CHEM 120 - GENERAL COLLEGE CHEMISTRY - FALL 2009

 

Dr. Joseph Ledbetter         (510) 235-7800 x 4365                                   jledbetter@contracosta.edu        

Office Hours in PS 128:  MW 5-6 pm         TTh 10-11 am  and 130-2 pm 

Lecture (PS 106)  MW 8-930 am    Lab (PS 6) MW 940-1230         Workshop: W 3-4 pm in PS 106

 

COURSE STRUCTURE

 

Mathematics 120 or its equivalent is a prerequisite for this course- some topics are reviewed in your text appendix “Mathematical Procedures”.  Some chemistry such as Chemistry 119 or high school chemistry is advised; ideally you should have had high school courses in chemistry, biology, and physics.  English language proficiency at the "1A" level is assumed as two brief lab papers will be written at the end of the term.  Math and chemistry qualifying/diagnostic exams will be given during the first week.  A passing score (50%) is required to continue this course.  Three or more missed laboratories will result in a failure.  Lab reports (found in the lab manual) are due at the end of the day when the lab is completed and are graded on a “good faith effort” basis.  You are responsible to check and correct your lab reports against the posted lab reports. There will be four midterm exams given during lecture hour and comprehensive final exams (American Chemical Society (ACS) standardized in addition to one similar to midterms) given according to the schedule below.   

 

You are required to maintain an organized notebook where you keep your reading notes, lecture notes and homework efforts.  The daily open-note quizzes will be given at the beginning of class and will cover assigned homework as well as the reading required in the text and lab manual for the current week. Group activities will end each lecture and will count for some of the quiz credit for the day. NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES are allowed but note that the lowest two quizzes are dropped.  Any attempt of cheating will be subject to disciplinary action according to the Academic Honesty Policy as written in the Contra Costa College Catalog.  Complaints about exams/quizzes or grade changes of the exams/quizzes will only be considered during the first week after the exam/quiz has been returned to you.

 

If you are a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) major, you should check out the Center for Science Excellence (CSE) in the student study area in PS 109.  This student-centered program provides faculty mentors, seminars, field trips, internship and scholarship opportunities.  More information can be found at http://www.contracosta.edu/cse/index.asp and Friday afternoon seminars in PS 132

 

GRADING

 

Your overall course grade will be based on total points.  At least 900 will be required for an A, 800 for a B, 700 for a C, and 600 pts for a D.

 

                Lab reports                           = 110 points (22 @ 5 points each)

                Lab papers                            = 40 points (2 @ 20 points each)

                Midterm Exams                   = 300 points (4 @ 100 points each-lowest exam dropped)

                Final Exam                           = 100 points

                Homework/Quizzes            = 500 points (27 @ 20 points each- lowest two dropped)

                ________________________________________________________

                                                                = 1050 points

 

TEXTS

 

Zumdahl & Zumdahl, Chemistry, 8th Edition, Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2010, Print ISBN-10: 0547125321 Print ISBN-13: 9780547125329 (REQUIRED- note that an eBook option is available and a print copy is on reserve in the CCC library)

 

J. M. Postma, J. L. Roberts, Jr., J. L. Hollenberg, "Chemistry in the Laboratory", 6th Edition, W. H. Freeman and Company, 2005. ISBN 0-7167-9606-6 or  978-0-716-79606-0 (REQUIRED)

 

 “ACS General Chemistry Exams-The Official Guide”, ACS Division of Chemical Education Examinations Institute, 1998. (REQUIRED)

 

 

Chemistry 120 Ledbetter course schedule details

WEEK   

STARTING DATE

EXPERIMENT(S)- Postma

Zumdahl Chapter

Monday Homework and Quiz

Wednesday homework and Quiz

1

17-Aug

First Day, Computer and 1

1

none

Lab pages I-1 to I-21 and Experiment 1

2

24-Aug

1 and 2

1

review questions & 31, 33, 37, 38, 42, 50, 52

56, 64, 73, 78, 84, 102, 108, 113

3

31-Aug

2 and 3

2

review questions & 17, 20, 28, 30, 36, 37

47, 56, 66, 72, 79, 86, 91, 101, 110

4

9/7/2009 (Monday Holiday)

3 and GC/MS

3

none

Exam 1- chapters 1 & 2

5

14-Sep

4 and 7

3

review questions & 23, 30, 31, 34, 39, 47, 61, 64

70, 75, 84, 90, 95, 99, 104, 107, 114, 133, 151, 168, 171

6

21-Sep

7 and 18

4

review questions & 13, 15, 18, 20, 24, 29

33, 34, 42, 45, 49, 54, 64, 67, 77, 79, 84, 97

7

28-Sep

5 and 6

4

100, 103, 110, 113, 124, 130, 134

Exam 2- chapters 3 & 4

8

5-Oct

8 and 9

5

review questions & 23, 27, 28, 30, 35, 45, 54, 65

74, 83, 90, 99, 107, 112, 119, 134, 140, 152

9

12-Oct

A and 11

6

review questions & 16, 17, 35, 41, 46, 55

59, 66, 69, 74, 75, 79, 84, 88, 95, 99

10

19-Oct

12 and 15

6

101, 119, 120, 126

Exam 3-chapters 5 & 6

11

26-Oct

16 and 17

7

review questions & 19, 27, 30, 33, 35, 39, 44, 49

55, 67, 70, 80, 85, 91, 98, 100, 108, 118

12

2-Nov

17 and AAS

7

121, 125, 130, 134, 138, 141, 144

146, 151, 157, 158, 161, 166, 169

13

11/9/2009 (Monday Holiday)

B and 19

8

none

review questions & 15, 20, 23, 26

14

16-Nov

19 and 21

8

33, 38, 41, 43, 50, 59, 64, 76, 79, 84, 92

100, 105, 109, 113, 125, 128, 132, 142, 152, 155

15

11/23/2009 (Thursday Holiday)

21 and 22

9

review questions & 11, 13, 15, 21, 37, 41, 61, 73, 85, 92

Exam 4- chapters 7-9

16

30-Nov

Distillation (Hyperchem, IR, and NMR) & start Aspirin Synthesis

10

review questions & 12, 13, 29, 32, 35, 63, 68

87, 102, 108, 123, 129, 141, 144

17

7-Dec

Finish Aspirin Synthesis & Checkout

11

review questions & 15, 19, 20, 25, 32, 43, 51

60, 71, 78, 88, 96, 101, 117

18

Final Exams:  Monday, Dec 14, 8-10 am in PS 106 and Wednesday, Dec 16 , 9-11 am in PS 6