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CH341, Organic Chemistry 1,Fall 2009

Instructor: / Dr. Bruce Hathaway
Office: / Rhodes 201E
Phone: / 651-2370
e-mail: /
Web Page: /
Lecture: / Section 1: MTWF 10-10:50 AM
Section 2: MTWF 11-11:50 AM
Office Hours: / MTWF at 9 AM, and by appointment
Textbook: / Organic Chemistry, 6th Edition, by L. G. Wade, Jr., Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2006.
Models: / Students are encouraged to purchase a small set of molecular models from the Chemistry Storeroom.

Assignments and Value

Homework:10%

5 Hour Exams:75% (15% each)

Comprehensive Final:15%

Grading scale:A89-100%

B78-88.9%

C67-77.9%

D56-66.9%

F<56%

Course Philosophy and Operation:

This course builds on General Chemistry 1 and 2, and I assume you have a good grasp of the fundamentals of ionic and covalent bonding, writing Lewis structures, polarity and electronegativity. If you do not, you will need to work harder to catch up on what you don’t remember from General Chemistry, as well as learn the new material in Organic 1.

When I lecture, I will focus on those things in each chapter which I think are the hardest to understand, and will try to present alternate explanations and examples to those in the book. Just because I don’t spend much time on something doesn’t mean I don’t think it is important. It may just mean the book does a good job of explaining that topic.

Please feel free to come by and see me if you’re having trouble understanding something. I am always available during office hours. I am usually around during the day, either in my office or in my research lab (Magill 211).

Homework:The main goal of homework is to help you learn. Homework will be assigned and collected regularly. Turn in homework in the appropriately labeled slot in the boxes near MG211. Late homework will be penalized 20% if it is turned to Dr. Hathaway directly before 9AM the next school day after the due date, and is not accepted after that.

Exams:There will be five in-class examinations on the dates indicated in the schedule. Since the subject is cumulative, you will need to remember previous material to do well on each exam. If you have to miss an exam for some legitimate reason, you must contact me beforehand, if at all possible, and I will arrange for a make-up exam. Your excused absence will have to be substantiated in order for you to make up the exam.

PowerPoints:PowerPoints will be posted as they are written. The PowerPoints are not a substitute for the book, but an adjunct. I try to put most of the important things in them, and some alternate explanations to what the book says in them, I can’t cover everything in the book in the PowerPoints. I may choose to not cover something if the book does a good job with it.

Study Hints:

Organic Chemistry is cumulative. You have to keep up with the material. It is helpful to read the chapters before I lecture on them, just to get familiar with the vocabulary. Review your lecture notes as soon as possible after lecture to make sure they make sense. Read through the chapter again, working problems as you go. THE BEST WAY TO LEARN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IS TO WORK PROBLEMS! When you have finished reading through the chapter, work as many of the end-of chapter problems as you can.

Studying in groups can be helpful, as long as everybody contributes something. If someone merely comes to get the right answers to homework problems, it won’t help them on an exam. If your study group meets regularly to work problems, let me know, and I may stop by to see how you’re doing.

Academic Honesty

I do not tolerate academic dishonesty in my classes. This includes, for example, cheating in any form on an exam; giving information to another student about an exam; seeking to obtain information from another student about an exam; and using another’s work, and claiming it to be your own. Each instance of academic dishonesty will receive a grade of ZERO. See the academic honesty policy in the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

The One-Time-Only Exam-Reworking Option to Earn Points on One Hour Exam.

You may elect to rework any or all of the problems you missed on one hour exam this semester. If you rework a problem, and get the answer correct, you can earn one-half of the points you missed on that problem. For example, if you completely missed a 6-point problem, and rework it and get it correct, you can earn back 3 points. If you missed 4 points of a 6-point problem, and get it correct, you can earn back 2 points. You only get to rework the problems on one hour exam this semester, so you need to decide if you are going to do it immediately after you get an exam back, or save this opportunity for later.

Rules for Reworking an Exam.

  1. Do not write on your original exam!
  2. Rework your missed problems on separate sheets of paper, and staple them to the front of the exam. You will not get credit for reworking any bonus questions.
  3. Multiple choice and true-false answers must be explained to get credit.
  4. The reworked exams are due at the beginning of next lecture class day after the exams are returned to you. No late papers will be accepted! If you are not here to pick up your exam, you need to come by my office and get it.
  5. Again, you can only rework one hour exam this semester.
  6. You cannot rework the final exam.
  7. I will post keys to the exams within two days after people turn in their reworked exams.

One goal of this is to help you if you have one bad exam during the semester, so it will not totally mess up your grade. Another goal is to encourage you to rework missed problems on exams, even if you don’t get any credit for it. Often, what you miss on one exam may continue to hurt you on subsequent exams, if you don’t learn it now. In my experience, most students don’t rework what they’ve missed, and it hurts them in the long run. Those students who do go over what they’ve missed benefit immensely.

This idea came from an article in the Journal of Chemical Education: John M. Risley, “Reworking Exams to Teach Chemistry Content and Reinforce Student Learning.” J. Chemical Educ.2007, 84(9), 1445-7.

Schedule of Topics

Days / Topic / Chapters & Sections
Aug 24, 25 / Introduction and Review / 1
Aug 26, 28, 31 / Structure and Properties of Molecules / 2
Sep 1, 2, 4 / Structure and Stereochemistry of Alkanes / 3: 1-15
Sep 7 / Labor Day Holiday
Sep 8 / Structure and Stereochemistry of Alkanes / 3: 1-15
Sep 9, 11, 14, 15 / Stereochemistry / 5
Sep 16 / Alkyl halides / 6
Sep 18 / Exam 1 / 1-3, 5
Sep 21, 22, 23 / Alkyl halides / 6
Sep 25, 28, 29 / Structure and Synthesis of Alkenes / 7 (All but 7E and 9D)
Sep 30, Oct 2, 5, 6 / Reactions of Alkenes / 8: 1, 2, 3A ,4, 8 ,9 ,10, 16A&B
Oct 7 / Alkynes / 9: 1-9F
Oct 9 / Exam 2 / 6-8
Oct 12 / Alkynes / 9: 1-9F
Oct 13, 14, 19 / Structure and Synthesis of Alcohols / 10 (All but 9E and 12)
October 15-16 / Fall Break
Oct 20, 21, 23 / Reactions of Alcohols / 11:1, 2, 3, 5 ,7, 8, 9, 10A, 14
Oct 26, 27 / Ethers / 14:1, 2, 3A&B, 5, 8
Oct 28 / Aromatic Compounds / 16:1, 2, 5, 6, 8-14
Oct 30 / Exam 3 / 9-11, 14
Nov 2, 3 / Aromatic Compounds / 16:1, 2, 5, 6, 8-14
Nov 4, 6, 9, 10, 11 / Reactions of Aromatic Compounds / 17:1-11A
Nov 13, 16, 17 / Aldehydes and Ketones / 18: 1-4, 6, 7A, 7C, 12, 14-21B
Nov 18 / Amines / 19: 1-7, 10, 11A, 12
Nov 20 /

Exam 4

/ 16, 17, 18
Nov 23, 24 / Amines / 19: 1-7, 10, 11A, 12
Nov 25-27 / Thanksgiving Break
Nov 30, Dec. 1, 2 / Carboxylic Acids / 20: 1-5, 8-13, 15
Dec 4 / Exam 5 / 19, 20
Dec 7, 8, 9, 11 / Carboxylic Acid Derivatives / 21: 1-3, 5-13
Mon., Dec 14, 10AM / CH341-01 Final Exam / Comprehensive
Weds., Dec 16, 10AM / CH341-02 Final Exam / Comprehensive

Chapter Sections from Wade for Organic 1 and 2

Chapter / Sections for Organic 1 / Sections for Organic 2
1 / All / None
2 / All / None
3 / 1-15 / 16
4 / None / All
5 / All / None
6 / All but 6 / 6
7 / All but 7E and 9D / 7E
8 / 1, 2, 3A ,4, 8 ,9 ,10, 16A&B / 3B, 5, 6,7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16C
9 / 1-9F / 9F (Hydroboration), 10
10 / All but 9E and 12 / 9E, 12
11 / 1, 2, 3, 5 ,7, 8, 9, 10A, 14 / 6, 8, 9, 11
12 / None / All
13 / None / All
14 / 1, 2, 3A&B, 5, 8 / 3C, 6, 9-16
15 / None / All
16 / 1, 2, 5, 6, 8-14 / 15
17 / 1-11A / 11B&C, 12, 14, 15
18 / 1-4, 6, 7A, 7C, 12, 14-21B / 5, 8-11, 13, 21C
19 / 1-7, 10, 11A, 12 / 8, 14, 15, 17-21
20 / 1-5, 8-13, 15 / 7, 14
21 / 1-3, 5-13 / 4, 14-16
22 / None / All