Why Should I Take Honors College Chemistry?
1. Earn college credit for two semesters of chemistry (CHM 151 and 152); these transfer to most universities nationwide (guaranteed at any Arizona university). This will save you $$$ over tuition costs at a university. You will also have an experienced instructor whose primary job is to help you learn chemistry, not conduct research.
2. You get the chance to learn how to use computers in powerful ways:
a. Collect data in labs with a variety of probes that are interfaced to computers: temperature & pressure sensors, colorimeters, pH probes.
b. Use Logger Pro to plot data and determine mathematical relationships between the variables you are studying in the lab.
c. Use powerful simulation software to visualize processes that occur at the atomic level.
3. Develop the skills that will get you through chemistry courses at the university whether you choose to:
a. use these credits to waive your science requirement for majors in non-science fields (business, political science, psychology, etc)
b. repeat the course with the background and skills that should allow you to earn an “easy A”.
Do you know someone whose life was saved by:
* the injection of epinephrine after a bee sting?
* an airbag?
* tempered glass, which doesn't shatter on impact?
Then you need to thank a chemist.
Chemists are the unsung heroes in the sciences. Their work is often behind the scenes and not always understood by the general public. And the media doesn't help with its portrayals of "mad" scientists destroying the earth, not to mention "Beaker," the Muppet who regularly blows up his lab.
Chemistry is used as a pre-requisite course for a host of majors and careers. These include:
Biochemistry - the study of the structure, composition, and chemical reactions of substances in living systems. Biochemistry emerged as a separate discipline when scientists combined biology with organic, inorganic, or physical chemistry and began to study such topics as how living things obtain energy from food, the chemical basis of heredity, and what fundamental changes occur in disease. Biochemistry includes the sciences of molecular biology; immunochemistry; neurochemistry; and bioinorganic, bioorganic, and biophysical chemistry.
Chemical engineering - Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry, math, and physics to the design and operation of large-scale chemical manufacturing processes. They translate processes developed in the lab into practical applications for the production of products such as plastics, medicines, detergents, and fuels; design plants to maximize productivity and minimize costs; and evaluate plant operations for performance and product quality.
Environmental chemistry - The fate of chemicals in the environment and their effects are matters of increasing concern to specialists in environmental management. "Fate" involves studying where chemicals show up in streams, rivers, and air. Such pollution contains molecules that have not been removed in water treatment plants, caught by the filters in industrial smokestacks, disposed of properly, or successfully sealed in containers. Industry also has grown more interested in finding ways to solve waste problems. Many solutions involve making industrial processes more efficient, which cuts costs. In addition, environmental chemists study the effects of chemicals other than pollutants on the environment.
Forensic chemistry - A forensic chemist is a professional chemist who analyzes evidence that is brought in from crime scenes and reaches a conclusion based on tests run on that piece of evidence. A forensic chemist's job is to identify and characterize the evidence as part of the larger process of solving a crime. Forensic chemists rarely conduct any investigative work; they handle the evidence collected from the crime scene. Evidence may include hair samples, paint chips, glass fragments, or blood stains. Understanding the evidence requires tools from many disciplines, including chemistry, biology, materials science, and genetics. The prevalence of DNA analysis is making knowledge of genetics increasingly important in this field. piece of a forensic chemist's job. Some employers require their forensic chemists to go through several months of mock courtroom testimony training along with their regular training. Forensic chemists must be able to give an impartial explanation to the jury that will assist in a final judgment—forensic chemists analyze the evidence but do not determine the verdict.
Materials science is an applied science concerned with the relationship between the structure and properties of materials. Chemists who work in the field study how different combinations of molecules and materials result in different properties. They use this knowledge to synthesize new materials with special properties. Eduardo Kamenetzky, a senior research scientist at Cytec Industries, explains, "The central concept of materials science is relating the microstructure of a material to the properties you want it to have. By working with the microstructure, you can tailor the central properties of that material."
Medicinal chemistry is the application of chemical research techniques to the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. During the early stages of medicinal chemistry development, scientists were primarily concerned with the isolation of medicinal agents found in plants. Today, scientists in this field are also equally concerned with the creation of new synthetic drug compounds. Medicinal chemistry is almost always geared toward drug discovery and development.
Polymer chemistry - Chemists develop polymers so they can be used to make ingredients for products with unique physical and chemical properties. They manipulate large, complex molecules and capitalize on the connections between their molecular structure and the properties that make them useful. Polymer products can be lightweight, hard, strong, and flexible and have special thermal, electrical, and optical characteristics; they include products from the fiber, communication, packaging, and transportation industries.