CHM 111 - General Chemistry I
Lecture
Fall 2014
Dr. Stuart T. Gentry
Holroyd 329
215-951-1259
gentry@lasalle.edu
Class Postings, Lecture Notes, and PowerPoint Slides
Available on Canvas and at www.lasalle.edu/~gentry
Lecture:
MWF 12:00 – 12:50
Office Hours: MWF 1:00 – 2:00 or drop-in as available
Credit:
4 credit hours (lecture + lab combined)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
General Chemistry I provides a firm basis for understanding the fundamentals of chemistry. This
course covers atomic and molecular structure, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and the periodic
table. The descriptive chemistry is principally concerned with the reactions of nonmetals and of
ions in solution.
The overall course is split into two components: 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of lab. While the
two have separate course numbers and are taught by different instructors, the results will be
combined for a single grade. It is necessary to pass both components to pass the course.
On successful completion of the course the student will be able to demonstrate competency in
the course material, as well as the ability to analyze and report laboratory observations.
High school algebra is a prerequisite for this course.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Chemistry 6th ed, by McMurry and Fay, (Prentice Hall, 2012) ISBN-13: 9781256146575
(this is a custom edition for La Salle University which has deleted unneeded chapters)
MasteringChemistry, (Prentice Hall, 2013).
ATTENDANCE:
Chemistry is a complex subject that requires an integrated understanding of math, physical
phenomena, and abstract analysis. One goal of the lectures, therefore, will be to develop
phenomenological insights behind the underlying theory. This means that attendance in class is
critical. Please contact your instructor if you know you will miss a lecture. Attendance,
homework participation, and class participation will be factored into the final grade.
HOMEWORK
Spending time outside of class on the course material is an absolute requirement if the student
hopes to grasp the entire scope of the material -- history has shown that it is not sufficient to rely
solely on the classroom lectures if one wants to do well in the course. The best practice is to
lightly read the appropriate sections in the textbook before the lecture, and then to spend a longer
time reviewing the textbook within the next day after the lecture.
Doing sample problems as part of the required homework assignments is also integral to
learning. Homework assignments will be managed and conducted online using the Mastering
Chemistry software. This package must be purchased by the student and comes bundled with the
textbook in the bookstore. Late assignments will be marked down 2% per day (to a maximum of
20%) if turned in after the due date.
To access the homework system, go to www.masteringchemistry.com. You will need to provide
your access code the first time you go to the system. You can then select a user name and
password. You will also need to select the course: GENTRY1112014.
EXAMINATIONS AND COURSE GRADE:
Tests (Best 3 of 4)
45%
Final Exam (cumulative)
20%
Homework
10%
Laboratory
25%
The final course grade will be based on: A 90-100% B 80-90% C 70-80% D 60-70%
These ranges are approximate and will be further subdivided into – and + grades.
Test questions will be drawn from lecture material, assigned readings, and homework problems.
Each of the tests will build off of concepts covered earlier in the course. Therefore, while tests
will not be explicitly designed to comprehensively retest all earlier sections of the text, it will be
important to remain knowledgeable and competent with previous concepts covered in the course.
IF YOU ARE ABSENT FROM A TEST IT WILL COUNT AS A ZERO: Attendance at
tests and the final exam is expected and no make-up tests will be given no matter what the
reason. A missed test will be given a score of zero. However, all students will be able to drop
their lowest test grade at the end of the semester, thus allowing for dropping a zero due to
medical or family emergency. In no case will you be allowed to miss more than one exam
without taking a zero as a contribution to your final grade.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
It is your responsibility to maintain a high degree of integrity in your work. Cheating of any kind
will not be tolerated and can result in a failure in the course! The following are considered
cheating: (a) Sharing of results and answers on lab reports, graded assignments, quizzes and
exams; (b) Use of unauthorized materials during an exam; (c) Plagiarism, including copying a
fellow student’s lab report or homework.. When in doubt, both parties involved in plagiarism
(both the copier and the copyee) will be held responsible for the integrity violation. Please refer
to the school’s official Academic Integrity Policy for further information as well as the Student
Guide to Rights and Responsibilities.
AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR CLASS HELP
General chemistry is a concept-intensive course. You should plan on spending 5-10 hours per
week out of class reading the text and working through the homework problems. The homework
is an integral part of the learning process. It is one thing to sit in class and watch the professor
do example problems. It is an entirely different matter doing the problems ones self. It is only
through the latter process that you begin to “own” the material. It is easy for students to fall
behind if they are not disciplined in how they use their time. Unfortunately, the topics all build
on one another so once you begin to fall behind it becomes difficult to catch up.
Supplemental Instruction
This course is a “historically difficult” course and therefore the Learning Support Department is
providing Supplemental Instruction (SI) to help you get the most out of your efforts. With SI, a
trained student, who has already successfully taken this course, attends the class again and
conducts weekly review sessions for the students in the class. The SI Leader knows the course
content and can also share with you successful study techniques for this course. Additionally, the
review sessions offer you an opportunity to work with other students to share notes and study
strategies. Though attendance is voluntary, I strongly urge you to attend the review sessions as
they are intended for everyone.
University General Subject Tutoring
Tutoring for various subject areas (70+ courses) is available for La Salle undergraduates. Subject
tutors help students identify what as well as how to learn, clarify course content, and help
students understand their strengths and weaknesses regarding the subject matter. Students should
take advantage of tutoring at the first indication of difficulty in a course or whenever they wish
to improve their performance or knowledge in a course, for example, to improve grades or to
maintain high grades. Students can make tutoring appointments through GradesFirst located
under Tools in the mylasalle portal. For students who have created their own study groups but
would like a tutor to assist the group with the material, “facilitated study groups” can be
arranged. For more information, contact Kitty Kaar at 215.951.1822 or kaar@lasalle.edu
Appointments for tutoring and the Learning Instructor can be made through the GradesFirst
online scheduling system. Students can find GradesFirst on the Academics page of the mylasalle
portal under Learning Resources. The appointment process is easy, but should you need help,
there are easy-to-follow directions in GradesFirst. If you have questions or concerns, call 215951-1822 (subject tutoring) or 215-951-1299 (writing). See
http://www.lasalle.edu/portal/learningsupport .
Learning Instruction and Online Student Resources
Academic Skills Workshops are offered face to face and online on a variety of topics such as
study strategies, documentation styles, test taking, group study, and time management. A number
of workshops are also archived online so students at www.lasalle.edu/portal/learningsupport. For
more information, contact Mary Robertson at robertso@lasalle.edu or Jaime Longo at
longoj@lasalle.edu.
Students With Disabilities
Students with disabilities should refer to the student handbook for resources that are available to
them as well as compliance with the American Disabilities Act.
SYLLABUS CHANGE POLICY
This syllabus is a guide and every attempt is made to provide an accurate overview of the course.
However, circumstances and events may make it necessary for the instructor to modify the
syllabus during the semester and may depend, in part, on the progress, needs, and experiences of
the students. The instructor will give notice when changes to the syllabus are made.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
1. MEASUREMENTS IN CHEMISTRY
(Weeks 1 & 2)
a. Recognize standard measurement units for length, mass, and volume
b. Understand how to use dimensional analysis to help solve problems
c. Different temperature scales and ability to convert from one to another
d. Scientific notation
2. ATOMS, MOLECULES, AND IONS
(Weeks 2 & 3)
a. Inter-relationship of atoms and molecules
Conservation of matter and Laws of Definite and Changing Proportions
b. Structure of the atom: electrons, protons, neutrons
c. Ionic and Molecular compounds: structure, naming
- - EXAM ON CHAPTERS 1 & 2 - 3. FORMULAS, EQUATIONS, AND MOLES
(Weeks 4 - 6)
a. Balancing chemical reactions (stoichiometry)
b. Avogadro’s Number and moles
c. Using chemical equations to relate amounts of reactants and products
d. Describing solutions and concentrations
- - EXAM ON CHAPTER 3 - 4. REACTIONS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION
a. Electrolytes
b. Ionic solubilities
c. Redox reactions
(Weeks 6 - 9)
5. PERIODICITY AND ATOMIC STRUCTURE
(Weeks 9 & 10)
a. Periodic table
b. Atomic structure:
Quantum mechanics, shape of orbitals, electron configurations
c. Relationship between orbitals and periodic table
- - EXAM ON CHAPTERS 4 & 5 - -
6. IONIC BONDS AND MAIN-GROUP CHEMISTRY
a. Ions and their electronic configurations
b. Ionization energy and electronegativity
c. Chemistry of the various metallic groups on the periodic table
(Week 11)
7. COVALEND BONDS AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
a. Covalent bonds and molecular compounds
b. Electron-dot structures
c. Molecular Shapes
(Weeks 12 & 13)
- - EXAM ON CHAPTERS 6 & 7 - 8. THERMOCHEMISTRY
a. Energy changes during reactions
b. Hess’s Law
c. Introduction to enthalpy, entropy, and free energy
(Weeks 13 - 15)
9. GASES: THEIR PROPERTIES AND BEHAVIOR
a. Ideal Gas Law
b. Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures
c. Introduction to real gases
(Weeks 13 - 15)
- - FINAL EXAM: CUMULATIVE + CHAPTERS 8 & 9 - -