CHEM.

002: General Chemistry I

Spring 2012 Course Syllabus

General Information:
CHEM 002 is the first semester of a two-semester lower division general
chemistry sequence, which exposes the student to a lecture and laboratory experience.
The focus of this course is twofold: conceptual and mathematical.
The mathematical tools used in general chemistry are stressed with particular emphasis
placed on stoichiometric calculations and gas phase equilibriums. The study of basic
thermochemistry is an integral part of the course leading to additional insight of chemical
reactivity. A conceptual approach is used to study the trends observed in the chemical
and physical properties of the elements within the periodic table. The concepts of atomic
structure and basic atomic orbital theory is examined and expanded to basic molecular
orbital theory leading to a greater understanding of covalent bond formation. The
conceptual and mathematical approaches emphasized in this course are supported by a
laboratory section; the experimental procedures conducted in the laboratory are designed
to reinforce the material covered in lecture.

Meeting Times and Locations:

Lecture sections: -01, M, W and F, 9:30 am – 10:20 am, Clssrm 102; -10, M, W and F,
10:30 am – 11:20 pm, Clssrm.102.
Laboratory sections: -02L M, 11:30 – 2:20 pm, SE 108; -03L M, 3:00 – 5:50 pm, SE 108,
-04L M, 6:30 – 9:20 pm, SE 108, -05L T, 8:00 – 10:50 am, SE 108, -06L T, 11:30 – 2:20
pm, SE 108, -07L T, 3:00 – 5:50 pm, SE 108, -08L T, 6:30 – 9:20 pm, SE 108, -09L W,
6:30 – 9:20 pm, SE 108, -11L W, 7:30 – 10:20 am, SE 108, -12L F, 7:30 – 10:20 am, SE
108, -13L W, 11:30 – 2:20 pm, SE 108, -14L W, 3:00 – 5:20 pm, SE 108, -15L R, 8:00 –
10:50 am, SE 108, -16L R, 11:30 – 2:20 pm, SE 108, -17L R, 3:00 – 5:50 pm, SE 108, -
18L R, 6:30 – 9:20 pm, SE 108.

Prerequisite:
Pass chemistry placement exam or complete CHEM 1 with C- or better or score 3 or
better on chemistry AP exam.

Text (Required):
th
1. “Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change”, 5 ed. by Martin S.
Silberberg, Published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009.

Other Required Items:

1. A basic scientific calculator; 2. Four # 882E scantron forms; 3. A pair of approved
laboratory safety goggles and 4. A laboratory notebook (must be bound with sequentially
numbered duplicate pages).

Course Instructor:
Mark Vidensek, UC Merced Campus, mvidensek@ucmerced.edu . Office hours: M and
W from 3:30 – 4:30 pm in AOA-174.

Laboratory Instructors/ TAs:

Nelson Rivera, nrivera@ucmerced.edu. Office Hours: To be announced on course site.
Lab sections: 02L, -08, -09L, -12L and -18L.

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 CHEM. 002: General Chemistry I
Spring 2012 Course Syllabus

Shelley Wang, swang2@ucmerced.edu. Office Hours: To be announced on course site.

Lab sections: -13L and -14L.
Eric Josephs, ejosephs@ucmerced.edu. Office Hours: To be announced on course site.
Lab sections: -03L and -04L.
Matt Berry, mberry3@ucmerced.edu. Office Hours: To be announced on course site. Lab
section: -17L.
Virginia Illera-Ramon, vramon@ucmerced.edu. Office Hours: To be announced on
course site. Lab sections: -05L, -06L, -07L, -11L, -15L and -16L.

Course Web site:

The CHEM 002 web site is part of the UCMCROPS course management system and will
be automatically available to all students enrolled in the course
(https://my.ucmerced.edu/uPortal/render.userLayoutRootNode.uP). This web site
contains the course syllabus, announcements, lecture slides (i.e. when posted), laboratory
procedures, practice homework problems and exam keys; this information will be located
under the “Resources” tab. You will find assigned grades under the “Gradebook” tab.

Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Derive the names and formulas of compounds based upon the IUPAC system of
inorganic nomenclature for binary compounds and oxyacids;
• Determine molecular formulas from data, balance chemical equations, predict the
formation of precipitates, and use stoichiometric relationships to calculate product
and reactant amounts with applications to limiting reagent and % yield concepts;
• analyze the energy associated with chemical reactions, perform simple chemical
thermodynamic calculations, and be able to apply these concepts to the first law
of thermodynamics, stoichiometric relationships, calorimetry and Hess’s law;
• explain the basic concepts of quantum theory and the basic theories of chemical
bonding, and be able to make predictions about atomic and molecular properties;
• determine whether a reaction is at equilibrium, calculate equilibrium constants
and equilibrium concentrations, and apply the principles of equilibrium and
reaction kinetics to gaseous phase systems;
• perform basic chemistry laboratory techniques, use common laboratory
instruments, record data and observations accurately, and describe sources of
error and uncertainty in experimental data.
Accomplishment of these outcomes will be assessed through in-class quizzes, exams, and
graded laboratory reports.

Structure of the course and expectations:

You are expected to read each assigned chapter of your text before the chapter is
covered in lecture. Unless informed otherwise, you are responsible for all the material in
assigned chapters, even if the material was not specifically covered in lecture; chapters 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 will be covered in that tentative order.
Practice homework problems will be assigned from each chapter where
applicable. The practice homework problems will be posted under the “Resources” tab on
the Chem. 002 course site.

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Spring 2012 Course Syllabus

There will be eleven laboratory experiments; all lab reports, except the last, are
due during the first ten minutes of the following lab period.
There will be ten quizzes. The material covered by the quizzes will be
representative of the lectures, laboratories, practice homework problems and assigned
reading materials. Quizzes will be administered during lectures and or laboratory periods.
There will be three midterms and a final. The material covered by the midterms
will be representative of the quizzes, lectures, laboratories, practice homework problems
and assigned reading materials. The final will be accumulative. The exams will be
recorded on Scantron Form 882E.

Tentative Exam and Chapter Schedule:

Midterm 1 (Ch. 2 – 4) 02/22/12
Midterm 2 (Ch. 5 – 7 &17) 03/23/12
Midterm 3 (Ch. 8 – 11) 05/02/12
Final (Accumulative) Please see the spring 2012 class schedule for date and time.

Tentative Weekly Schedule:

Chapter Subject Week Date of Week
Introduction and Ch. 2 Course Intro. and Components of Matter 1 01/16/12
Ch. 2 Components of Matter 2 01/23/12
Ch. 3 Stoichiometry of Formulas and Eq. 3 01/30/12
Ch. 3 and Ch. 4 Types of Chemical Reactions 4 02/06/12
Ch. 4 Types of Chemical Reactions Cont. 5 02/13/12
Ch. 5 and Midterm 1 Gases and Kinetic–Molecular Theory 6 02/20/12
Ch. 6 Thermochemistry 7 02/27/12
Ch. 17 Chemical Equilibrium 8 03/05/12
Ch. 7 Quantum Theory 9 03/12/12
Ch. 8 and Midterm 2 Electron Configurations and periodicity 10 03/19/12
- Spring Break 11 03/26/12
Ch. 8 and Ch. 9 Models of Chemical Bonding 12 04/02/12
Ch. 9 Models of Chemical Bonding Cont. 13 04/09/12
Ch. 10 Molecular Shapes 14 04/16/12
Ch. 11 Theories of Covalent Bonding 15 04/23/12
Ch. 11 and Midterm 3 Theories of Covalent Bonding Cont. 16 04/30/12

Attendance and behavior:

Students are required to attend their assigned lecture and laboratory; this is highly
recommended since graded assignments will be administered during these periods, and
non-compliance will result in loss of credit (i.e. points) on assignments attempted outside
of the student’s assigned period(s).
Behavior that is disruptive to other students, or interferes with their attempt to
follow the lectures, laboratories, or discussions, will not be allowed. This includes, but is
not limited to, talking (except when you are specifically asked to discuss a question
among yourselves), listening to music, operating electronic devices that make any audio
sounds or blocking another student’s view. Students will not be allowed to use computers

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 CHEM. 002: General Chemistry I
Spring 2012 Course Syllabus

during lectures, or discussions, and cell phones must be rendered inaudible while class is
in session. Violators of these policies will be asked to leave the classroom/laboratory.
Late and/or missed assignments:
No quizzes, labs or exams, will be administered late; late is defined as ten (10)
minutes past the start time of the lecture, lab or exam period. If you miss, or are late, for
a quiz, lab or exam, it will count as a zero. Only two exceptions will be made: illness of
oneself or the death of an immediate family member. Late and/or missed assignments,
not classified as above, will be assigned zero points. Official documentation (i.e. a
Doctor’s note or a death announcement from a funeral home) will be requested to
substantiate the classification. The above documented policies take precedence over any
verbal modification.
If you know ahead of time that you will have a conflict with an assignment due to
a scheduled medical procedure or a court appearance, you will receive the average of like
assignment for the score of the missed assignment; this accommodation is a onetime
“occurrence” only. Official documentation (i.e. a Doctor’s note or a Court Summons)
will be requested to substantiate the student’s claim. The above documented policies take
precedence over any verbal modification.

Missed laboratory experiments and/or late laboratory reports:

No laboratory experiments will be performed by students outside of their assigned
laboratory section. Missed laboratory experiments will count as a zero. Late laboratory
reports will not be accepted; late is defined as ten (10) minutes past the start time of the
Lab period. Late laboratory reports will count as zero. All laboratory reports (typed hard
copy only) must include the initialed duplicate laboratory notebook page(s) for the lab
report to be accepted as per the Chem. 002 Laboratory Report Format document. Please
see “Late and/or missed assignments” above for exceptions and/or accommodations.
These documented policies take precedence over any verbal modification.

Re-Grading:
If you feel an assignment (i.e. quiz, exam or laboratory) was graded incorrectly,
please bring it to my or your TAs attention by the next class/lab meeting. The entire
assignment will be regraded, so your score could go up or down. Graded assignments
may be photo copied before returning them to student(s). Any student who attempts to
cheat by altering a graded assignment and returning it for re-grading will receive a zero
for that assignment and may be subject to further disciplinary action.

Course grading:
All assigned course letter grades in CHEM 002 will be based on the absolute
point scale shown below (Note: + or – grades may be assigned.).

Point distribution: Possible points

Quizzes (10 @ 12.5 pts each) 125
Laboratory Reports (11 @ 25 pts each) 275
Midterms (3 @ 150 pts each) 450
Final (1 @ 150 pts) 150
Total Points: 1000

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 CHEM. 002: General Chemistry I
Spring 2012 Course Syllabus

Points scale: Corresponding grade

1000 - 900 A
899 - 750 B
749 - 550 C
549 - 450 D
449 - 0 F

Students with disabilities:

UC Merced is committed to ensuring equal academic opportunities and inclusion
for students with disabilities. I would respectfully request that my students with
disabilities discuss their situation with Disability Services to assist them in obtaining any
appropriate academic accommodations they may require. Requests for such
accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the semester, except for
unusual circumstances. Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with
Disability Services Center (KL 109; disabilityservices@ucmerced.edu) to verify their
eligibility for appropriate accommodations.

Policy on academic honesty:

There will be no communication of any form (written, physical, verbal, electronic,
etc.) between students during quizzes, midterm exams and/or the final exam. You may
not look at another student’s paper during quizzes or exams. The only items you may use
during quizzes and/or exams will be: a pencil or pen and a calculator.
Bring a photo ID of yourself to each exam. Students not in possession of their
photo ID at exam time may be prohibited from taking the exam and will be assigned a
score of zero for the exam.
Any student found to be in violation of the policies stated in this section (i.e.
Policy on academic honesty) will be assigned zero points for the quiz and/or exam and
may be subject to further disciplinary action.

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