© Dr. Ran Zhang. Not to be copied, used, or revised without express written permission from the copyright owner.
Chemistry 121: Atomic and Molecular Chemistry
Instructor: Dr. Ran Zhang Office: e-mail:
Office Hours: Mondays and Fridays 1 – 2:30 pm
SCI 109 ran.zhang@ubc.ca
Texts –
 “General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications” 10/e, Petrucci, Herring, Madura,
Bissonnette, 2010 (Required)

UBCO Chem 111/113/121/123 Lab Manual (Required)

Clicker (Required)

Lab coat and safety goggles (more details in your first lab section)
Learning Objectives: Students in Chemistry 121 consider a survey of modern theories of atomic structure and molecular bonding, and use these models to explain the behavior of matter in the gaseous, liquid, and solid phases. The course also briefly reviews fundamental principles of chemical stoichiometry from Chemistry 11 and 12. A student who completes both Chemistry 121 and 123 will be able to quantitatively and qualitatively interpret physical and chemical properties and changes in terms of molecular properties and behavior, and will be well prepared for further studies in science generally and chemistry specifically.
Topics and Chapters Covered –
(This list of lecture topics gives a rough estimate as to how much we have to cover in the 18 classes)
Part 1 Introduction (Chapters 1 to 3, ~0.5 lecture, review material, will not be covered explicitly)
1.
the scientific method, properties and classifications of matter (1-1 to 1-3)
2.
physical quantities: measurement, units, significant figures and uncertainty (1-4 to 1-7)
3.
Avogadro’s number and the mole (2-7, 2-8)
4.
molecular composition, empirical and molecular formulas, percent composition (3-1 to 3-3)
5.
nomenclature of simple inorganic and organic compounds (3-5 to 3-7)
Part 2: Stoichiometry (Chapter 4, ~1.5 lectures)
1.
chemical reactions and equations, stoichiometry (4-1 and 4-2)
2.
solution stoichiometry and concentrations, dilutions, limiting reactants, yields (4-3 to 4-5)
Part 3: Atomic Structure (Chapters 2, 8, 9, ~6 lectures)
1.
simple atomic structure, subatomic particles, atomic mass
2.
light and matter: electromagnetic radiation, absorption and emission spectra
3.
quantum theory and the Bohr atom
4.
wave mechanics, orbitals: quantum numbers, s - p - and d -orbitals

© Dr. Ran Zhang. Not to be copied, used, or revised without express written permission from the copyright owner.
5.
electronic configuration: electron spin, orbital energies, aufbau, periodic table
6.
periodic properties: atomic and ionic radii, ionization energy, electron affinity
Part 4: Molecular Structure and Bonding (Chapters 10 and 11, 5 lectures)
1.
bonding types: metallic, covalent, ionic; polar vs non-polar; electronegativity
2.
Lewis structures: octet rule, formal charges, expanded octets, resonance
3.
bond energies: bond order, bond strengths and lengths, reaction energies
4.
VSEPR: electron pair repulsion, molecular geometry, dipole moments
5.
valence bond theory: orbital hybridization, σ and π bonds
6.
molecular orbital theory: diatomic molecules E2 (E = H to Ne), bond order
Part 5: Gas, Liquid and Solid (Chapters 6, 12 and 13, 5 lectures)
1.
ideal gas law, kinetic molecular theory, diffusion and effusion (6-1 to 6-4, 6-7 to 6-8)
2.
intermolecular forces: molecular polarity, hydrogen bonding, dispersion forces (12-1)
3.
non-ideal gases, Van der Waals equation (6-9)
4.
surface tension and viscosity, vapour pressure and boiling (12-1 and 12-2)
5.
classes of solids: ionic, metallic, network, molecular (12-5)
6.
phase changes and phase diagrams, Clausius-Clapeyron equation (12-2 to 12-4)
7.
solubility and miscibility (13-3)
8.
colligative properties: vapour pressure lowering, boiling point and freezing point changes, osmotic pressure (13-6 to 13-8)
Lecture Format : The instructor is going to use a combination of PowerPoint and document-camera to present the course materials. Handouts will be posted in UBC connect beforehand. It is highly recommended that students pre-read the lecture notes before attending lectures.
Lectures: Lectures will cover selected materials from the textbook, but will wander from and rearrange that material. The textbook provides detailed reading, background material, and numerous problems, but the lecture notes and course objectives define the course curriculum .
Clickers:
Lectures will make frequent use of a Personal Response System (“clickers”). While not assessed for your course grade, participation in such in-class exercises is proven to improve student understanding and exam performance. Completing at least 80% of all clicker quizzes in class will be rewarded 2% as the participation mark. You need to register your clickers (more info in the first lecture).

© Dr. Ran Zhang. Not to be copied, used, or revised without express written permission from the copyright owner.
EVALUATION AND GRADE ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURES
Evaluation procedure
Quizzes 8% (Four in total, 2% each)
Clicker Quiz (Participation Mark) 2%
Midterm #1
Midterm #2
15%
15%
Laboratory Work
Final Examination
20%
40%
It is the Department's policy that a student must obtain a passing grade (at least 50%) in both the lecture and the laboratory component of the course considered separately. If a student fails one component, the student will be assigned a maximum grade of 47%.
Important Dates:
Last Day to withdraw without a W standing: May 17 th
Last Day to withdraw with a W standing: May 31 st
1 st
Quiz: May 17 th
(Friday)
2 nd
Quiz: May 24 th
(Friday)
1st Mid-term: May 31 st
(Friday)
3 rd
Quiz: June 7 th
(Friday)
2 nd
Mid-term: June 14 th
(Friday)
4 th
Quiz: June 19 th
(Wednesday)
Final: June 25 th
(Tuesday, regular class time)
---
100%

© Dr. Ran Zhang. Not to be copied, used, or revised without express written permission from the copyright owner.
Policies:
If a student is unable to write a quiz or a term test, has an acceptable reason with proof, and I am informed
BEFORE the examination is written by the class, the student will be accommodated. It is unacceptable to notify me after the examination period and the student will usually receive a zero for this examination.
The final examination will be comprehensive and is scheduled during the final examination week. It is your responsibility to ensure that you will be available to write exams on this date. All students who miss or plan to miss a regularly scheduled final examination will be referred to the office of the Associate
Dean, Students and Curriculum.
A student who fails to attend a laboratory class will receive zero marks for that experiment. Please check
CHEM 121 Lab connect site for detailed schedule and due dates of lab reports.
Academic Integrity:
The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences.
A more detailed description of academic integrity, including the policies and procedures, may be found at http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/okanagan/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,959 .
Disability Assistance:
If you require disability-related accommodations to meet the course objectives, please contact the
Coordinator of Disability Resources located in the Student Development and Advising area of the student services building. For more information about Disability Resources or academic accommodations, please visit the website at: http://okanagan.students.ubc.ca/current/disabilities.cfm
Equity, Human Rights, Discrimination and Harassment:
UBC Okanagan is a place where every student, staff and faculty member should be able to study and work in an environment that is free from human rights based discrimination and harassment. If you require assistance related to an issue of equity, discrimination or harassment, please contact the Equity
Office.
UBC Okanagan Equity Advisor: ph. 250-807-9291; email equity.ubco@ubc.ca
Web: www.ubc.ca/okanagan/equity