CH230:
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
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.
If the College is forced to suspend in-person instruction due to the pandemic, the lecture portion of this course would be changed to online an asynchronous course. This would require that you watch recorded lecture videos via Blackboard/Office 365 (probably 2-3 per week). Office hours would meet in a virtual contact space through the Blackboard Learning Management System. Assignments (types, numbers, approximate dates) would be kept as closely as possible to the original plan in this syllabus, with assignments being distributed/submitted via Blackboard.
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.
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.
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). Lecture will cover material that is contained in approximately Chapters 1-7, as well as parts of Chapters 14, 17, and 20.
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.
Catalog Course Description: An introductory course for those majoring in the sciences. Atomic structure and bonding, balancing equations, mole relationships, and basic concepts of physical and descriptive chemistry. Laboratories teach basic chemical techniques, data analysis, laboratory safety, and preparation of laboratory reports. Four credit hours (semester basis).
Overview: Principles of Chemistry I is a two-part course: lecture and lab. The course is a science-major’s introductory chemistry course designed to teach the basic theories of chemical structures and reactions, laboratory skills and practices, and problem-solving logic as it is applied to chemical problems. It also serves to satisfy requirements for General Education in the natural sciences.
Lecture Schedule (Tentative):
| Week of Semester† | Chapter | Topics |
| Week 1 | Chapter 1: Essential Ideas | Measurements, metric units, unit conversions, significant figures |
| Week 2 | Chapter 2: Atoms, Molecules, Ions Chapter 3, Section 3.1 (Formula Mass and Mole Concept) | Atomic structure, subatomic particles, periodic table, atomic mass, moles |
| Week 3 | Chapter 2: Atoms, Molecules, Ions | Ions, ionic bonding, ionic compounds, nomenclature of ionic compounds |
| Week 4 | Chapter 2: Atoms, Molecules, Ions Chapter 20, Sections 20.1 & 20.2 (Hydrocarbons; Alcohols and Ethers) | Covalent bonding, nomenclature of binary covalent molecules, structure and nomenclature of simple organic compounds, empirical formulas |
| Week 5 | Chapter 4: Stoichiometry of Chemical Reactions | Chemical equations, balancing, types of reactions, stoichiometry |
| Week 6 | Chapter 4: Stoichiometry of Chemical Reactions | stoichiometry, theoretical yield, quantitative analysis, limiting reagents |
| Week 7 | Chapter 3, Sections 3.3 (Molarity) and 3.4 (Other Units for Solution Concentration) Chapter 4: Stoichiometry of Chemical Reactions | Solutions, molarity, conc by %, stoichiometry with solutions. |
| Week 8 | Chapter 4, Section 4.2 (Classifying Chemical Reactions) Chapter 14, Sections 14.1 – 14.5. | Acids, bases, pH, pKa, pKb |
| Week 9 | Chapter 4, Section 4.2 (Classifying Chemical Reactions) Chapter 17, Sections 17.1 (Review of Redox Chemistry) and 17.2 (Galvanic Cells) | Oxidation, reduction, oxidation numbers/states, redox balancing |
| Week 10 | Chapter 5: Thermochemistry | Heat, temperature, enthalpy, specific heat capacity, calorimetry, standard enthalpy of formation |
| Week 11 | Chapter 6: Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties of Elements | Wave properties of electrons, energy levels, atomic orbitals |
| Week 12 | Chapter 6: Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties of Elements | Electron configurations, quantum numbers, periodic trends |
| Week 13 | Chapter 7: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry | Valence electrons, covalent bonding, Lewis dot structures |
| Week 14 | Chapter 7: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry Chapter 20, Section 20.1 | Lewis dot structures of organic molecules, line-angle organic structures |
| Week 15 | Chapter 7: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry | resonance structures, formal charge |
| Week 16 | Review for Final Exam |
† 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 | ||
| Precipitation Lab (Empirical Formula of Lead Iodide) | ||
| Dehydration Lab (Hydrated Compounds) | ||
| Ionic Solubility | ||
| Acid-Base Titration | ||
| Synthesis of an Iron Complex | ||
| Redox Titration | ||
| Redox – Activity Series | ||
| Enthalpy Change of a Chemical Reaction (Calorimetry) | ||
| Freezing Point Depression | ||
| Ideal Gas Law | ||
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: 9/11, 10/9, and 11/6 (All Thursdays). The totality of the tests will account for approximately 33% 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 40 points). Planned dates for quizzes are: 8/28, 9/4, 9/25, 10/2, 10/23, 10/30, 11/20, 12/2 Quizzes are planned to be administered/taken in class on the dates listed above. The lowest two (2) quiz scores will be dropped. Missing a quiz will result in a score of zero. No makeup quizzes will be allowed for your first two missed quizzes (zeros). Consideration will be granted for the makeup of a third (or further) missed quiz for excused absences.
“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 Dec 9, 10:15AM-12:15PM). This final exam will account for approximately 21% 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 are usually 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.
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. The desk inspection counts for approximately 2% of the course grade.
(* 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 (110 points each x 3) = 330 points: 33% of course grade
Quizzes (40 points each x 6) = 240 points: 24% of course grade
Lab Assignments (20 points each x 10) = 200 points: 20% of course grade
Final Exam (210 points x 1) = 210 points: 21% of course grade
Lab Desk Exit Inspection (20 points x 1) = 20 points: 2% of course grade
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 a 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 lectures. 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 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 (see rule for missed quizzes in the "Quizzes" section. 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.
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). See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges. See the separate policy dealing with plagiarism below.
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.
- Use/copying of another student’s laboratory work/data 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.
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.
Undergraduate: SP25 Final Exam Schedule Graduate:
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. |
Class Attendance Policy |
Accessibility and Disability Services
Accessibility and Disability Services
Wilmington College provides accommodations and services for student with a variety of disabilities, including chronic illnesses, psychological, physical, medical, learning, and sensory disability amongst others. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact:
Spencer Izor, Associate Vice President of Compliance - Title IX/ADA Coordinator at spencer.izor@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2365 or Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Manager at 937-481-2208 to learn more about the process and procedures for requesting accommodations, or by visiting College Hall Room 306a or the Robinson Communication Center, Room 103.
Religious Accommodations
Wilmington College strives for an inclusive climate and welcomes students from all backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. If religious observance impedes your ability to participate fully in classroom activities or a principal holiday from your religious tradition occurs during the semester and conflicts with class meetings or activities, please make the professor aware of this immediately to determine if a reasonable accommodation is possible.