SYLLABUS AND POLICIES FOR ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Mrs. LeGrone / Rooms 427 and 429
What is Organic Chemistry?
Organic Chemistry is intended to give you an overview of a first semester Organic Chemistry 1 college course. After a brief review of some general chemistry, the principles of organic chemistry will be introduced. The structure, physical properties, and nomenclature of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and alkyl halides will be covered, along with the reactions of these compounds and the mechanisms necessary to explain the reactions. The theory and application of IR and H NMR spectroscopy in organic chemistry will also be discussed.
PLEASE READ THIS!!!
This material will most likely seem very strange to you at the beginning (it did to me when I first took organic chemistry), but hopefully as the course progresses you will come to understand and appreciate the material. After the first two weeks, it will be very different from your general chemistry courses – and it will be nearly impossible to do well by “coasting by”. The material will change quite a bit from exam to exam, so just because you did well on the first exam does not necessarily mean you will do well on the remaining exams. This course will move at a fairly rapid and it is important that you keep up with the material as much as you can. I encourage you not to simply memorize the material, but to understand it and see how it relates to what we’ve already learned – believe it or not, there are only a few underlying principles you need to understand to do well in organic chemistry. Do not be afraid to ask questions in class or after class.
Organic Chemistry is different from Introductory Chemistry in several ways:
1) While General Chemistry dealt with calculations, molecular formulas, and other topics, Organic Chem will deal more with specific structures on the molecular level, predicting products of reactions, specific pathways that reactions take. There are very few calculations in organic. Most of the course is composed of concepts (similar to molecular geometry, kinetic theory of gases, attractive forces in liquids and solids, etc., from gen chem).
2) Organic builds from the first day. In General Chem, the topics were fairly isolated (you did not need to know the gas laws to calculate moles), while in organic, the concepts build from the first chapter and form the foundation for the remaining chapters. Each chapter depends on all those before it. Grades tend to stay the same or drop slightly as we proceed through the semester. Do not expect to salvage the semester on the last exam or the final.
3) Organic also builds on general chem. Some of the topics that you should remember (or review) are: atomic number, atomic weight, resonance, orbitals, hydrogen bonding, Hess’s Law, bond strength, electronic configurations, hybridization, molecular shapes (VSEPR), electronegativity, covalent -and ionic bonds, polar covalent bond, equilibrium, kinetics, acids and bases, Lewis structures, formal charges. Review these concepts now so that you will have a working knowledge of them. We will go over each of these topics briefly as we get to them.
4) How should I attack? Organic will not magically come to you if you meditate long enough. Neither meditation nor memorization is enough! Like Lewis structures, you can memorize the rules, but when the time comes to do one on a test, you can go blank unless you have already done 10-15 previously and it is automatic, just like driving your car.
5) The general format of the course follows the functional group approach. Each functional group will be covered in about the same way: general structure and properties, names, how to prepare compounds in this functional group, typical reactions, mechanisms (pathways at the molecular level), other interesting stuff, problems.
6) The trick is to memorize a reaction in a general way, so that you can apply it to all 6 million organic compounds. Normally, it is not necessary to do the reaction 6 million times (although it will seem like that). Most students find that they understand the reaction after about 20-25 practices, but some might require more. You have to do them to find out!
Brief Course Outline
Because of the fluidity of the school schedule – holidays, club schedules, assemblies, pep rallies, testing, etc. – it’s impossible to give specific dates on which we’ll address specific topics. I can, however, give you a rough outline of the topics we will cover and how we’ll cover them.
1 / Introduction, Safety, Review
· STANDARD - 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
Topics: safety, Lewis structural representations, formal charge, condensed & line angle structural representations, Arrhenius & Lewis acids & bases / WEEK 10 / Reactions
· STANDARD – 5.0
Topics: oxidative/reductive versus elimination/substitution pathways
WEEK
2 / Introduction, Safety, Review
· STANDARD - 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
Topics: safety, Lewis structural representations, formal charge, condensed & line angle structural representations, Arrhenius & Lewis acids & bases / WEEK 11 / Reactions
· STANDARD – 5.1
Topics: substitution reactions of alkanes with halogens
WEEK
3 / Isomerism
· STANDARD -2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
Topics: VSEPR, structural & geometric isomerism, & stereoisomerism / WEEK 12 / Reactions
· STANDARD – 5.2
Topics: addition reactions of alkenes (to include unsymmetrical alkenes and Markovnikov's rule) with halogens, hydrogen halides and concentrated sulfuric acid
WEEK
4 / Intermolecular Forces
· STANDARD – 2.4, 2.5
Topics: Intermolecular forces (London Dispersion Forces, Dipole-Dipole forces, Hydrogen Bonding, solubility, viscosity, boiling point, melting point, freezing point, vapor pressure) / WEEK 13 / Reactions
· STANDARD – 5.3, 5.4
Topics: reactions of alcohols with dehydrating agents, reactions of alcohols with hyrdohalogenating agents
WEEK
5 / Hydrocarbon & Functional Group Nomenclature
· STANDARD – 3.0, 3.1, 3.2
Topics: naming alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, halides, alcohols, ethers, ketones, esters, amides, & amines / WEEK 14 / Reactions
· STANDARD – 5.5, 5.6
Topics: reactions of carbon based halo alkanes, anions (Grignards), and heteroatoms (ammonia), systems of conjugation (aromatic, non-aromatic, antiaromatic)
WEEK
6 / Mechanisms
· STANDARD – 4.0, 4.1, 4.2,
Topics: reaction mechanisms, SN1/E1, SN2/E2 / WEEK 15 / Structural Formulas & IR Spec
· STANDARD – 6.0, 6.1
Topics: determine structural formulas using infra-red spectra
WEEK
7 / Mechanisms
· STANDARD – 4.0, 4.1, 4.2,
Topics: reaction mechanisms, SN1/E1, SN2/E2 / WEEK 16 / Structural Formulas & NMR
· STANDARD – 6.2
Topics: determine structural formulas using NMR
WEEK
8 / AHSGE
· Alabama High School Graduation Exam will be given here / WEEK 17 / Structural Formulas & Mass Spec
· STANDARD – 6.3
Topics: determine structural formulas using mass spectra
WEEK
9 / Review for CRT
· Criterion Referenced Test will be given here / WEEK 18 / Review for CRT
· Criterion Referenced Test will be given here
Labs and Lab Fees
Yes, there is a lab fee for Organic Chemistry – it’s $15 per student. This money goes toward purchasing materials that are used up during the course, usually chemicals and glassware. Any excess money is used for lab equipment maintenance and purchase (a single digital balance runs about $225, so it goes fast). Checks may be made payable to Mary G. Montgomery High School.
Yes, I am still an absolute tyrant in lab especially where safety is concerned. If a student is misbehaving in lab, disregarding the procedure, or otherwise endangering himself or others, I will not hesitate to remove him from the lab area. Depending on the severity of the infraction, I may or may not allow him back into the lab, at least for a while. More about lab safety in another handout …
We have a state-of-the-art chemistry classroom and lab, with excellent furniture, fixtures, and safety equipment. These facilities are there to be used, and we’re going to use them in the ways they were intended to be used. Students who abuse the facilities – and I have a very broad definition of what constitutes “abuse” – will be sent to the office on a discipline referral. Period. End of discussion.
Assignments and Grading
Tests come at the end of a topic, usually every Friday. Tests make up 60% of your grade. The remaining 40% of your grade will be made up of quizzes, homework, early work, and labs. Quizzes are given every day except test days. Lab activities will usually be held on Thursdays. Homework assignments are usually given daily. Your homework grade is determined by how completely and accurately you do the assignment. You don’t automatically get full points for simply having turned in a paper. You will be taking a teacher made EQT in Organic Chemistry. This test will make up 20% of your quarter grade. Your grade will be based on the standard “90 – 100 = A” grading scale. Rounding is done according to standard rules.
There will be no extra-credit assignments. The grades will not be scaled. You will get the grade you earn.
You may check INow for you grades; however, please understand that this is just s snapshot of your grade. It takes time for INow to update, so your actual grade may be different than what INow states.
Please look at the grade calculation handout at the back of this syllabus to determine how to calculate your grade.
Make-Up Work
If you miss a test, quiz, or class work, you will be assigned a grade of zero. If the work is not made up within 1 week, the grade of zero will become final. It is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed when you return. I will not track you down to give you your assignments. You must get notes and assignments from a classmate; after a valid attempt at completing the work, I will be available after school to help you. You have three school days after your absence to schedule which day you will be making up your test or quiz. Failure to make arrangements will result in the forfeiture of your one-week time period, and the zero will stand. All class work and homework that must be made up is due within three school days. The time limit for make up tests is 2:38 on the following Friday. I will NOT stay after on Friday afternoons for you to make up a test.
I reserve the right to make make-up tests and quizzes different from the regularly scheduled test/quiz. While I will endeavor to make the degree of difficulty comparable to the original test/quiz, I am under no obligation to do so. It is to your benefit to take the tests and quizzes on the scheduled days.
There is a re test policy. If you make below an 80, you will be allowed to retake the test. If you make below a 60, you MUST retake the test. The retake test may be similar to the original test, but will not be exactly the same. It will be the same format. The retest grade will replace the original test grade; however an 80 is the maximum grade on a retest. Retest days & times will be given out on a weekly basis. You have 1 week to take the retest.
Expectations
Besides yourself, there are a few things that you will be required to bring to class each and every day. These things include: your chemistry notebook, loose-leaf paper, a pencil, black pen, your lab notebook, your calculator, and your book. Failure to bring any of these items may result in a reduced grade for the day. ALL class work must be done in pencil. Absolutely NO class work will be accepted in pen. All lab notebooks must be done in black pen.
Parent Conferences
Parent conferences may be scheduled through the school office at 221-3153, or at the midterm PTO meeting; impromptu conferences are strongly discouraged. However, I am available for conferences during my planning period. I may also be contacted through my e-mail address at . Because of privacy concerns, I will not discuss a student’s performance via E-mail; this address will be strictly for scheduling conferences and answering any questions that you may have.
Class Rules
I have quite a few classroom rules. They are very simple and follow the guidelines in your student handbook. These rules are made to create an environment that will aid student learning. They are not intended to be restrictive of one’s character or personality, but rather each student will develop his/her greatest potential.
1. When you enter the room, turn in your homework from the previous day and begin your early work without talking.
2. If you have parent notes, doctor’s notes, or admit slips place them in the signature box. I will get them back to you sometime during the class.
3. You must bring your notebook, book, pencil, paper, and calculator everyday. Failure to bring even one of these items may result in a reduced grade.
4. You may NOT share calculators during a test. If I see you I will assume that you are cheating and you will receive a grade of zero.5. With the exception of turning in your work, do not leave your seat without permission.
6. You may bring a bottle of water to class; however, you will not be allowed to leave the classroom to go get water.