CHE 241: Principles of Inorganic Chemistry
	Spring 2007
TR 10:15-11:30, HRB 112 Lab A R 3:30-6:30, HSB 328 Lab B F 8:00-11:00, HSB 328 Lab C F 12:00-3:00, HSB 328
Instructor:		Dr. Keenan E. Dungey
Lab Instructors:		Dr. Harshavardhan Bapat and Dr. Marc Klingshirn
Office:		HSB 312
Office Hours:		Tuesdays 12:30-2:30
Phone:		206-7345
Email:		dungey.keenan@uis.edu
Fax:		206-6162
Web Page:		http://bb.uis.edu/

Course Description

The chemical concepts behind modern technical problems will be explored in a series of modules (CD players, copper mining, polymers). Topics include solid structures, solution properties, kinetics, entropy, nuclear chemistry and redox, acid-base and solubility equilibria. Laboratory experience is included.

Expectations

I expect that you will make every effort to attend class and come prepared, having read the assigned material (see the Course Calendar for what textbook sections will be covered) and solved the homework problems. Problem sets are assigned to correlate with the material being covered during the lecture and will be graded. These problem sets will be turned in at the beginning of class on Tuesdays, and answer keys will be available in the BlackBoard Web interface. Additional homework problems will be assigned from the textbook, which will not be graded. Doing all of the assigned problems will prepare you for the quizzes and tests.

Required Texts

-“Chemistry: The Central Science,” T. L. Brown, H. E. LeMay, Jr., B. E. Bursten, 10^th ed, Pearson: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey (2006)

-Course Packet, Keenan Dungey (UIS Duplicating)

-chemical splash goggles

-scientific calculator

Course Requirements

Class participation is encouraged and will impact your grade. For the lecture portion, there will be weekly quizzes, three in-class tests and a cumulative in-class final exam. You can use one side of a hand-written reference sheet no larger than 8 1/2 by 11 inches during the final exam (8 am on 5/10). No reference materials are allowed for tests and quizzes. All material covered during any class session (lecture or lab) may be tested; however, topics presented in the session immediately prior to a test session will not appear until the next test. The lab portion of your grade will be based on lab reports and teamwork, as described in the Laboratory Guidelines in the Course Packet. There will be fifteen laboratory exercises throughout the semester: it is your responsibility to attend the lab period or make other arrangements before the scheduled laboratory time.

Grading

Your grade for this course will consist of your accrued scores from the tests, final exam, quizzes, problem sets, and lab exercises. Of the twelve problem sets and the eleven in-class quizzes, your lowest score will be dropped.

The point distribution is as follows:

Test 1 (2/8) 100

Test 2 (3/8) 100

Test 3 (4/12) 100

Final Exam (8am on 5/10) 150

Laboratory (see Course Pack) 320

Quizzes (10x10) 100

Problem Sets (11x20) 220

total 1090

Help

Please come and see me in my office, HSB 312, to discuss any questions you have about the class material. You are also welcome to call or send me an e-mail. The Center for Teaching and Learning (BRK 460) has a science graduate student who provides free tutoring for this course, 206-6503. Additionally, you may be required to attend Science Studios at the CTL. Your instructor will notify you of the schedule and requirements.

Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify the instructor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course. Late notification may cause the requested accommodations to be unavailable. All accommodations must be approved through the Office of Disability Services (ODS) in Human Resources Building (HRB), Room 80, 217-206-6666.

Other Information

· Turn off your cell phone or set it to vibrate and turn off all laptops in lecture/lab.

· Valid reasons for missing a lab/quiz/exam include death in the family, any illness with a doctor’s note or traveling for university activities. If you participate in any university activity that requires you to travel you need to give me a copy of the form that is given to you for such activities.

· Academic dishonesty, includes but is not limited to, copying old lab reports, reporting false data, cheating in one form or the other on an exam or an assignment. Consequences of being caught will range from a zero for the particular assignment in question to a grade of F for the course. Other punishment may also be handed out according to university guidelines.

· All mathematical work and assumptions when solving a problem (in an exam, a quiz, or a problem set) must be shown clearly to receive full credit.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR EFFECTIVE STUDY TECHNIQUES

DAILY STUDY: Chemistry is like a language, and so daily study is essential for success. The first step in this process is to find a quiet place to study! The assigned sections should be read before lecture. During the first reading, make notes of major concepts and make a list of new terms that are discussed. Mark in your text or make a list of questions and points that you do not understand. If these points are not clarified during the lecture, ask questions at appropriate times in class or see Dr. Dungey after class or in his office (HSB 312) to get your questions answered.

After the lecture re-read the material covered in class and go over your class notes to correlate the text and lecture material. This aspect of studying is crucial. Be sure you have a grasp of basic concepts already covered before going on to new material. Daily consolidation and organization will preclude the necessity of all night cramming before a test.

The style and nature of class notes will vary with individual preferences. The most useful notes should fall somewhere between those that contain everything said in class and no notes at all. You will find that reading material before class makes note taking more effective and efficient.

HOMEWORK PROBLEMS: Homework problems will be assigned for most of the lessons. You are expected to work these problems on your own. The solutions will be posted on the board across the hall from Dr. Dungey’s office, as well as online in the course’s BlackBoard site. Problems similar to the assigned homework often appear on quizzes and tests.

GROUP STUDY: Students often like to study together. This practice has both benefits and serious drawbacks that are obvious. First of all, most of your studying should be done alone without distractions. However, there are times when it is profitable for two or three people to discuss material and ask each other questions. These group study sessions should take place no more than once or twice a week This does not mean that you should avoid short, informal discussions of the material at any time, but rather that concentrated group study should not be the major method of study. Group sessions should be more in the form of review with major goals being the bringing together of the total picture of several classes and clearing up of details that are still unclear.

DO NOT: (1) study in groups larger than four or five people, (2) participate in group study before you have adequately prepared on your own, (3) rely on one of your classmates as an expert--the instructor should be consulted if there are points you disagree on, (4) fool yourself-- you may be socializing rather than studying chemistry.

PREPARATION FOR TESTS: The tests in Chemistry 241 are designed to test your understanding of the fundamental principles that have been covered. They are usually thorough and emphasize clear thinking and application of concepts rather than memorization.

The best way to prepare for tests is to keep up with the material day by day. Actual preparation for the test will then consist of review and organization of material. The night before the test is too late to start learning the basic material.