Ocean County College
Professor's Syllabus
Professor's Name: Dr. Patricia Demko
Course CHEM 181-02.-03,-04
Catalog Description: This course, intended for science majors, is the first course of a two-course sequence. Course topics include stoichiometry, inorganic nomenclature. solutions, gas laws, thermochemistry, atomic structure, and chemical bonding. The laboratory work includes basic laboratory techniques and is intended to support lecture topics.
Semester:Fall 2012
Office Location: HIER 233
Phone Number: 732-255-0400 x2202
E-Mail Address:
Office Hours: Mon 11-12:50, Tues. 10-10:40, Thurs 8:30-9:20; Fri 10-10;40
Other Meeting Times: To arrange a meeting with your instructor in addition to the regularly scheduled office hours,
please contact your instructor directly or contact the Department of Science(Phone: _732-255-0400 x2178 / Email
Required Text and other Materials: Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity 8th ed. by Kotz, Treichel & Weaver
OWL access code
Laboratory Manual for General Chemistry 9th ed. by J. Beran
Scientific calculator (log and exponent functions)
Course Learning Outcomes/Objectives
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
· Recognize and appreciate the difference between pure substances and mixtures and between homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures.
· Identify the name or symbol for an element, given its symbol or name.
· Use and understand the terms atom, element, molecule, and compound.
· Identify physical and chemical properties of matter.
· Use density to relate mass and volume of a substance
· Identify properties as extensive or intensive.
· Recognize and know how to use the common metric prefixes.
· Convert from one metric unit to another metric unit.
· Express numbers in scientific notation.
· Determine the number of significant digits in a measured quantity.
· State the result of a calculation involving measured quantities to the correct number of significant digits.
· Describe subatomic particles and the general structure of the atom.
· Understand the relative mass scale and the atomic mass unit.
· Given symbol for an isotope, determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
· For a given element, interconvert grams, moles and number of atoms.
· Identify the periodic table locations of groups, periods, metals, metalloids, nonmetals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, halogens, noble gases, transition metals.
· Know the diatomic elements.
· Write and interpret chemical formulas.
· Determine charge on metal ions.
· Determine charge on nonmetal ions.
· Write chemical formula for ionic compound.
· Know name, formula, and charge of common polyatomic ions.
· Name ionic compounds from given formula, write formula from given name.
· Name molecular compounds from given formula, write formula from given name.
· Calculate molar mass of compound.
· Calculate number of moles of compound from given mass.
· Calculate mass of element or number of atoms in given mass of compound.
· Express composition of compound in terms of mass percent.
· Use percent composition or other experimental data to determine empirical formula.
· Determine the molecular formula of a compound from empirical formula and molar mass.
· Use experimental data to determine the number of water molecules in a hydrated compound.
· Interpret balanced chemical equations.
· Balance chemical equations.
· Write and balance chemical equation for reaction given names of reactants and products.
· Calculate mass of reactant or product from mass of another reactant or product in a given reaction.
· Identify the limiting reactant and excess reactants in a reaction mixture.
· Determine yield of a product based on limiting reactant.
· Calculate percent yield. Describe various forms of energy and the nature of energy transfer.
· Understand the language of thermodynamics: system, surroundings, exothermic, endothermic.
· Calculate the heat exchange when substance undergoes a change in temperature.
· Perform calculations involving specific heat (or molar heat capacity), heat flow, and temperature change.
· Understand the sign conventions used in thermodynamics.
· Calculate the heat involved in changes of state.
· Identify and describe features of a state function.
· Define and calculate PV work. Determine if work is being done on the system or by the system.
· Calculate specific heat or enthalpy of reaction from calorimetry data.
· Use Hess’s law.
· Know how to draw and interpret energy level diagrams.
· Use standard heats of formation in calculations.
· Understand the terms, wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and node.
· Calculate wavelength given the frequency or wavelength.
· Recognize the relative wavelength of the various types of electromagnetic radiation.
· Calculate energy of radiation given the frequency or wavelength.
· Describe and understand the Bohr model and line spectra.
· Use a set of quantum numbers to describe a particular orbital.
· Determine the quantum numbers for a specific electron in a given atom.
· Describe the shapes of orbitals.
· Classify substances as paramagnetic or diamagnetic.
· Understand the spin quantum number and the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
· Understand effective nuclear change and its role in atomic properties.
· Write ground state electron configurations for elements or ions using orbital box notation and spdf notation.
· Write general valence-shell electron configuration for each group of the periodic table, and identify the blocks in the elements are located.
· Given a set of atoms or ions, determine which is expected to have the largest radius.
· Given a set of elements, predict which is expected to have the highest first ionization energy.
· Given a set of elements, predict which is expected to have the most negative electron affinity.
· Understand different types of chemical bonding.
· Predict which compounds are ionic and which are molecular.
· Write Lewis symbols for atoms.
· Draw Lewis structures for given compound or ion.
· Understand and apply the octet rule and recognize exceptions to the octet rule.
· Use VSEPR theory to predict molecular geometry of molecule or ion.
· Calculate formal charges and use formal charge to select the best Lewis structure for a given formula.
· Predict polarity of a given bond using electronegativity.
· Predict polarity of a given molecule.
· Understand the two theories of chemical bonding.
· Understand valance bond theory and orbital overlap.
· Predict hybridization of central atom in given molecule.
· Use Boyle’s law, Charles’, Avogadro’s or combined gas laws to calculate properties of a gas.
· Use ideal gas law to calculate properties of a gas.
· Calculate molar mass of gas from density data.
· Perform stoichiometric calculations involving gaseous reactants and/or gaseous products in a chemical reaction.
· Use Dalton’s law of partial pressures.
· Explain the gas laws using the Kinetic Molecular Theory.
· Use Graham’s law to calculate relative rates of effusion.
General Education Goals Addressed in the Course
X 1. Independent thinking / X 5. Science & Social Science / 9. Global PerspectiveX 2. Communication / 6. Aesthetic Appreciation / 10. Health & Well Being
X 3. Problem Solving / 7. Historical Consciousness / 11. Civic Responsibility
4. Ethical Judgment / 8. Diversity / X 12. Technology
13. Lifelong Learning
LAB - The lab experience is a REQUIRED part of the course. Students are expected to attend all scheduled lab meetings. After the 3rd lab absence the student will be administratively dropped from the course. If the 3rd lab absence occurs after Nov. 7 (last day to withdraw with W grade), the student will receive an F grade for the course.
Attendance Policy:none
Grading scale:
A (90 - 100)
B (80 - 89)
C (70 - 79)
D (60 - 69)
F < 60
Course Outline:
Week / Topics / Laboratory Experiment1 / Matter & Measurement / Orientation & Scientific Method
2 / Atoms, Molecules & Ions / Density
3 / Chemical Reactions / Percent Water in Hydrate
4 / Chemical Reactions / Empirical Formula
5 / Stoichiometry / Alka-Seltzer Analysis (limiting reactant)
6 / Stoichiometry / Metathesis Reactions
7 / Energy & Chemical Reactions / Water Analysis
8 / Energy & Chemical Reactions / Vitamin C Analysis
9 / Atomic Structure / Specific Heat of Metal
10 / Atomic Structure / Heat of Neutralization
11 / Atoms & Periodic Trends / Vinegar Analysis
12 / Bonding & Molecular Structure / Molecular Structure & Modeling
13 / Bonding & Molecular Structure / Determination of Food Dyes in Drink Mixes
14 / Orbital Hybridization / Molar Mass of Volatile Liquid
15 / Gases & properties
Statement of Plagiarism: Students should refer to the student handbook and review Policy #5180. Consider defining plagiarism.
Statement about Civility: (classroom behavior, hats, phones, lateness)
Evaluation of student:
45 % - Tests (3)
15 % - Final Test
12 % - Lab Mid-term
13% Lab Final
15% - OWL Assignments
Campus resources and services: there is tutoring available [a] in the Writing Center for all subject areas, not just English courses, and [b] in the Mathematics Tutoring Center. In addition, Student Success Seminars are scheduled each week and are posted on the college website under “Campus Resources and Services.” More information on college services can be found by using the A-Z index on the college website (for example, under “T” for Tutoring or under “S” for Study Strategy Sessions.)
Statement of Accommodation: If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of learning disabilities or other kinds of disabilities, please feel free to come and discuss this with me or a staff member in the Center for Academic Excellence.
Disclaimer: Individual faculty members may make reasonable changes to this course outline exclusive of course requirements, course calendar, and grading procedures.
*** Please note: Failure to pay for this course may result in your being dropped for non-payment. ***