Wentworth Institute of Technology
Department of Applied Mathematics & Sciences
CHEM 120 – Chemistry of the Built Environment – Spring 2010
CHEM 120 SYLLABUS (rev 2) January 14, 2010
Instructor: Robert F. Moran PhD,
FCCM,FACI,FAICB,FIUPAC,CLC,AHI
Associate Professor; Faculty Senate; Institute
Curriculum Comitee
Rm: WILLS 201 (Next to Chemistry Labs
Department Office:
IRA ALLEN-208
617-989-4333
617-989-4428
Office Hours: M10-11;T2-3;W3-4;F10-11; +
By Appointment
Details on Blackboard Website
Course Description:
This course provides a fundamental introduction to chemistry topics incorporating examples and laboratory
exercises relevant to the built environment. Course examples and laboratory exercises will be of particular
interest to students majoring in fields relevant to the built environment, including Civil Engineering
Technology and Construction Management. The chemistry topics covered are appropriate to any student,
providing a basic understanding of chemical principals, and the course can serve as a science elective.
The course covers fundamental principles of chemistry with emphasis on the relevance of these principles to
the construction. Topics include: the atomic model; writing, balancing, and predicting reactions;
stoichiometry; the periodic table; properties of acids, bases, and salts; properties of aqueous solutions.
Prerequisite:
Skills at the MATH I level
Text:
Chemistry for Changing Times, 12/E
John W. Hill, Doris K. Kolb, Terry W. McCreary,
Other Required Materials:
Safety goggles (safety glasses are not satisfactory)
Lab/Professional Notebook (for lab/lecture)-permanent binding(No spiral,or looseleaf), pre-numbered bpages
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CHEM 120 – Chem Built Environ– Spring 2010
Course Goals and Objectives
Unified Learning Objectives:
 Write and interpret chemical formulas from common and chemical names.
 Calculate percent composition.
 Predict products of relevant chemical reactions.
 Write and balance chemical reactions.
 Calculate mass of a product from a given mass of reactant.
 Understand the nature of chemical bonds and intermolecular forces as they relate to miscibility
and solubility.
 Recognize RED-OX reactions and their applications to rust and EMF.
 Differentiate between strong and weak acids and bases and understand their properties.
 Differentiate among strong, weak, and non-electrolytes and understand their properties.
 Recognize nomenclature of organic compounds and understand their physical properties.
 Relate fundamental chemical principles to analyzing problems in construction practices.
Class Meeting Times:
As detailed on Blackboard and Leopardweb
Credit Hours:
Lecture
Lab
Total credit
3 hours
2 hours
4 hours
Grading and Student Evaluation:
Tests* ............................................................................ 45%
Final Exam (cumulative)*............................................. 20%
Homework..................................................................... 10%
Laboratories .................................................................. 15%
Instructor Discretion (attendance, participation, etc) .... 10%
100%
*Note: In order to receive a passing grade in the course the cumulative grade on tests and the final exam must
be a passing grade.
Academic Honesty and Conduct:
All assignments submitted shall be considered graded work and shall be completed on an individual basis
unless otherwise stated. While discussing assignments and getting help outside of class is both authorized
and encouraged, copying solutions from any source is considered a violation, as is sharing or re-use of
computer files. Any suspected violations will be promptly addressed. If you ever have a question on how the
Academic Honesty and Conduct Policy is applicable to a piece of work, feel free to contact the instructor for
clarification. More information is available in the Policies, Procedures and Registration section of the WIT
catalog or at http://public.wit.edu/~Provost/AcadConduct&Honesty.htm .
Course Website:
We will be using a website on Blackboard Vista. You can get to it by using the following web address:
http://myweb.wit.edu/ams/built_environment
On this page, you should have a login window for Blackboard Vista. Enter your user name and password.
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CHEM 120 – Chem Built Environ– Spring 2010
Announcements, weekly homework assignments, supplements and examples, labs, study tools, your class
grades, and an electronic version of the text (eBook) will be located on the site.
It is your responsibility to check the site frequently. A new weekly set of online homework exercises will be
due each Monday morning.
Course labs will be found on the site and any formal lab reports must be submitted electronically.
It is the student’s responsibility to visit the site regularly to ensure that they are aware of the most current
postings. Students are also recommended to regularly check their e-mail and Blackboard for announcements.
.
Assignments/Submitted Work/Late Work:
The schedule of weekly topics is presented in the Lecture Outline. All submitted work must be handed in
on time. Late work will only be accepted at the discretion of your instructor.
All written work submitted for this course must meet the Standards for English I. Poorly written papers will
be returned to you, without a grade, for revision. Students are encouraged to utilize the Writing Center facility
for help polishing their papers. No written work will be graded that does not conform with the minimum
standards set forth in the document titled “Presentation of Submitted Work”.
Summary of the Guidelines for Presentation of Submitted Work:
 The course name, your name, date and the assignment number must appear on the top of each page of the
assignment. Each page must also be numbered at the top of the page (e.g., 1 of 10, 2 of 10, etc.).
 Each page of an assignment must be on 8½” x 11” paper (unless otherwise noted on the assignment).
 All pages of an assignment must be stapled together with a staple. No paperclips, no folded paper
corners.
 Each problem should be clearly identified.
 Solutions must be completed in pencil, not ink. Solutions will be graded in ink.
 Include a Problem Statement using the Given/Required/Solution format. State concisely what is given
and then what is required. Include a well-labeled sketch, if appropriate.
 Show all work in an orderly, logical, neat, and legible manner so it is easy to follow your solution. Write
equations in symbol form first followed by numeric substitutions. Show all unit conversions completely
and clearly.
 Include the solution indicating clearly your answer to the problem. Underline or enclose in a box any
numerical answers and include units when applicable. Be reasonable with implied “accuracy”. Your
solution may also include a diagram or drawing, if appropriate.
 Assignments consisting of multiple pages of text must be completed using a word processor.
 All text that is hand written should be neatly printed and not in script.
 All text should be proofread carefully for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
 Electronic submissions are not required unless the assignment specifically requests it.
 All written work submitted for this course must meet the Standards for English I. Poorly written papers
will be returned to you, without a grade, for revision. Students are encouraged to utilize the Writing
Center facility for help polishing their papers.
 If your work is not legible, it will not be graded, nor credit given.
 Failure to follow these guidelines will result in lower grades.
Weekly Online Homework:
Online homework exercises are assigned each Monday on the Blackboard website. You are allowed to try the
homework multiple times, until you are satisfied with the grade you earned. The goal of homework is for you
to master the types of problems relevant to the material being covered in lecture. To obtain maximum value
from the homework, START WORKING ON IT EARLY IN THE WEEK. You will then be prepared to ask
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CHEM 120 – Chem Built Environ– Spring 2010
questions about the homework problems in class or in the Facilitated Study Groups. For each week, your last
attempt must be completed by 8:00 am the following Monday morning. You may work on your homework
during the weekly Facilitated Study Group sessions held on Monday evenings.
Labs:
The schedule of weekly laboratories is presented in the Laboratory Outline. Missed laboratory sessions cannot
be made up. Consult your laboratory instructor if you will not be able to make your section.
Please review and follow the "GENERAL LABORATORY SAFETY AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS"
when you are in the Laboratory.
Attendance Policy:
Attendance is required for all lectures and labs. Refer to WIT Student Handbook.
Tests and Final Exam:
There will be 3 tests and a final exam. Make-up work for missed exams will be at the discretion of
individual instructors. Consult instructors BEFORE you are going to miss an exam, otherwise you are
unlikely to be granted any latitude. Quizzes may be given throughout the semester at the discretion of the
instructors.
Class Project
A project or presentation will be assigned as part of your class work, and will constitute a test grade.
Need Help During the Semester?
Instructors
You are strongly encouraged to visit your instructor during office hours when you have questions or problems
regarding course material or assignments. You may also make an appointment to see your instructor at
another time - please try to schedule this at least 24 in advance, as instructors' schedules are usually as busy as
yours is. Please come prepared for your meeting – it is best to write down specific questions and work
through problems as far as you can. This will help you get the most out of the meeting. You are welcome to
email your instructors with questions or problems as well. Please know that your question may not be
answered immediately, but will be addressed in as timely a manner as possible.
Facilitated Studies Group
A Facilitated Studies Group is being run for all your chemistry and physics needs. The FSG is run Monday
afternoons from 4 to 7 PM in Ira Allen 007. You are welcome to show up and work on your homework or
bring questions for Prof. Sirokman or peer teaching assistants.
Tutoring at the Center for Teaching and Learning
Check with the CTL website for tutoring hours to schedule an appointment. Peer tutors as well as faculty
tutors are available.
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CHEM 120 – Chem Built Environ– Spring 2010
Lecture Schedule:
Class #
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Date
Topic
Course Introduction & Objectives
Week of Jan 18
Chemistry Introduction
Week of Jan 25 Structure of Atom
Week of Feb 1
Chemical Bonds
Week of Feb 8
Exam 1
Week of Feb 15 Chemical Accounting
Week of Feb 22 Week 5 continued and Intermolecular Forces
Week of March 1 Acids and Bases
Week of March 8 ----------------Spring Break------------------Week of March 15 Exam 2
Week of March 22 Oxidation and Reduction
Week of March 29 Organic and Polymer Chemsitry
Week of April 5 Hazardous Materials
Week of April 12 Exam 3
Week of April 19 Final Review
Week of April 26 Project/Presentation (TBA)
Week of May 3
Readings
Ch 1 / Ch2
Ch 2 / Ch3
Ch 4
Ch 5
Ch5/Ch 6
Ch 7
Ch 8
Ch 9/10
supplemental
Final Exams May 1 – May 7
This schedule is subject to adjustment by the instructor as needed throughout the semester. Updated versions
will be discussed in class or posted on Blackboard Vista.
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CHEM 120 – Chem Built Environ– Spring 2010
Laboratory Schedule:
Class #
Date
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week of Jan 18
Week of Jan 25
Week of Feb 1
Week of Feb 8
Week of Feb 15
Week of Feb 22
Week of March 1
Week of March 8
Week of March 15
Week of March 22
Week of March 29
Week of April 5
Week of April 12
Week of April 19
Week of April 26
Week 15
Week of May 3
Topic
Laboratory Safety
Safety Lab
Penny Lab
Electrolysis Lab
UV/Vis
Combustion of Magnesium
Miscibility Lab
------------------------Spring Break-----------------------------Titration of Muriatic Acid
Synthesis of Plaster 1
Synthesis of Plaster 2
Galvanic Potential of Metals
Silver Mirror
Synthesis of Nylon
Check Out
This schedule is subject to adjustment by the instructor as needed throughout the semester. Updated versions
will be discussed in class or posted on Blackboard Vista.
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