Chemistry 110a - Organic Chemistry
Course Syllabus
Pomona College
Fall Semester 2009
Lecture:
MWF, 8:00 AM, Seaver North Auditorium
Instructor:
Prof. Dan O'Leary, 621-8444
Seaver North 208
Email: doleary@pomona.edu
Office hours:
MWF: 9:00-10:50 AM
Other times by appointment & drop-ins will
be accommodated when possible.
Evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, W, SN Aud
Problem/Review sessions:
W: 7:00 PM, SN Aud
Academic Coordinator:
Lauri Bell
621-8448
Class Mentor:
Lizzie Aby
Email: esa02007@mymail.pomona.edu
Mentor sessions: 8:00 PM R, SN 106
Course Objectives
You will be expected to become familiar with, and conversant in, fundamental
aspects of organic chemistry.
Course Requirements
Five 100 pt 50-minute lecture examinations will be given as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
September 18 (Review session 7:00 PM, 9/16)
October 2 (Review session 7:00 PM, 9/30)
October 16 (Review session 7:00 PM, 10/14)
November 6 (Review session 7:00 PM, 11/4)
November 20 (Review session 7:00 PM, 11/18)
Introductory organic chemistry is a cumulative subject, and 110a exams will
expect an integration of fundamental ideas as they are presented.
Your lowest regular exam score will be dropped in the calculation of your
lecture grade.
An open-notes cumulative final exam (3 hr, 200 pts) will be held on
Wednesday, December 16th at 9:00 AM. Guidelines for the preparation of
final exam notes will be provided in class.
Solomons and Fryhle, "Organic Chemistry", John Wiley & Sons, 9th Ed.,
2008.
The lowest non-final exam score will be dropped, and a percentage of 600
total points will determine the lecture letter grade, using a fixed scale. The
lecture grade is then converted to the Pomona College scale (A=12, B=9,
etc.) and combined in a weighted manner with the laboratory grade (similarly
converted out of the total laboratory points) to assign a grade for the course.
75% of the course grade constitutes the lecture material, while 25% reflects
laboratory proficiency.
Solomons, Fryhle, and Johnson, "Study Guide and Solutions Manual to
Accompany Organic Chemistry, 9th Ed.", John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
Lecture Grading Scale
Required Course Material
Darling Molecular Model Kit
110a Material Available Online—Exam Review Sheets
http://www.chemistry.pomona.edu/Chemistry/110/home.html
A
AB+
B
BC+
88+
82-87
76-81
70-75
64-69
58-63
C
CD+
D
DF
52-57
46-51
40-45
34-39
28-33
<27
110a Course Calendar- Fall 2009
Exam 1 Material
Exam 3 Material
Date
Topic
Reading
9/2
Introduction: Lecture and Lab.
-
9/4
Background/Bonding
1
9/7
Bonding
1
9/9
Representative Organic
Compounds
2
9/11
Molecular Forces/IR
9/14
Date
Topic
Reading
10/5
Ionic Reactions
6
10/7
Ionic Reactions
6
10/9
Ionic Reactions
6
10/12
Alkenes and Alkynes I
7
2
10/14
Alkenes and Alkynes I
7
IR/Acid-Base Chemistry
2/3
10/16
Exam 3
6-7
9/16
Acid-Base Chemistry
3
9/18
Exam 1
1-3
Exam 4 Material
Date
Topic
Reading
10/19
No Lecture-Fall Break
-
Exam 2 Material
Date
Topic
Reading
10/21
Alkenes and Alkynes II
8
9/21
Alkanes
4
10/23
No Lecture-Lab Midterm
-
9/23
Alkanes
4
10/26
Alkenes and Alkynes II
8
9/25
Alkanes
4
10/28
Alkenes and Alkynes II
8
9/28
Stereochemistry
5
10/30
NMR
9
9/30
Stereochemistry
5
11/2
NMR
9
10/2
Exam 2
4-5
11/4
NMR & Mass Spectrometry
9
11/6
8-9
Exam 4
Exam 5 Material
Important Policies and Procedures - Chemistry 110a
Date
Topic
Reading
11/9
Radicals
10
11/11
Radicals
10
11/13
Alcohols I
11
11/16
Alcohols I
11
11/18
Alcohols I
11
11/20
Exam 5
10-11
1.
It’s all about pacing yourself! The key to success in this course is to
learn the basic material and to apply it to solving problems. Read
your lecture notes and the book and then try to solve the assigned
textbook problems on your own—use the answer key only after
you’ve given a problem some thought & a trial answer. Set aside
some ‘O-chem time’ each day and do this on a regular basis
throughout the week. Most exams will incorporate a few assigned
book problems, so you can consider working these problems as time
well spent.
2.
Review sessions will be scheduled prior to each exam. These are
not mandatory but students in prior years have found them helpful.
Time will be spent going over the exam review sheets in order to
clarify scope and content issues. Exam review sessions will be
scheduled at least two days before any exam, thus allowing you time
to ‘fine-tune’ your understanding of the material and to spend time
testing your knowledge by working additional problems. Dates and
times are listed in the exam schedule (above).
3.
Exam Grading. Look over your exam carefully when it is returned to
you. If you have any questions about the grading, see me
immediately in order to resolve any issues.
4.
Test Answers. Once the exams have been graded, the exam key
will be posted online.
5.
Make-up Exams will be arranged only in the case of verifiable
extenuating circumstances.
6.
To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please
contact Dean Marcelle Holmes if you are a Pomona student. She can
be contacted via e-mail at mdc04747@pomona.edu or at 909 6072147. If you attend another one of the Claremont Colleges, please
contact your home college’s disability officer: Pitzer- Rochelle Brown,
Scripps- Jill Hawthorne, Harvey Mudd- Maggie Browning, and CMCJulia Strong.
7.
Students should feel welcome to see me for assistance with the
course material.
Material to be Included on the Final Exam
Date
Topic
Reading
11/23
Alcohols II
12
11/25
The Crixivan Story
handout
11/26
No Lecture – Thanksgiving Recess
11/30
Alcohols II
12
12/2
Alcohols II
12
12/4
No Lecture-Laboratory Final
-
12/7
Conjugated Unsaturated
Compounds
13
12/9
Conjugated Unsaturated
Compounds
13
12/16
Final Exam, 9:00 AM
1-13