Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
Upon successful completion of this course…
1. The student will be able to compute mathematical equations to solve problems in a great variety of
fields of study, problems involving ratios, percentages, approximation and estimation, measures of central
tendency, standard deviation, statistical inference, reading and interpreting graphs, charts and tables.
2. The student will be able to manipulate calculators as tools for solving problems encountered in
everyday life.
3. The student will be able to perform algebraic formulas to solve mathematical exercises.
4. The student will be able to explain science as a way of knowing about the physical world.
5. The student will be able to analyze and perform experimentation as a way of asking and answering
questions about science.
6. The student will be able to recognize the types of questions that science, by its nature, can and cannot
answer.
7. The student will be able to generalize concepts of natural science to convey its complexity and to
comprehend that asking a science question requires prior knowledge.
8. The student will be able to discuss some of the practical and ethical human implications of scientifically
derived knowledge.
9. The student will be able to compose a theory and demonstrate that theory in practice.
10. The student will be able to explain the principles of chemistry in relation to chemical and physical
properties, chemical nomenclature, and chemical reactions.
11. The student will be able to perform calculations and solve problems (using computer technology when
appropriate) in relation to items in the previous objective above.
12. The student will be able to analyze, collect and record scientific data.
13. The student will be able to demonstrate the operation of appropriate equipment and instrumentation
relating to the chemistry discipline.
14. The student will be able to analyze and interpret instrumental/experimental data.
Technology Requirements
Access to a computer with the following specifications are the minimum requirements in order to be able to perform successfully in a hybrid or online learning environment, as well as in many courses offered face to face. Some academic programs may require additional software.
Device Types
- Laptops, desktops running Microsoft Windows 10 or Apple macOS (10.14 or 10.15) are recommended as your primary device.
- Tablets running Windows may be acceptable if it meets requirements below.
- Google Chromebook devices are not recommended as your primary device.
- Devices running Android, Apple iOS (iPhone/iPad) or other operating systems are not recommended as your primary device.
- Computer and processor: Windows OS: 1.6 GHz or faster, 2- core or greater. 2 GHz or greater recommended for video calls; macOS: Intel processor.
- Memory: Windows or macOS: 4 GB RAM or greater.
- Storage: Windows or macOS: 10 GB of available space.
- Display: Windows: 1280 x 768 resolution or greater; macOS: 1280 x 800 resolution or greater.
- Network Connectivity: Wi-Fi capable.
- Browser: Current version of Microsoft Edge, Safari, or Chrome.
- Video calls: Built in or USB Camera, speakers/headphones and microphone.
If you do not have consistent access to a device with these specifications, please be sure to have that in place by the beginning of fall semester. Considering the possibility of future interruptions to our face-to-face learning together, continuing and new students should also check on the status of internet at home and to address any deficiencies.
Textbook and other Required Course Materials
The lecture text which this course follows is a free, online text, title Chemistry 2e, which can be found at https://openstax.org/details/books/chemistry-2e. (ISBN-10: 1-947172-61-1; ISBN-13: 978-1-947172-61-6).
The lab text is an “in-house” manual provided by WC faculty Mark Chrisman and Dore Meinholtz, which will be available for free through Blackboard. The laboratory book contains the lab experiments (procedures, assignment sheets). Lab experiments will be announced (a tentative schedule of experiments is provided later in this syllabus). Normally, one experiment per week is performed. You will receive weekly notification of which experiments are to be performed.
Please be aware that even though you may have a lab instructor (Mark or Dore) different from the lecture professor, he/she will pass your lab grades on to your lecture professor for your single, final course grade.
The lecture portion of this course will be delivered in-person (or “face-to- face”). Some assignments will be held during the lecture class time, while others will be completed outside of class time.
The laboratory portion of the course will be an in-person model, including in- person experiments. If the College must suspend in-person operations, alternative online or out-of-laboratory activities/assignments may be substituted for the planned in-person experiments.
Week of Sem ester† | Chapter | Topics |
| Week 1 | Chapter 7: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry | Valence electrons, covalent bonding, Lewis dot structures. |
| Week 2 | Chapter 7: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry | resonance structures, formal charge |
| Week 3 | Chapter 7: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry | VSEPR theory, molecular geometries. |
| Week 4 | Chapter 8: Advanced Theories of Covalent Bonding | Valence bond theory, hybrid orbital theory, molecular orbital theory |
| Week 5 | Chapter 10: Liquids and Solids | Intermolecular forces, kinetic molecular theory. |
| Week 6 | Chapter 11:Solutions and Colloids | Solutions, solubility, colligative properties, molality, molarity, mole fraction. |
| Week 7 | Chapter 9: Gases | Boyle’s law, Charles law, ideal gas law, stoichiometry ofgas reactions, effusion. |
| Week 8 | Chapter 12: Kinetics | Reaction rates, collision theory, rate law determination. |
| Week 9 | Chapter 12: Kinetics | Integrated rate laws, radio-carbon dating, temperature effects, mechanisms. |
| Week 10 | Chapter 13 Fundamental Equilibrium Concepts | Chemical equilibria, equilibrium expressions and constants, equilibrium calculations. |
| Week 11 | Chapter 13 Fundamental Equilibrium Concepts | Equilibrium calculations, Le Chatelier’s principle. |
| Week 12 | Chapter 14 Acid-Base Equilibria | Bronsted Lowry acids and bases, Ka/pKa, Acid equilibrium calculations, pH, common ion effect. |
| Week 13 | Chapter 14 Acid-Base Equilibria | Acid equilibrium calculations, common ion effect, Kb/pKb, titrations, buffers. |
| Week 14 | Chapter 15 Equilibria of Other Reaction Classes | Solubility product, common ion effect. |
| Week 15 | Chapter 16 Thermodynamics | Enthalpy, entropy, Gibb’s free energy, spontaneity |
† The listed week of the semester for each topic is tentative and subject to change as the semester progresses.
LIST OF LAB EXPERIMENTS (Tentative):
All in-person experiments come from the required lab text. The list of experiments below is tentative and subject to change. The order in which experiments are performed will be announced as the semester progresses.
| Lab Experiment/Activity |
| Unit Cells / Crystal Packing |
| Intermolecular Forces |
| Aluminum Compounds |
| Acids/Bases, pH, Indicators, and Buffers |
| Compounds of Boron |
| Iron Thiocyanate Equilibrium; UV-vis Spectroscopy |
| Solubility Product of Ca(OH)2 |
| UV-vis Determination of Iron / Infrared Spectroscopy / Polymers |
| Qualitative Analysis of Ions (2-weeks) |
For each lab, you should read the indicated portions of the lab manual or textbook. You are expected to read the experiment before coming to lab. You may have the lab manual in the laboratory for use when doing the experiments.
Some course assignments will be submitted online using the Blackboard system (or email as an emergency backup in case of Blackboard technical difficulties). For documents prepared in MS Word (or similar), these files can be submitted as MS Word (.docx or .doc) files or as pdf files. Please do not upload files formatted for Apple Pages, as Blackboard cannot read these ; also, do not submit links to online documents, such as those on Google Docs . For other submissions such as quiz answers, you may take photos of your written work and upload those to Blackboard (as .jpg or .pdf files). You will be given specific instructions for each assignment type.
Tests: A total of three (3) tests will be given during the semester, planned for the following dates: 2/6, 3/6, and 4/10 (All Thursdays). The totality of the tests will account for approximately 34 -35% of the overall course grade. Tests will be of equal value to each other. Tests are planned to be administered/taken in class on the dates listed above.
Quizzes: A total of eight (8) quizzes will be given. The totality of the quizzes will account for approximately 24 % of the overall course grade. Quizzes will be of equal value to each other (each quiz totals 30 points). Planned dates for quizzes are: 1/23, 1/30, 2/20, 2/27, 3/27, 4/3, 4/24, and 5/1 (dates listed are planned posting dates; due dates will be several days after posting.). Quizzes are planned to be distributed/submitted online via Blackboard. Instructions (deadlines, etc.) as well as a video tutorial for submission of your work will be provided in Blackboard. For online quizzes that are submitted late (after the due date) without an approved excuse, a 15% penalty will be applied. Online quizzes that are more than one week late (without an excuse) will be scored a zero.
“Pop” Extra Credit Quiz: Small extra credit questions may be given during an in- person lecture period. These would generally occur during at the start or end of a lecture period and would be open-note. When given, it is due in-class during the class period in which it is given. Students who miss it will not be able to earn the extra points. The point values of these will typically be small (1-2 points).
Final Exam: There will be a comprehensive final exam on the date for final exams for this course as indicated by the College’s final exam schedules (Exam period is Tuesday, May 6, 10:15AM-12:15PM). This final exam will account for approximately 21-22% of the overall course grade. The final exam is planned to be taken in class.
Lab Assignments*: There will be ten (10) lab assignments. The totality of the lab assignments will account for approximately 20% of the overall course grade. Lab assignments will typically be worksheets out of the lab manual (found in Blackboard; you will need to print the pages yourself). Your lab instructor will provide more information pertaining to the details of each lab assignment. Lab assignments are typically due one week after completing the experiment, and a 10% per business day penalty may be applied for each day past due. There are no planned labs the first week of classes, any week in which there is a holiday (no classes), or the last week of classes.
Lab Desk Exit Inspection: Your lab instructor will perform a lab drawer inspection near the end of the semester, typically during the last regularly scheduled lab experiment of the semester. You are expected to maintain your lab drawer so that it is neat, contains the proper equipment, and does not contain unnecessary equipment or leftover chemicals from previous experiments. Your lab drawer is expected to end the semester roughly in the same condition as it started. Your lab instructor will assign a score. Those students who have not attended lab regularly (i.e., have been absent for a majority of lab periods) and those who do not attend lab on the day of the exit inspection will receive a score of zero for the Lab Exit Inspection. FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER, the lab exit inspection would be extra credit added to the total lab points.
(* In the event that the College must suspend in-person operations or some other unforeseeable emergency, the numbers of quizzes, tests, and laboratory assignments may vary from those listed here. A reasonable effort will be made to maintain numbers/types of assessments as closely as possible to the plan in the syllabus. In the event that the College must suspend in-person operations, laboratory assignments will likely become “out-of-lab” assignments, and substitute activities will be provided for the “in-person” experiments listed further below in the syllabus)
Grade Computation (Point total = 1000 points)
| Tests (115 points each x3) | = 345 points: 34.5% of course grade |
| Quizzes (30 points each x8) | = 240 points: 24% of course grade |
| Lab Assignments (20 points each x 10) | = 200 points: 20% of course grade |
| Final Exam (215 points x 1) | = 215 points: 21.5% of course |
| Total Points* | = 1000 points |
Grading Scale
Grades will be assigned using the following scale. At the end of the semester, the instructor may apply a curve to grading scale for the class. If that were to occur, it would only be a curve to increase the assigned letter grades, not decrease, and the curve would be applied to the entire class.
| A = 93% or higher | A- = 90 to 92% | B+ = 87 to 89% |
| B = 82% to 86% | B- = 80 to 81% | C+ = 77 to 79% |
| C = 70% to 76% | C- = 65 to 69% | D+ = 60 to 64 % |
| D = 55% to 59% | F = less than 55% |
Decimals in the overall course percentage will be rounded to the nearest integer. Any decimal that is less than 0.5 will round down to the nearest integer; any that is 0.5 or greater will round up. For example, a grade of 76.46% would round to 76% and be awarded a letter grade of “C”. A grade of 92.50% would round up to 93% and be awarded an “A”.
Instructor Course Policies
Lecture: Attendance is strongly encouraged for all lecture sessions, but regular attendance in lecture is not, in itself, a part of your course grade. Some course assignments (e.g., tests) are taken during lecture. Failure to complete these due to absence will result in a score of zero for these assignments, unless a valid excuse can be provided. The College’s documents (e.g. Catalog, Student Handbook) list official excuses for absences. In addition, reasonable accommodations will be made to excuse absences for important or unavoidable causes. Students who are absent due to suspicion of illness (especially with respect to COVID -19 symptoms) will be excused. In the event of an excused absence, a student will be allowed to make-up or otherwise submit after the due deadline work within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the instructor. Students who fail to turn in quiz/test/exam assignments by the deadline, without acceptable excuses, will receive scores of zeros for those assignments.
Laboratory: Students who miss an “in-person” laboratory period for an excused absence will typically be given an opportunity to make-up that experiment. The last full week of regular classes will have opportunities to make-up labs. Please contact your laboratory instructor if you have a lab absence so that the best arrangements can be made. If no possible arrangements can be made for an excused lab absence, an “exemption” may be made by the course instructor such that the lab assignment does not affect the student’s grade (This is rare, since there are mechanisms to make up missed labs). If a student is absent for an “in -person” laboratory period without an acceptable excuse, resulting in the student not performing the experiment, then that student cannot submit a laboratory report for that period and will receive a zero for that assignment.
Copyright Policy
This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.
Class Workload
A minimum of two hours of student work per week is expected for each credit hour awarded for the class. This means that students enrolled in an 4 credit hour course over a full semester should anticipate spending at least 8 hours of work each week (outside of the classroom) to complete the requirements of the course.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is defined as the representation of another’s words, ideas, concepts, research or creative production without proper attribution whether intentional or unintentional. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism can occur in the submission of one’s own work or in work submitted by a group.
Examples of plagiarism include (but are not limited to) the following:
- The submission of a paper not one’s own, including turning in a paper that has been purchased from a commercial research firm or obtained from the internet
- Copying word for word information without quotation marks
- Paraphrasing information (that is, the use of one’s own words with only minor changes to the original)
- Use of information not considered general knowledge without proper citation
- Listing of misleading or false sources on a reference page
- The use of a paper or project for one course that was previously submitted for another course, either at Wilmington or at any other institution
- Copying laboratory from another student (without prior permission of the instructor).
- The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to generate answers, work, analysis, or writing without permission of the instructor.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and carries serious academic consequences. Violations will be recorded by the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Main Campus and Vice President of External Programs at the Cincinnati Branch Campus.
When an instructor discovers plagiarism, the instructor will first consult with the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs if a main campus student, or the Vice President for External Programs if a branch campus student, in order to determine if the student is a first-time offender. For first offenses, the instructor has the ability to determine the penalty for the offense. Students with academic integrity violations may not be eligible for academic awards and honors (i.e., Academic Honors, Dean’s List/Merit List, Green Key Honor Society, Quaker Impact Award, and other Honorary Societies). For a second offense or more, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Main Campus or the Vice President for External Programs for students at the branch campus, will report the offense to the academic standards and appeal committee and gather evidence for a hearing with the student. It is possible that the student will receive a substantial reduction in grade for the course or will fail the course. Multiple instances could even lead to suspension or expulsion from Wilmington College.
There are many university, college and private websites students may consult about how to avoid plagiarism. Sites with particularly helpful suggestions can be found at:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/08/intro/index.htm
http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_preventing_plagiarism_when_writing.html
http://citationmachine.net/index2.php
Third-Party Software and FERPA Policy
During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.
Appendix 1 Syllabus Checklist
Instructions: After completing your syllabus, and before submitting it, please check to make sure all of the following items are included in the document. Place an “X” next to each item to indicate you have included it, then save the form and return it as an attachment to your syllabus.
Syllabus Requirements Checklist | |
| Course Number: CH231 &CH231L Course Section: M2 (lecture) Year: 2025 Term: Spring | |
| Professor’s Name: Michael Goldcamp | |
| Syllabus elements and content | Included (X) |
| Course number and section designator (M1, A1 etc.) | X |
| Course title | X |
| Credit hours | X |
| Semester (Fall, Spring, Summer) and Year of the Course | X |
| Meeting times for scheduled live online synchronous sessions | X |
| Instructor’s full name | X |
| Email Address | X |
| Phone Number | X |
| Preferred method of contact | X |
| Optional: College Mission and/orrelationship of courseto the mission | |
| Course description from the catalogue with prerequisites | X |
| Course goals and/or objectives | X |
| Textbook and other Required Course Materials | X |
| Online Course Workload Expectations | X |
| Course Policies appropriate for delivery method | X |
| Attendance Policy | X |
| Academic Misconduct Statement and Plagiarism Statement | X |
| Final week activity statement (exam, assignment, etc.) | X |
| Pre-class Assignment or Pre-assignment (Only for Cincinnati Branch Campus courses) | N/A |
| Course Assessment Forms | X |
| Basis for assigning grades in the course | X |
| Course Outline | X |
| Tentative course schedule and assignments | X |
| Skills statement forWriting intensive (W)and Global (G)classes only. Include how eachwill be taught, practiced and assessed. | N/A |
| ADA Statement | X |
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Academic Misconduct - Examples [10/24]
ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT
This policy is directly related to the first Testimony, which is part of the Student Code of Conduct. “I will practice personal and academic integrity.” The initial responsibility for dealing with academic misconduct lies with the individual faculty member in whose classroom or course of study the offense occurs. The responsibility includes determination of the consequences for the offense. The goal is for faculty to confront cheating and plagiarism, to teach ethical behavior, and to provide an appropriate consequence based on the nature of the incident. Faculty are encouraged to explicitly address academic misconduct and its consequences in the course syllabus.
EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
A. Examination offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.Taking unauthorized materials into or out of the examination room.
2.Leaving the examination room without authorization before completing an examination.
3.Talking in the examination room without authorization.
4.Discussing the examination outside the examination room during the course of the examination.
5.Attempting to observe the work of another student.
6.Taking an examination for another person or permitting someone else to do so.
7.Collaborating improperly by discussion, joint research, or joint effort in any way expressly prohibited by the instructor. This includes using a cell phone or other device to access information from another source or another student.
8.Improper knowledge of contents of an examination - No student shall knowingly acquire unauthorized knowledge of an examination or any part of an examination, or solicit, offer, or give information about any part of an examination.
B. Student work offenses include, but are not limited to, the following, which are expressly prohibited in the absence of prior written approval of the instructor or instructors involved:
1.Resubmission of work - Submitting work which has been previously submitted for credit.
2. Plagiarism - Submitting work done wholly or partly by another, including the unattributed copying of all or parts of a published work or internet document. Using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) sources to produce work (when not expressly permitted) is also a form of plagiarism. Some instances of plagiarism are the result of ignorance rather than dishonesty. When plagiarism is encountered, the instructor should be sure that the student knows proper procedures for attributing content.
3.Prohibited sources - Consulting material or persons contrary to the directions of the instructor.
4.Improper collaboration - Engaging in any discussion, joint research, or joint effort of any kind expressly prohibited by the instructor.
5.Deception - Misrepresenting the authenticity of sources, citations, or principles in any written work.
6. Sharing work – Students who share their work with others are responsible for how that work is used. For example, if a student shares a paper with another student to help him or her understand an assignment, and that student submits the work as their own, the author of the paper shares responsibility for the plagiarism committed by the other student.
D. Other misconduct - Engaging in any other improper conduct as specified by the instructor.
E. Lying – deliberately providing false information relevant to academic matters, such as misrepresenting the inability to take an examination because of illness.
F. Disruptive or disrespectful classroom behavior – causing a disturbance in the classroom, interrupting instruction, speaking rudely or threatening students or faculty.
Class Attendance Policy |
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Students with Disabilities
In accordance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973), Wilmington College provides access through reasonable accommodations to students with documented physical and psychological disabilities.
Students who wish to access Services need to meet with the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services and provide verification of their disability. To register with Accessibility and Disability Services, students submit an Application for Services. In addition, the student must provide the Disability Verification form accompanied by current disability documentation from a licensed professional. For more information, contact the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services at accessibility@wilmington.edu or 937.481.2444, 114 Robinson Communcation Center.