. However, for informing in advance and for valid reason of absence you may be considered for an option of adjusting credits for one lost lab session. Unexcused lab absences will result in total loss of credit for that lab session. 10. Office Hours & Email: I will be available for office hour on Mondays and Wednesdays (1.00 - 2.00 pm). Please make an appointment in advance. If you send emails to make occasional appointments during or outside of office hours, please include the course name (E&E) and main purpose of the email in the subject line (e.g., appointment, homework, or general question). Please do not send numerous questions by email and it is encouraged that you ask questions in the class so that all your friends can participate in a group discussion. 6 11. Conducts and Academic Integrity: If you are caught cheating/plagiarizing in this course, you will receive a grade of F and your actions will be reported to the Dean of your school. You can destroy your entire career in an attempt to score a few extra points. Think about that. It isn't worth it. Cheating includes carrying any unauthorized written material during a quiz or exam, storing any information in your calculator (which we will check for), talking to anyone other than an instructor during a quiz or exam, copying work from another student (or allowing another student to copy from you), changing an answer on a quiz or exam after it has been graded, and anything else that would give you an unfair advantage over other members of the class. 7