Syllabus for Chemistry 103: General Chemistry I
Spring 2012
Class meeting times: MWF 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Class meeting location: Park Science, Room 278
Required materials:
Text: “Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity” (8th Edition) by John C. Kotz, Paul M. Treichel, and
John Townsend, Brooks/Cole, 2012.
Supplemental: OWL (Online Web Learning) access. OWL will be used for completion of all
problem set assignments. See http://www.cengage.com/owl and the course Moodle site
for more details.
Course description: This course is the first semester of a comprehensive survey of modern
descriptive, inorganic, and physical chemistry. Topics include: atomic theory, stoichiometry,
thermochemistry, chemical periodicity, concepts in chemical bonding, the shapes of
molecules, carbon-based molecules, the properties of gases, and intermolecular forces.
Course objectives: We will cover Chapters 1-12 in the textbook this semester, with the
possible exception of Chapter 10. Specific learning objectives for each chapter are included
at the beginning of each textbook chapter and will be noted in lecture.
Instructor: Prof. Michael Lawlor
Office: Park Science 171
Phone: 610-526-5136
E-mail: mdlawlor@brynmawr.edu
Office hours: Prof. Lawlor's office hours are Monday and Wednesday, 2:30-4:00 PM,
Thursday, 10:00-11:30 AM, or by appointment (which is best arranged by e-mail).
Email: Every effort will be made to respond to urgent matters in a timely fashion, but students
may not always receive an email reply until the next day.
Course policies
Academic integrity: Integrity is a crucial part of the academic experience. Academic integrity
is a core institutional value at Bryn Mawr College, and I take it very seriously in this course. I
expect you to follow the Bryn Mawr College Honor Code and work independently on exams
and quizzes.
Attendance: It is very important to attend lecture. Your grade will reflect your class
attendance as lecture and discussion material and problems will form the basis of exam and
homework questions.
Moodle: You are responsible for the information posted on the Moodle course site. Course
documents such as the syllabus, homework assignments, and answer keys will be posted on
Moodle. If an exam must be rescheduled or a class cancelled, these Course Announcements
will also be posted on Moodle.
CHEM 103 Syllabus · Spring 2012 · Page 2
Classroom: As a general rule of thumb, please be considerate of your fellow students and
avoid any disruptive behaviors. In order to foster an active and engaging learning
environment, please obey the following guidelines:
 Arrive on time and do not leave early
 Turn off all cell phones, smart phones, and pagers before class
 Limit laptop use to tasks directly related to this course
 Be respectful of your classmates’ questions, ideas, and opinions
PLI (Peer Led Instruction): PLI is a program that provides academic support for courses
such as CHEM 103 in the form of weekly reviews of the lecture material. Attending PLI is
extremely good preparation for quizzes and exams, and I strongly encourage you to take
advantage of this resource. Your PLI tutor, Stephanie Tse (stse@brynmawr.edu), has
successfully completed this course as well as training classes for the role of PLI tutor. The
times of the PLI sessions will be determined during the first week of class.
Access Services: Students who think they may need accommodations in this course due to
the impact of a learning, physical, or psychological disability are encouraged to meet with me
privately early in the semester to discuss their concerns. In addition, students must contact
Stephanie Bell, Coordinator of Access Services (610-526-7351 or sbell@brynmawr.edu), as
soon as possible, to verify their eligibility for reasonable academic accommodations. Early
contact will help to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and delays.
Assignments and exams:
Reading: Assigned reading shown in the lecture schedule should be completed before the
beginning of each class period. Working through the Example problems and the Review and
Check questions will help you to learn more from the lecture. We will also work through
sample problems during lecture.
Homework: Problem sets will be assigned weekly or bi-weekly on OWL and will be due on
Sundays at 11:59 PM, with a few exceptions. All problem sets must be completed in
OWL, and no hard copies will be accepted. The problem set due dates are included with
the lecture schedule at the end of the syllabus. Each set will consist of 8-10 End of Chapter
questions (in OWL and also the textbook) that will be marked as Required. Quiz and/or exam
questions may be taken directly from these problem sets. Many other questions are available
in OWL for each chapter. These questions are marked as Optional and will not be graded,
but you are encouraged to use them as supplemental learning tools. All problem sets are
due on the Sunday after the listed lecture due date, at 11:59 PM. Exceptions are
marked with an asterisk and are due at 11:59 PM on the listed due date. Late
submissions will NOT be accepted.
Quizzes: Five short quizzes will be given in class throughout the semester. No make-up
quizzes will be given, but your lowest score will be dropped. You will be notified at least one
class period in advance of an impending quiz.
Exams: There will be three in-class exams during the semester as indicated in the lecture
schedule below. You will take these exams during the Tuesday laboratory time slot, so there
will be no lab on those days. In the unlikely event that an exam must be rescheduled, you will
CHEM 103 Syllabus · Spring 2012 · Page 3
be given ample notice. A final, cumulative exam will be given during exam week, and it will be
self-scheduled.
Laboratory: All lab information will be provided during the first lab class. Prof. Lukacs is the
director of the general chemistry labs. See http://klukacs.blogs.brynmawr.edu/103-spring2012/ and https://moodle.brynmawr.edu/course/view.php?id=2023 (the General Chemistry II
Lab Moodle site) for more information.
Grading: There will be a total of 1000 points possible. The breakdown is as follows:
 Quizzes (25 points each, 4 of 5)
100 points (10%)
 Exams (100 points each, 3)
300 points (30%)
 Final comprehensive exam
200 points (20%)
 Homework (8-10 points each, 11)
100 points (10%)
 Laboratory
300 points (30%)
Make-up policy: Please look now at the homework and exam schedule and reconcile it with
your other commitments. There will be no make-up exams given. Student athletes and
other students with legitimate absences will be accommodated only if the planned absence is
brought to my attention well in advance.
Tentative lecture schedule:
Date
January
18
20
23
25
27
30
February
1
3
6
8
10
13
14
15
17
20
22
Topics/Exams
Text
Problem Set Due (Sundays at
Chapter 11:59 PM, exceptions noted with *)
Introduction; Basic Concepts of
Chemistry
The Tools of Quantitative
Chemistry
The Tools of Quantitative
Chemistry
Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
1
Chemical Reactions
Chemical Reactions
Chemical Reactions
Chemical Reactions
Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry
Exam 1
Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry
Energy and Chemical Reactions
Energy and Chemical Reactions
3
3
3
3
4
4
1-3
4
4
5
5
Let’s
Review
Let’s
Review
2
2
2
Introduction to OWL and Math
Chapter 1 and Let’s Review
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
CHEM 103 Syllabus · Spring 2012 · Page 4
24
27
29
March
2
5
7
9
12
14
16
19
20
21
23
26
28
30
April
2
4
6
9
10
11
13
16
18
20
23
25
27
May
2-11
Energy and Chemical Reactions
Energy and Chemical Reactions
The Structure of Atoms
5
5
6
No P.S. due this week
The Structure of Atoms
Spring Break
Spring Break
Spring Break
The Structure of Atoms
The Structure of Atoms
Periodic Trends
Periodic Trends
Exam 2
Periodic Trends
Bonding and Molecular Structure
Bonding and Molecular Structure
Bonding and Molecular Structure
Bonding and Molecular Structure
6
No P.S. due this week
Orbital Hybridization
Orbital Hybridization
Molecular Orbitals
Molecular Orbitals
Exam 3
Gases and Their Properties
Gases and Their Properties
Gases and Their Properties
Gases and Their Properties
Intermolecular Forces and Liquids
Intermolecular Forces and Liquids
Intermolecular Forces and Liquids
Review
9
9
9
9
7-9
11
11
11
11
12
12
12
Final Exam (self-scheduled)
13-20
Chapter 5
6
6
7
7
4-6
7
8
8
8
8
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
*Chapter 9 (11:59 PM today)
No P.S. due this week
Chapter 11
Chapter 12