One-Semester General
Chemistry Course for
Engineers
By
Dr. Ben Hutchinson
Dr. Sandra Dudley
Lipscomb University
Overview
 Origin of Course
 Need for Course
 What Chemistry do Engineers Need?
 Engineering Students Learn Chemistry
 Pedantic Techniques
 Laboratory Experiences
 What Have We Learned?
 Conclusions and Recommendations
Origin of Course
 Changing standards by the Accreditation
Board of Engineering & Technology
(ABET)
 Engineering majors (other than chemical or
materials related) often take only one
semester of chemistry--at the general
chemistry level.
Need for Course
 First semester of two-semester general
chemistry may be insufficient for
engineers’ understanding of chemistry
 Some topics needed by engineers are normally
included in the second semester of general chemistry
 Some topics included in the first semester of general
chemistry may not be essential for engineers
Consider What Engineering Students
Need from Chemistry
 Some concepts included in general
chemistry are also covered in physics or
an engineering course
 Some concepts included in general
chemistry, but not elsewhere, may be
assumed in later engineering courses
 Some concepts are critical for successful
completion of the Fundamentals of
Engineering (FE) Exam
Consider What Engineers
Need from Chemistry
 Most importantly, engineers need to
understand enough general chemistry to
perform successfully in the workplace on
multidisciplinary teams, including:
 Working with chemists
 Preparing reports which accurately represent
chemical concepts
 Reporting to chemists
 Supervising chemists
What Topics Should be Included in a
One-Semester Chemistry Course?
 Chemistry concepts included on the FE exam
 Chemistry concepts which are not covered
elsewhere in the engineering curriculum or
which are assumed in engineering courses
 Chemistry concepts which are generally
understood in the scientific and engineering
multidisciplinary community
 Calculational techniques rather than theoretical
concepts
Fundamentals of
Engineering (FE) Exam
 The first of two exams engineers must pass in
order to be licensed. It is normally taken by
senior undergraduate engineering students.
 The exam is divided into two 4-hour portions.
 All students take the fundamentals portion which
has a chemistry section.
What Topics Should Not be
Emphasized?
 In-depth coverage of historical discoveries
 Topics introduced in other engineering
courses
 Theoretical topics not necessary for the
applied fields of engineering
 Topics not required for successful
completion of the FE Exam
How do Engineering Students Learn
Chemistry Differently from Others?
 Engineering students
 Perform better on
calculations
 Request additional
calculations
 Think calculations are
cool
 Mainstream students
 Perform better on
concept problems
 Request additional
concept problems
 May find some
concepts cool
How do Engineering Students Learn
Chemistry Differently from Others?
 Engineering students
 Mainstream students
 Think demonstrations
are cool
 Retain concepts from
demonstrations
 Think demonstrations
are cool
 Retain events of the
demonstration
How do Engineering Students Learn
Chemistry Differently from Others?
 Engineering students
 Skeptical of practical
uses of chemistry
 Able to focus on
specific examples of
chemistry for
engineering
applications
 Mainstream students
 Skeptical of practical
uses of chemistry
 Unable to focus on
specific examples of
chemistry for every
major
How do Engineering Students Learn
Chemistry Differently from Others?
 Engineering students
 Fascination with how
things work
 Often play with or
disassemble
laboratory equipment
 Independently
experiment with acidbase indicators or
whatever is available
 Mainstream students
 Accept mechanical
functions as is
 Do not exhibit the
curiosity for “what
would happen if . . . ?”
How do Engineering Students Learn
Chemistry Differently from Others?
 Engineering students
 Charmed by field trips
 Provides great
opportunity for realistic
writing experience
 Mainstream students
 Did not have the
opportunity to engage
in field trips; students
did not show interest
How do Engineering Students Learn
Chemistry Differently from Others?
 Engineering students
 Given the opportunity
to design and
implement an extra
credit project, students
selected experiments
or field based projects
 Mainstream students
 Given the opportunity
to design and
implement an extra
credit project, students
selected literature
projects
Pedantic Techniques
 Descriptions of how chemistry is of benefit to an

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engineer
Application problems taken from actual
engineering practice (especially those with
insufficient information)
Calibrated Peer Review
Daily, student-led Chemistry in the News
Student-proposed projects for extra credit
Combination of essay and calculational
problems on exams
Pedantic Techniques
 Student “helpfulness” survey
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Extra credit opportunities (most helpful)
Practical advice for engineers
Laboratory experiences (short)
Real world tip of the day
De-emphases of theoretical concepts
Application problems (least helpful)
Laboratory Experiments
 Field trips to chemical, petrochemical, or other
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manufacturing facilities
Environmental chemistry of streams, lakes,
wastewater treatment plants
Fuel cells
Gas law demonstrations
Semi/super-conductor experiments
Nanotechnology experiments (TiO2 as
photocatalyst)
Student-selected experiments
Laboratory Teaching Techniques
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Safety first—preparation for industrial safety paradigm
Lab application tests
Engineering report style write-ups
CPR writing combined with experiments
Economic or environmental connections with
experiments
 Polymer emphases
 Ethical laboratory issues—reporting results accurately
even when counterproductive for you
 Emphasis on authenticity of data
What have we learned?
 Directly applicable laboratory exercises are best
 Students need more stepwise direction to learn problem




solving techniques
Student discretion in selecting individual projects results
in greater interest and initiative
Students love technology but often request simple
methods (e.g., chalkboard) for learning
Engineering students yearn for real world settings and
are willing to work hard to encounter them
Scoring can foster neatness, significant figures, courtesy,
laboratory documentation, writing skill
Professional habits may be developed early
Conclusions and
Recommendations
 Communicating appropriate chemistry to an
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audience with different needs for chemistry can
be a challenge and growth experience
Focus on the engineering students’ long term
needs when teaching chemistry
Role model essential skills
Consult an engineer when designing and
teaching a chemistry course for engineering
students
Don’t be constrained by traditional chemistry
courses and teaching methods