CH 317 Syllabus

Spring 2015

CH 317 Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry

Unique numbers: 50680, 50690, 50695
Course Information
Instructor
Richard Jones
WEL 4.414
rajones@cm.utexas.edu
512 471 1706
Office hours: open or by appointment

Lecture: WEL 2.312

Monday, 10:00 am -11:00 am
Laboratory: WEL 5.148

Teaching Assistants (Office hours: open or by appointment)

Nolan Waggoner
Pranaw Kunal
Christopher Joseph

nwwaggoner@utexas.edu
pranaw@utexas.edu
cjoseph14@utexas.edu

Sections:
50680

MW

1:00 - 4:00 pm

(PK)

50690

MW

5:00-8:00 pm

(CJ)

50695

TTh

5:00-8:00 pm

(NW)

Course Description/Objectives
The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to the techniques of modern experimental
chemistry within the context of current social and scientific areas of interest. A series of
laboratory experiments have been designed which cover both basic skills and applied topics
across the traditional disciplines of chemistry and materials science. The course has been
organized into three modules: 1) Basic skills and the scientific method; 2) Energy and Society;
and 3) Nanotechnology: the size of things to come. The course has been completely updated and
redesigned to better serve as a stimulating introduction to experimental chemistry for our majors
but should be of broad interest to majors across the natural sciences and engineering.
Prerequisite
Credit or registration for CH 302.

CH 317 Syllabus

Spring 2015

Course Materials
Experimental procedures and other information will be provided via Canvas. Notebooks should
be purchased from the student chapter of the ACS or the COOP (same as notebooks for CH 204).
Notebooks must be bound with preprinted page numbers.
Grading
The examination format for this course is based on credit obtained from a combination of
submitted laboratory reports, attendance to mandatory lectures and laboratory sections, and of
answers provided to quizzes and assignments that will be set throughout the semester. There will
be no midterm or final exams for this course.
Grading components
Lab Reports (9 x 9%)
Attendance (lecture attendance mandatory)
Quizzes

81%
10%
9%

For each experiment the following will be graded (the first three reports can be revised to recover
up to half the points deducted):
Results
Technique/Safety
Notebook
Report
Discussion Questions
Lab reports will be due by the beginning of the lab period that is one week after the completion
of the previous experiment. Note: late reports will be penalized 10 points per day.
Letter grades will be assigned based on the following scale:
A
93-100%
C
A90-92%
CB+
87-89%
D+
B
83-86%
D
B80-82%
DC+
77-79%
F

73-76%
70-72%
67-69%
63-66%
60-62%
less than 60%

CH 317 Syllabus

Spring 2015

Course Schedule
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

January
18

19 MLK Jr.
Holiday
No lecture

20
No Lab

21
No Lab

22
No Lab

23
No Lab

24

25

26
Lecture Lab 1

27
No Lab

28
No Lab

29
No Lab

30
No Lab

31

February 1

2 Start Lab 1
Lecture Lab 2

10

11

12

13

14

15

16
Start Lab 2

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

March 1

2
Lecture Lab 3

9
Lecture Lab 4

10

11

12

13

14

15

16
Spring Break

17
Spring Break

18
Spring Break

19
Spring Break

20
Spring Break

21
Spring Break

22

23
Lecture Lab 5

24

25

26

27

28

29

30
Lecture Lab 6

31

April 1

6
Lecture Lab 7

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20
Lecture Lab 8

21

22

23

24

25

26

27
Lecture Lab 9

28

29

30

May 1

9
Last class
day

CH 317 Syllabus

Spring 2015

Experiments (subject to change):

Basic Skills
Experiment 1: Qualitative Analysis (2 week)
Experiment 2: Synthesis/Analysis of Ni complexes (2 week)
Experiment 3: Designing a Buffer
Experiment 4: Chemical Kinetics
Energy and the Environment
Experiment 5: Biodiesel Synthesis
Experiment 6: Fabrication of a Photocell
Experiment 7: Porous materials: preparation of synthetic zeolites (2 week)
Materials and Nanotechnology
Experiment 8: Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles
Experiment 9: Introduction to Polymers (2 week)

Laboratory Report Pyramid

We will introduce and develop the skills you will need as authors of meaningful scientific
reports. As many, or all, of these aspects of report writing will be new to you, we will gradually
build up the sections of a full laboratory report giving you feedback along the way. For each
experiment you will be responsible for providing one additional section of a standard laboratory
report until experiments 7 and 8 when you will provide a full laboratory report with all sections
included. The Laboratory Report Guidelines document, a template and an example of a
laboratory report will be provided as a guide to what should be contained in each section of your
report. All reports will require the submission of your notebook pages and any other information
necessary to summarize your laboratory results, such as calculations. Also, the answer to the
discussion questions will be due with each laboratory write up.
Exp 1
Exp 2
Exp 3
Exp 4
Exp 5
Exp 6
Exp 7
Exp 8
Exp 9

Abstract
Abstract Intro
Abstract Intro
Procedure
Abstract Intro
Procedure Data/Observations
Abstract Intro
Procedure Data/Observations Results
Abstract Intro
Procedure Data/Observations Results
Full Report
Full Report
Notebook Pages Only

Discussion

CH 317 Syllabus

Spring 2015

Appendix: University Notices and Policies

The University of Texas at Austin Honor Code
The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom,
leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected
to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and
community.
University Electronic Mail Notification Policy
(Use of E-mail for Official Correspondence to Students)
All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification
policy. It is the student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or
her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in
order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain
communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a
minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your email address are available at
http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html.
In this course e-mail will be used as a means of communication with students. You will be
responsible for checking your e-mail regularly for class work and announcements. Note: if you
are an employee of the University, your e-mail address in Blackboard is your employee address.

Documented Disability Statement

Students with disabilities who require special accommodations need to get a letter that
documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Office of the
Dean of Students (471-6259 voice or 471-4641 TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing).
This letter should be presented to the instructor in each course at the beginning of the semester
and accommodations needed should be discussed at that time. Five business days before an
exam the student should remind the instructor of any testing accommodations that will be
needed.
See website below for more information:
http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/providing.php

Use of Canvas in Classes

This course uses Canvas, a Web-based course management system in which a passwordprotected site is created for each course. Student enrollments in each course are updated each
evening. Canvas can be used to distribute course materials, to communicate and collaborate
online, to post grades, to submit assignments, and to take online quizzes and surveys.

CH 317 Syllabus

Spring 2015

You will be responsible for checking the Canvas course site regularly for class work and
announcements. As with all computer systems, there are occasional scheduled downtimes as
well as unanticipated disruptions. Notification of these disruptions will be posted on the Canvas
login page. Scheduled downtimes are not an excuse for late work. However, if there is an
unscheduled downtime for a significant period of time, I will make an adjustment if it occurs
close to the due date.
Canvas is available at http://courses.utexas.edu. Support is provided by the ITS Help Desk at
512-475-9400 Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm, so plan accordingly.
Course/Instructor Feedback
Feedback is an important part of any kind of learning. Without feedback on how well you
understand the material, it is more difficult for you to make significant progress. During this
course you will give me feedback on your learning in informal and formal ways, such as
assignments or exams. I want you to let me know when something we discuss is not clear. This
kind of communication will enable me to provide additional information when needed or to
explain a concept in different terms.
In addition to feedback on your learning, I will ask for feedback from you about how my
teaching strategies are helping or hindering your learning. This kind of feedback is very
important to me as I continually strive to be the best teacher I can be. Some of this feedback will
be gathered from online anonymous surveys. I encourage you to respond to these surveys so that
together we can create an effective teaching and learning environment.
Religious Holidays
Religious holy days sometimes conflict with class and examination schedules. If you miss an
examination, work assignment, or other project due to the observance of a religious holy day you
will be given an opportunity to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the
absence. It is the policy of The University of Texas at Austin that you must notify each of your
instructors at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates you will be absent to
observe a religious holy day.
Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL)
If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns
Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individuals behavior. This
service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the
Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and
The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit
http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.

CH 317 Syllabus

Spring 2015

Emergency Evacuation Policy

Occupants of buildings on the UT Austin campus are required to evacuate and assemble outside
when a fire alarm is activated or an announcement is made. Please be aware of the following
policies regarding evacuation:
Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of the classroom and the building. Remember
that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when you entered the building.
If you require assistance to evacuate, inform me in writing during the first week of
class.
In the event of an evacuation, follow my instructions or those of class instructors.
Do not re-enter a building unless youre given instructions by the Austin Fire Department, the
UT Austin Police Department, or the Fire Prevention Services office.