Houseknecht
Chemistry 201
Fall 2012
Chemistry 201 - Organic Chemistry I
Meeting Times
Section 3
Section 4
Science 262
Science 255C
Science 262
Science 255C
TTh
Th
MWF
F
8:00 – 9:30
12:40 – 4:40 (meet in Science 262)
9:40 – 11:10
12:40 – 4:40 (meet in Science 262)
Instructor
Justin Houseknecht (house-neck), PhD
Science 245E, 327-6437, jhouseknecht@wittenberg.edu
Office hours
MF
9:30 – 12:30
T
11:15 – 12:30
W
9:30 – 11:30, 1:30 – 3:00
Please make use of this time if you have any questions or concerns. No new material will be discussed
during office hours, but as much assistance will be given as possible. If you prefer individualized
assistance or cannot make it during the hours listed above, please contact me to set up an appointment.
Required Textbooks and Resources
Organic Chemistry, John McMurry, Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning, 8th Edition, 2012.
Organic Chemistry OWL Access Code Card, Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning, 1st Edition*
* Available with new copies of Organic Chemistry or in the bookstore
The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual, A Student’s Guide to Techniques, Zubrick, Wiley, 7th Edition,
2007.
Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiments, Hanson and Houseknecht, Fall 2012*
*Available on Moodle, http://moodle.wittenberg.edu/login/index.php
Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students, Hill and Finster, 1st Edition, 2010.
Recommended Textbooks and Resources
HGS Molecular Model Kit 1013/ Organic Chemistry Set for Student*
*HGS has other kits available, the more extensive ones would also be okay
ThomsonNOW Printed Access Card, Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning, 1st Edition
Course website – On the class (Q) network drive, Q:\chemistry\Houseknecht\index.html
Chemistry Department Mission Statement
The mission of the Chemistry Department is to provide a challenging and supportive environment for
students to learn chemical principles and laboratory skills, enhance their critical thinking and
communication skills, and become responsible in their use of scientific knowledge.
Houseknecht
Chemistry 201
Fall 2012
Course goals and philosophy
The purpose of this course is to provide every student with a thorough understanding of the basic
principles of organic chemistry. Emphasis will be upon understanding and explaining the structure,
physical properties, and chemical reactivity of organic molecules. This will be accomplished by
providing factual knowledge, emphasis upon fundamental principles, utilization of critical thinking, and
application of course material to new problems.
Students with disabilities
Wittenberg University and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students with
documented disabilities. If you are eligible for course accommodation due to a disability, please provide
me with your self-identification letter from the Academic Services Office, 206 Recitation Hall, so that
we may discuss your learning needs. Early identification at the start of the term is required to ensure
timely provision of services.
Grading criteria
Final grades will be determined by performance on homework assignments, hourly exams, laboratory
assignments, and the final exam. The last day to drop without a “W” is September 21, 2012. The last
day to drop with a “W” is October 26, 2012.
Homework
15%
Laboratory
20%
Exams
50%
Final exam
15%
Grades will be assigned as detailed below. Scores within 2 – 3% of cut-offs may receive +/- modifiers
as appropriate. I do reserve the right to assign letter grades more leniently. All course grades will be
assigned based upon a class-wide scale, no individual exceptions will be granted.
A
90 – 100%
B
80 – 89%
C
70 – 79%
D
60 – 69%
Homework
Daily preparation is essential for success in organic chemistry lecture and laboratory. As such,
homework problems will be assigned on a daily basis. Successful students will complete the problems
assigned from the textbook prior to the next class period. Half of each exam will be problems from the
textbook. Homework will also be assigned for the online program OWL. To receive credit for each
assigned exercise it must be completed by the due date.
The website for OWL is
https://owl.cengage.com/owl-c/user/loginpage.cgi?Server=owl-wittenbergumcmurry8e&UserType=Student.
If
you have any difficulty accessing or using this resource please ask for assistance immediately.
Homework extra credit will also be available by completing up to fifteen worksheets between the class
in which they are distributed and the next class period.
Laboratory
Laboratory is an essential component of this course. Therefore, you cannot pass Chem 201 if you do
not achieve a passing grade in the laboratory. Laboratory grades will be based upon pre-lab
assignments, post-lab reports, and performance in the laboratory. Unexcused absence from lab will
result in a zero for that lab and all related assignments. Each student may have no more than 1 excused
absence from lab per semester. It is often possible to reschedule a lab with sufficient notice and this is
encouraged whenever feasible. Read the entire experiment (and assigned reading) before coming to lab
and always arrive in appropriate lab attire (lab goggles, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, etc.). Failure to
do so can and will result in expulsion from that day’s lab and a zero on any related assignments.
Houseknecht
Chemistry 201
Fall 2012
Examinations
All exams will be cumulative, although emphasis will be placed on material that has not yet been tested.
Sample exams from previous years are available on the Q: drive. Unexcused absence from exams will
result in a zero for that exam. It is often possible to reschedule an exam with sufficient notice and this is
encouraged whenever feasible. Excused absences will receive the average score of the other exams
written by the particular student. To receive an excused absence from an exam you MUST receive a
written excuse from the instructor before the scheduled exam time or provide documentation of the
unavoidable, unforeseen emergency. Students who miss two or more exams or the final will receive a
zero on all missed evaluations. Re-grade requests must be discussed with the instructor within one week
of the return of the exam. The fourth exam will be given at the same time as the final. The final exam
must be taken on either Tuesday, December 11th from 8-11 am or Wednesday, December 12th
from 3:30-6:30 pm.
Course schedule (tentative)
Date Topic
8/21 Introduction and Chap. 1 – Atomic Structure
8/23 Chap. 1 – Bonding and Hybridization in organic molecules
8/28 Chap. 2 – Polar covalent bonds, acids, bases
8/30 Chap. 3 – Functional groups in organic chemistry
9/04 Chap. 3 – Naming, properties, and conformations of acyclic alkanes
9/06 Chap. 4 – Naming and conformations of cycloalkanes
9/11 Chap. 4 – Conformations of cyclohexane and polycyclic molecules
9/13 Chap. 6 – Types of organic reactions, mechanisms, and energy change
9/18 Exam #1 – Chapters 1-4
9/20 Chap. 7 – Naming and structure of alkenes
9/25 Chap. 7 – Electrophilic addition reactions of alkenes
9/27 Chap. 8 – Electrophilic addition reactions of alkenes
10/02 Chap. 8 – Electrophilic addition reactions of alkenes
10/04 Chap. 9 – Naming and addition reaction of alkynes
10/09 Exam #2 – Chapters 6-9
10/11 Chap. 5 – Chirality in organic molecules
------------------------------------------------------Fall Break-------------------------------------------------------10/18 Chap. 5 – Nomenclature for specifying chirality
10/23 Chap. 10 – Nomenclature and synthesis of alkyl halides
10/25 Chap. 11 – Substitution reactions
10/30 Chap. 11 – Elimination reactions
11/01 Chap. 17 – Naming, properties, and synthesis of alcohols
11/06 Chap. 17 – Reactions of alcohols
11/08 Chap. 18 – Ethers and Phenols
11/13 Chap. 24 – Naming, properties, and synthesis of amines
11/15 Chap. 19 – Naming and properties, of ketones and aldehydes
11/20 Exam #3 – Chapters 5, 10, 11, 17, 18, and 24
-------------------------------------------------Thanksgiving Break---------------------------------------------------11/27 Chap. 19 – Irreversible reactions of aldehydes and ketones
11/29 Chap. 19 – Reversible reactions of aldehydes and ketones
12/04 Chap. 20 – Naming and properties of carboxylic acids/ derivatives
12/06 Chap. 21 – Interconversion of carboxylic acids/ derivatives
Houseknecht
Chemistry 201
Fall 2012
Study habits
Organic chemistry has the reputation of being a difficult subject. There are certainly many reasons for
this, but the primary reasons are:
1. It is a vast subject area that requires a substantial amount of material to be processed in the course of
a semester.
2. It is one of very few subjects that is truly cumulative. A thorough understanding of the material
covered at the beginning of the course is essential for success throughout the semester. Similarly,
material covered later in the semester will further clarify material covered at the beginning of the
semester.
3. It is a subject that many approach from an unproductive perspective. Prior to the Information
Revolution, organic chemistry education consisted almost entirely of memorizing hundreds or
thousands of reactions. This may have been appropriate for the time, but ready access to computers,
the Internet, and powerful search engines, as well as advances in the field, have made rote
memorization an essentially worthless endeavor. Most instructors of organic chemistry now
emphasize the importance of understanding how and why a few essential organic reactions proceed.
This approach makes the course grow easier as it proceeds and is the method we will use in Chem
201. Unfortunately, many students of organic chemistry have continued to emphasize memorization
of as many reactions as possible. This usually becomes overwhelming by the midpoint of the
semester. The resulting consternation of students who have worked very hard is predictable.
So, what should a student of organic chemistry do to be successful? The short answer is to commit the
necessary time to learning the material, particularly the first few weeks, and to focus upon understanding
the processes of organic chemistry – not just the results. The long answer is to:
1. Always study material with the intent of understanding it. Another way to say this is to remember
that the journey is more important than the destination, particularly when studying.
2. Study for 60 - 90 minutes a day, 4 - 6 days a week. This is much more efficient than waiting until a
few days before the exam to begin studying.
3. Recopy your notes from lecture in a fresh notebook within 24 hours of lecture.
4. Complete the assigned homework problems within 48 hours. Waiting longer will leave you
unprepared for the next class and overwhelmed by the shear number of problems to be worked.
5. Do as many practice problems as possible, not just the assigned homework problems. Consult other
students, the instructor, or the solutions manual for every problem that you don't understand.
6. Avoid working problems with a solutions manual nearby. Using it to check your answers after you
have answered a group of 5-10 questions can be valuable, more frequent use will negatively impact
your understanding of the material and exam performance. If you are having trouble in the course
and feel like you are drowning DO NOT reach for a solutions manual. Seek out help from
classmates and/or the instructor.
7. Study with several classmates on a regular basis. This time should be used to ask one another
difficult questions and review key concepts, not to read the text or work on simple problems from
the book. Finding a group of peers willing to prepare properly for group study should be a high
priority the first few weeks of the semester.
8. Take the advice of students who have been successful in organic chemistry. I have compiled a list of
suggestions and placed it on the Q drive.