CH230:
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.
Texts and 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). 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 provided on blackboard. Lab experiments will be announced (a tentative schedule of experiments is provided later in this syllabus), although typically one experiment per week is performed. Please be aware that even though you may have a lab instructor different from the lecture professor, she or he will pass your lab grades on to your lecture professor for your single, final course grade.
You will need a calculator, preferably a scientific calculator (as you will need the “log” function).
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.
Course Goals and Objectives: This course addresses the following goals/objectives in the General Education program: “Use mathematics 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. Use calculators as tools for solving problems encountered in everyday life. Solve mathematical exercises that require the use of algebraic formulae. Demonstrate an understanding of science as a way of knowing about the physical world; ask and answer questions using observation and /or experimentation; and recognize the types of questions that science, by its nature, can and cannot answer. Demonstrate an understanding of a natural science in a depth sufficient to convey its complexity and to understand that to ask a question requires prior knowledge. Demonstrate an understanding of some of the practical and ethical human implications of scientifically-derived knowledge. Apply theory to practice.” (from the General Education Goals and Objectives)
This course addresses the following goals/objectives in the Chemistry program (which may be relevant to other programs requiring this course): “Have an understanding of the principles of chemistry in relation to chemical and physical properties, chemical nomenclature, and chemical reactions. Be able to make calculations and solve problems (using computer technology when appropriate) in relation to items in the previous objective above. Be able to properly collect and record scientific data. Be able to setup and operate appropriate equipment and instrumentation relating to the chemistry discipline. Be able to appropriately analyze and interpret instrumental/experimental data.” (from the Chemistry Program Major/Minor Assessment Report).
Quantitative Skill Development: This course fulfills the General Education requirement for Quantitative Skills (Q). Calculations and quantitative analysis form a major part of all tests, quizzes, and most lab write-ups, and contribute well over 25% of the overall class grade. Much of the demonstration of student mastery of content involves some form of use of the quantitative skills, and evaluation of the Q skill is not separable from evaluation of the course itself. The skill is evaluated throughout the course on almost all assignments. Specifically, students must determine the appropriate quantitative approach to solving problems and analyzing data in labs, on tests, and on quizzes. Some labs will involve statistical calculations and the creation and interpretation of graphs and data tables. Virtually all tests, quizzes, and the Final exam, will require use of formulas and calculations with content / information specific to chemistry.
Quizzes: A total of nine (9) worksheets will be given, with the lowest 2 scores being dropped (Hence, seven (7) grades are counted). Quizzes will generally be given on selected Fridays (except where noted). The dates* are:
August 29th September 5th, 19th, 26th October 3rd , 24th, 31st November 14th, 21st
Term and Final exams: Three (3) tests will be given, roughly covering two to three chapters of material. Test dates* are:
September 12th, October 10th, and November 7th
Worksheets and tests should be taken in the time period allotted for the section of the course in which you are registered, and these are assumed to begin at the start of the period unless otherwise notified. If you have a special request to take a worksheet or test during another lecture section's time period, please ask.
Lab Reports: Lab reports consist of sets worksheets from the LAB TEXT to be handed in to your lab instructor. The worksheets usually are PRE-LAB QUESTIONS, DATA SHEETS, CALCULATION SHEETS, AND POST-LAB QUESTIONS. All lab report sheets are due one week after completion of an experiment, unless your lab instructor indicates otherwise. It is best to turn in your lab reports to your lab instructor to avoid complications.
A penalty of 10% per day late may be assessed by your lab instructor to late lab assignments. Lab reports generally will be returned with grades scored in points out of 100. The number of points earned that will be used in calculating your course grade are 20 points times the percentage of points you earned on the lab report. For example, if you receive a graded lab report with a score of 88/100 (88%), you will receive (0.88 x 20 = 17.6) points for that lab report in the final tabulation of your points for the course.
There are NO LABS for the first week or last week of the semester, or for the weeks of Labor Day, Fall Break and Thanksgiving holidays. The last week of regular classes at end of the semester will be reserved for make-ups labs (if needed; see below).
Lab 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 you 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 grade out of 20 points. Those students who have not attended lab regularly (e.g. 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 grade of zero for the Lab Exit Inspection.
Homework and Blackboard: There is no graded homework for the lecture. For those who need additional practice, the optional lecture text listed at the top of the syllabus contains many practice problems and worked examples. It is expected that you will study and work on course material at least two hours for each hour in class.
You are expected to regularly check both the Blackboard page for the course as well as your Wilmington College email account for any materials or announcements related to this course. Grades for all your course assignments will be posted to Blackboard. (Please be aware that since different students may have different lab instructors, lab grades may be posted at different times.). You are encouraged to regularly check your scores in Blackboard and to alert the instructor if you believe that there are any errors.
Final grades will be based on the +/- system. The grading ranges are:
100-93%=A <93-90%=A- <90-87%=B+ <87-82%=B <82-79%=B- <79-76%=C+
<76-65%=C <65-60%=C- <60-55%=D+ <55-50%=D Less than 50%=F
If scores on a particular quiz or test are deemed by the instructor to be unusually low over the score range for the entire class, the instructor might offer to the entire class a curve or an extra credit assignment of the instructor’s choosing. There will be no personal extra credit assignments.
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance and Absence: Attendance will not be taken during lecture, however, I recommend you attend class as it will likely be a major factor in your performance in this class. It is your responsibility to find out about any announcements from class as well as getting a copy of the notes from a classmate. If you are absent for a quiz or test, you will by default receive a zero for that assignment, unless you can provide a reasonable excuse (some documentation may be required), such as an illness (yours or a family member’s), a death in the family, participation in an official college extra-curricular activity, an auto-accident, unsafe weather conditions, or some other unforeseeable emergency (See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Attendance policy, especially as it pertains to excused absences.). If you know in advance that you will be absent, please let me know so that arrangements can be made beforehand. Make-up work will be given to those who can provide an acceptable, reasonable excuse; make up work will be different than the original quiz/exam but will be closely equivalent in material covered.
For lab, if you are late more than 15 minutes, this will be treated as a violation, and points may be deducted. If you arrive at a time that is considered by the instructor (at his or her discretion) to be too late to properly perform the experiment, he or she may choose to refuse your entrance to the lab, and you would then receive a zero for this experiment (if you are unable or not permitted by the instructor to complete it at another time). If you are absent from lab, you will receive a zero for that experiment, because you cannot turn in a lab report for an experiment that you didn’t perform. For reasonably excused absences, you may be permitted to do a make-up lab, which would be completed during the last week of classes (the week before final exams). Your lab instructor will determine if and when a make-up lab will be granted. Your instructor may also allow you do a particular lab on another day with another section’s class (with the approval of that section's instructor). If possible, making arrangements in advance to perform a lab on a different day is preferred, rather than making up the lab at the end of the semester. If you wish to inquire about the ability to perform an experiment during a different section’s allotted time, please contact both the instructor for your usual section and the instructor who teaches the section which you wish to attend for that particular experiment.
Academic Misconduct: Student academic misconduct on class assignments, such as but not limited to cheating on quizzes/tests or copying information on laboratory report assignment sheets may result in point reductions (up to a complete, 100% penalty) for that particular assignment (Unapproved sharing of laboratory data and calculations is considered cheating). Cases may also be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs. See the current Student Handbook for the College’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
General Business
Classroom Etiquette: There are sometimes occasions in which you may miss portions of the class. If you need to leave early, I would appreciate if you let me know this before class begins. If you are late to class, you are welcome to come late; please enter without disturbing the class. While in the classroom, please give the proper respect to all who are in the class. Do not insult, harm, or in other ways inappropriately embarrass other class members. The use of cell phones and music devices in class and lab is generally prohibited. Repeated use of these items in a disrupting manner will result in warnings, followed by a request to leave the classroom. If you have an emergency situation which requires the availability of your phone for an urgent call, please let me know before class so that you can be accommodated.
On the first day of laboratory, you will receive a list of laboratory safety rules, which will be reviewed by your lab instructor. You must abide by all safety rules, as well as the instructions of your lab instructor. Failure to do so may result in your expulsion from the laboratory, which would then be treated the same as an unexcused absence from lab.
Contact Information: My email is mark_chrisman@wilmington.edu and my office phone number is 937-481-2259. In general my preferred contact method is email and will typically have the quickest response time. Never leave any assignments in my campus mail box. If you need to turn them in when I am not available leave them on my chair if the door is open. If the door is not open slide them under the door and email me that you have done this.
LIST OF LAB EXPERIMENTS (Subject to change):
The list and order of experiments below is typical, but subject to change. If so, any change will be announced with the appropriate advanced notice.
Experiment 1: Precipitation
2: Dehydration
3: Ionic Solubility
4: Acid-Base Titration
5: Synthesis of an Iron Compound
6: Redox Titration
7: Redox Reactions
8: Enthalpy Change of a Chemical Reaction
9: Freezing Point Depression
10: Ideal Gas Law
You are expected to read the experiment before coming to lab, and to bring the relevant lab manual pages with you (you can just leave them in the book and bring it with you). While you are allowed to use the lab manual to perform the experiment, it is very helpful if you have a general understanding of what it is that you will be doing.
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: SP26 Final Exam Schedule
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 Definition of Courses |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. Academic Integrity Policy |
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 Institutional Class Attendance Policy |
ADA and Students with Disabilities
Wilmington College and the Office of Compliance and Integrity are committed to ensuring equal access to students with disabilities, including physical, medical, and psychiatric disabilities. If you are a student with a disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to connect with Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Center Manager/ADA Coordinator by visiting the Academic Resource Center located in Robinson Communication Center, Room 103 or connecting via email/phone at nathan.flack@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2208 (TTY: Ohio Relay 711 for deaf/hard of hearing). Please understand that formal eligibility communication from the Office of Compliance and Integrity must be presented prior to the coordination of accommodations for this course.