Fall 2010, Chem120, Chemistry for the Built Environment
Wentworth Institute of Technology
INSTRUCTOR:
Donald G. Muldoon
Adjunct Professor of Applied Math and Sciences
Office location: Ira Allen Building 208
Email: muldoond@wit.edu
OFFICE HOURS: Details on Blackboard Website (By appointment only)
CREDIT HOURS: This is a four credit course, 3-2-4
MEETING TIMES: 9/7/2010-12/11/2010
Lecture: Chem 120-84 Tuesdays 5:00 – 6:50 p.m.
Thursdays 7:00 - 7:50 p.m.
Laboratory: Chem 120-85 Thursdays 5:00 – 6:50 p.m.
Watson Hall 001
Wentworth Hall 210
Willis 203
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The Chem120 course serves as the introductory chemistry course for
students in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environment. The
course provides a fundamental introduction to chemistry topics with a focus
on the built environment. Fundamental principles of chemistry with emphasis
on solving problems encountered in business and commerce. Topics include:
the atomic model; writing, balancing; and predicting reactions; stoichiometry;
the periodic table; properties of acids, bases, and salts; properties of aqueous
solutions.
Co-requisite: MATH 205 College Mathematics I.
PREREQUISITE: Skills at Math I level
REQUIRED TEXT BOOK:
Introduction to Chemistry
Richard C. Bauer, James P. Birk, and Pamela S. Marks, 2nd Edition
McGraw Hill Higher Education
Students must purchase either the electronic or the hard copy of the text
book. Both items are available at the College Bookstore or on-line.
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OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:
A Laboratory Notebook is required for all assignments starting on week 2.
Safety Goggles are required in all laboratory sessions starting on week 2
(safety glasses are not acceptable).
Computer with internet access, word-processing and other basic software,
blackboard/email accounts (use of computers during the lectures or
laboratories will be at the instructor’s discretion).
THE WENTWORTH BOOK STORE:
550 Huntington Ave
Beatty Hall
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 445-8814
Email: wit@bkstr.com; Shop online at: http://www.efollett.com/
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGIES:
Lectures will be delivered using power point presentations, simulations,
videos and movies. Student interaction and active participation is
encouraged. Laboratory experiments will be related to fundamental
chemistry principles and applications to the built environment. Students
will be able to work in groups to design a final project for class
presentation.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this course students will
1) Use fundamental chemical principles to make predictions about
reactivity and general properties of materials in the built environment.
2) Apply fundamental chemical principles in laboratory experiments in a
safe and professional manner
3) Understand the importance of record-keeping and have practiced its use
during laboratories and/or lectures.
4) Be able to present experimental results accurately and concisely using
technical narrative, graphs, and tables.
5) Be able to work independently and as part of a group to discuss and
present fundamental chemistry concepts and applications to the built
environment.
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Chem 120 SCHEDULE:
The following lecture and lab schedules may be changed at the
instructor’s discretion based on students’ performance or for other
extenuating circumstances. Laboratory handouts will be posted online. Use
of safety goggles and laboratory notebooks will be required starting on
week 2.
Date
Wk of
6th
Wk of
13th
Wk of
20th
Wk of
27th
Wk of
4th
Wk of
11th
Wk of
18th
Sept
Lecture Topic
Laboratory Topics
Matter, Energy and Scientific
Inquiry, Chapter 1
Sept Atoms, Ions and The Periodic
Table, Chapter 2
Sept Electron Structure of the Atom,
Chapter 7
Sept Review and Exam 1
(150 points)
Oct Chemical Bonding and
Formulation, Chapters 3and 8
Oct
Chemical Composition, Chapter 4
Oct
Wk of Oct
25th
Wk of Nov
1st
Wk of Nov
8th
Wk of Nov
15th
Wk of
Nov22nd
Wk of
Nov29th
Wk of Dec
6th
Wk of Dec
13th
Chemical Reactions and
Equations, Chapter 5
Review and Exam 2
(150 points)
Check in and Required
Sign-up of Safety Agreement
by Students
Safety Lab Overview
Measurement and Density
(Penny Lab)
Reactivity Series of Metals
Alloy lab (The Gold Penny
Lab)
Ionic and Covalent
Properties lab
Separation of Mixture
components by Paper
Chromatography
Solutions/Dilutions and
Spectrophotometer lab
(Beer’s Law)
Quantities in Chemical Reactions,
Magnesium Oxide Synthesis
Chapter 6
Acids and Bases, Chapter 13
No Laboratory (Veteran’s Day)
Oxidation-Reduction and
Corrosion, Chapter 14
Review and Exam 3
(150 points)
Acid/Base Titration in
Cement
Students’ Final Project
(150 points)
Galvanic Cell versus
Electrolysis
Review For The Final Exam
Silver Mirror and Plating;
Check Out
No Laboratory (Thanksgiving)
Final Exam (200 points, date TBA)
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GRADING POLICY:
Lectures:
Three lecture exams* ................................ …….
45% (150 each exam)
*Final Project ...................................................
15% (150 points)
*Grade of the final project substitutes for the lowest lecture exam grade
Final Exam (cumulative) .................................. ..
20% (200 points)
Weekly Homework/In-class Work
10% (100 points)
Instructor’s discretion (Attendance, Participation)
10% (100 points)
Labs:
Lab Attendance/ Notebook ...........................….
15% (150 points)
100% (1000 points total)
PLEASE NOTE THAT TO PASS THE COURSE, THE AVERAGE OF THE
LECTURE EXAMS/FINAL PROJECT/FINAL EXAM HAS TO BE A PASSING
GRADE (60% or higher)
Guidelines, Handouts and Rubric for Final project and lab notebook will
be provided by your instructor.
Grades for the course will be reported as: 96-100% (A); 92-95% (A-); 8891% (B+); 87-84%(B); 80-83% (B-); 76-79% (C+); 72-75% (C); 68-71% (C-);
64-67% (D+); 60-63% (D); Below 60% (F)
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance will be monitored as described in the catalog
http://www.wit.edu/prospective/catalog/2010/Attendance.html)
(see
‘The instructor will use his or her discretion for all extenuating circumstances
regarding attendance. It is the responsibility of the student to notify an
instructor of all absences (anticipated or not) and provide documentation
regarding illness or absence’.
DROP/ADD:
The drop/add period for day students ends on Friday of the first week of
classes. Dropping and/or adding courses is done online. Courses dropped in
this period are removed from the student’s record. Courses to be added that
require written permission, e.g. closed courses, must be done using a
Drop/Add form that is available in the Student Service Center. Nonattendance does not constitute dropping a course. If a student has registered
for a course and subsequently withdraws or receives a failing grade in its
prerequisite, then the student must drop that course. In some cases, the
student will be dropped from that course by the Registrar. However, it is the
student’s responsibility to make sure that he or she meets the course
prerequisites and to drop a course if the student has not successfully
completed the prerequisite. The student must see his or her academic advisor
or academic department head for schedule revision and to discuss the impact
of the failed or withdrawn course on the student’s degree status
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MAKE-UP POLICY:
If a student misses an examination due to reasonable and verifiable
circumstances, she/he will be able to make-up the exam missed during the
instructor’s office hours. There is no make-up for missing laboratory
assignments.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT:
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) assists all Wentworth students
with academic challenges in the areas of mathematics, science, technical
courses specific to majors, and writing. The CTL is a supportive and safe
learning environment for students looking to improve or maintain their
academic standing. In this student-based learning environment, students can
receive individual help with their studies, meet and work in study groups, or
go on-line to find resources to assist them in meeting their goals for academic
success. It includes tutors in many subjects, online writing assistance and
workshops. Make appointments at www.wit.edu/academics/resources or
through L-Connect.
ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT:
“Students at Wentworth are expected to be honest and forthright in their
academic endeavors. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, inventing
false information or citations, plagiarism, tampering with computers,
destroying other people’s studio property, or academic misconduct”
(Academic Catalog). See your catalogue for a full explanation.
STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT:
Repeated cheating and/or plagiarism will be reported to the Institute and
will result in a grade of F for the class. In any event, copying answers from
the exams of other students is not advisable, since the order of the
questions and the possible answers will be different among different exams.
When writing original works or projects, citations should be included to
identify the sources of information. If you have questions about what
cheating and plagiarism means in a science course, just ask your
instructor.
DISABILITY SERVICES STATEMENT:
Any student who thinks s/he may require a disability-related
accommodation for this course should contact me privately to discuss his/her
specific needs. Disability Services coordinates reasonable accommodations
for students with documented disabilities. They are located in Watson Hall
003 (the Counseling Center) and can be contacted at 617-989-4390 or
counseling@wit.edu. For more information on acceptable documentation and
the Disability Services process, visit the Disability Services website at
www.wit.edu/disabilityservices.
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