Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute CHEM1100

Syllabus for
General Chemistry 1100
Spring 2020

Course Lecturer: Dr. Steven A. Tysoe

5301 Walker Lab, (518) 649-5716
tysoes@rpi.edu

Course Coordinator: Dr. Alex Ma

5101 Walker Lab, ext. 3930
maa4@rpi.edu

Discussion Leaders: Dr. Filbert Totsingan

209C Cogswell Labs, ext. 8648
totsif@rpi.edu

Dr. Steven A. Tysoe

5301 Walker Lab, (518) 649-5716
tysoes@rpi.edu

Laboratory Manager: Dr. Kathleen Morrissey

5103 Walker Lab., ext. 4863
morrik8@rpi.edu

Location: Lectures (DCC330)

Labs/Discussions (Walker 5113)
Exams (DCC324)

CHEM101 HW System: https://101edu.co/account

Laboratory Sections:

Section # Meeting Time Lab Instructors TAs

1 Thu, 12pm–2:50pm
Totsingan
2 Thu, 3pm–5:50pm TBA
3 Fri, 10am – 12:50pm Tysoe

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Course Goal: To provide the introductory chemistry student with basic chemical literacy.

Expected Student Outcomes:

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a proficient knowledge in the core areas of chemistry (i.e., analytical,
inorganic, organic, and physical) in order to prepare themselves for advanced courses in
the various subject areas of science and engineering.
2. Solve quantitative problems in chemistry and chemical systems using fundamental
concepts of chemistry and mathematics.
3. Effectively communicate ideas and inquiries related to topics in chemistry to professional
chemists in academia and in the industry.
4. Demonstrate safe and proper chemistry laboratory techniques relating to mass
measurements, volume measurements, solution preparation, dilution, titration, elementary
separation, and synthesis methods.
5. Collect, analyze experimental data, and determine experimental errors using various
scientific methods.
6. Identify and use scientific literature and other reputable sources as references for
experimentation and research.

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Textbook: Openstax.org (Chemistry-Atoms First 2nd Edition) **FREE** Online Textbook

Calculator: You are strongly encouraged to purchase an inexpensive scientific calculator for
the course as a backup for exams and use in the laboratory. The bookstore has a
selection of simple, inexpensive, scientific calculators that are acceptable for
exam use. The course calculator is not an expensive loss if destroyed in the lab or
lost during the semester. Make sure your calculator has good batteries at all
times.

Lecture Questions: We will be using CHEM101 as the in-class clicker system. You will be
able to ring in your answers with either a cell phone or a laptop.

Academic Integrity:
The relationship between students and faculty is based upon trust and the
continued maintenance of this trust is necessary for education to be successful.
Students need to trust faculty to make appropriate judgments about the content
and structure of the course. Faculty members need to trust that the work turned in
by students represents their own effort. Violation of this trust undermines the
educational process. For example, as professionals, you may be responsible in
designing products (aircraft, the computers that run them, or the runways on
which they land) where lives are at stake. As a result, there is no tolerance for
any breach of academic integrity such as cheating, plagiarizing, or inappropriate
sharing of laboratories or quizzes.

Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive an “F” in the course.

Cheating can include sharing answers, as well as stealing answers. Plagiarism

means copying words from someone’s work, even if you “change the sentence a
bit.” If you share your laboratory report, you are as guilty as the person copying
it. This includes copying results and answers from previous years’ lab reports. If
you do use material from an appropriate source, make sure you reference it
properly in your reports. The Rensselaer Student Handbook and the Dean of
Students Office Webpage (http://doso.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=676)
defines various forms of academic dishonesty. Please familiarize yourself with
these and ask us if you have questions about what constitutes academic
dishonesty.

Reading Assignments:
There will be reading assignments associated with each class session. It is very
important for you to complete them before coming to class.

Class Participation:
Class participation is an essential part of this course and is measured primarily by
lecture attendance. The participation portion of your grade will be assessed by
your class attendance, participation in discussions and laboratories and by your
participation in class room clicker questions. Proper classroom behavior is also
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very important. Reading newspapers, listening to music with headphones,

reading your e-mail, facebook, snapchat, instagram or twitter posts, texting or
playing computer games while in the classroom and any similarly rude behavior is
distracting to others and is unacceptable. If you do not attend class on the day of
a laboratory, you will receive a zero for that laboratory (unless the course
instructor has excused you from the laboratory).

Pre-Lecture and Homework Assignments:

There will be pre-lecture and homework assignments associated with each chapter
we cover in lecture. The assignments will be performed online using CHEM101
and completed electronically by midnight on the posted due dates.
You will need to correctly complete at least 80% of each homework problem set
to receive full credit. Late homework or homework submitted on paper will not
be accepted.
Follow-up assignments and Practice Exams are optional and they DO NOT count
toward your homework grade.

Pre-Lecture Content # Questions Tentative

Assignment(s) (Chapters) Due Date
1 2,3 5 1/22
2 4 5 1/25
3 5 5 1/29
4 6 5 2/8
5 21 5 2/19
6 7 5 3/11
7 9 5 3/18
8 8 5 3/25
9 13 5 4/8
10 14 5 4/15

Homework Content # Questions Due Date

Assignment(s)

1 2,3 35 2/1
2 4 35 2/6
3 5 35 2/12
4 6 35 3/4
5 21 35 3/18
6 7 35 4/1
7 9 35 4/8
8 8 35 4/15
9 13 35 4/22
10 14 35 4/29

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Lectures: (Attendance is Mandatory) There are 80 minute lectures on Mondays and

Thursdays from 10:00 AM -11:20 AM. The material presented in the lecture will
cover and expand on the material in the required reading assignments. The pace
of the lectures will be VERY FAST. Please read the textbook PRIOR to each
lecture. Excused absences from lecture must be cleared through your course
instructor. Each student is allowed THREE unexcused lecture absences – more
than three unexcused lecture absences will result in a deduction of points from
your class participation grade. You are encouraged to follow along with the
lecture notes, so bring your laptop or tablet to each lecture and have the notes
downloaded prior to class.

Discussion/Laboratory Sessions:
(Attendance is Mandatory) Chemistry is an experimental science. This three-hour
period will focus primarily on applying your lecture gained knowledge to a hands-
on, laboratory experience. You will initially report to the discussion room where
you will discuss the application of recently acquired knowledge to an
experimental problem.
At the beginning of each discussion, you will have a short quiz based on lecture
material, homework, or laboratory material. I WILL NOT accept paper
submissions or give makeup quizzes. Quizzes will not be given on exam weeks.
After the quiz and discussion questions, you will then proceed to the laboratory to
conduct the experiment.
After completing the experiment, you will return to the discussion room to
perform any necessary calculations and complete the laboratory summary report.
Experimental data is not to be shared except with your lab partner– the data you
record for your experiment is the data you work with for your laboratory report.
An approved laboratory notebook must be kept, pre-labs are due on the day of
each lab, and post-labs are due at the end of each laboratory session (unless
announced otherwise). Attendance to laboratory is mandatory to receive credit
for the post laboratory report. All excused laboratory absences must be cleared
and rescheduled through Dr. Morrissey (morrik8@rpi.edu).
Three-Strike Policy for UNEXCUSED Absences:
1. One absence with no makeup will result in a grade of “zero” for the
corresponding lab session.
2. Two absences with no makeup will result in a grade of “zero” for the
entire lab portion of the final grade (25%).
3. Three absences with no makeup will result in an “F” for the entire course.
You are expected to collaborate with your lab partner(s) to perform the
experiment and collect the data. You may analyze your data with your lab
partner, but you must submit your post-lab report INDEPENDENTLY. Make
sure your post-lab assignments are in your OWN WORDS. Anyone who is
caught copying from someone else’s work or work from past years will be
subjected to academic disciplinary actions as follows:
Three-Strike Policy for PLAGARISM:
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1. The first infraction will result in a grade of “zero” for the corresponding
prelab and/or postlab with a verbal and a written warning.
2. The second infraction will result in a grade of “zero” for the entire lab
portion of the final grade (25%). A second written warning will also be
issued.
3. The third infraction will result in an “F” for the entire course.

Course Material Exams:

There will be three 50-minute exams given on selected Mondays during the
Testing Block (8:00-8:50AM). (There will NOT be a Monday session on those
Mondays when there is no exam scheduled.) The syllabus provides an outline of
the materials that will be covered for each exam. Exams may include material
covered in lecture, discussion, reading, homework, or laboratory. All exams will
be multiple-choice and each student will be required to bring a “number 2” pencil
to complete the exam answer sheet. Bring your reference sheet that you received
when you purchased your textbook to each exam and the final. No makeup
exams will be given. If a student misses an exam for an unavoidable and
compelling reason, the student may be excused from the exam at the instructors’
discretion provided that the student presents a suitable written excuse. A written
excuse is required from the Student Success Office, a doctor, or a coach. Students
who are excused from an exam will have their excused exam grade calculated as
follows: The excused exam grade will be the average of the two other exam
grades or the grade on the final exam, whichever is higher. Students will need to
hand in the skipped exam along with the solutions to the questions within 24
hours of the exam time in order to receive the average grade of the two other
exams.

Final Examination:
There will be a comprehensive final examination given during the final exam
week. The examination will not be given early to any student because of
previously made travel arrangements. Please do not plan to leave school until the
end of exam week. Do not make travel arrangements until after the final exam
schedule has been announced. Put NEW batteries into your calculator just to be
on the safe side. You don’t want your calculator failing during a final exam.

Final Grades: The final grade for the course will be determined as follows:

Assessment Points
Lecture Participation 5
Pre-Lecture and Homework Assignments 10
Quizzes 5
Laboratory Reports 25
Hourly Exams (three) 30
Final Exam 25
Total 100

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Grade Assignments:

Letter Grade Percentage

A >90.00%
B+ >87.00%
B >80.00%
C+ >77.00%
C >65.00%
D+ >63.00%
D >50.00%
F <50.00%

These grade assignments are subject to change at instructor discretion, but, if

changed, would only change in the students’ favor.

Internet Site: The syllabus, homework assignments, labs, exam answers, lecture notes and other
notices will be posted on the RPI LMS Blackboard site throughout the semester.
You should check the LMS and your RPI e-mail at least once a day for the latest
news.

Disclaimer: This syllabus is subject to change based on circumstances beyond our control
(administrative decisions, weather, school closings, etc.)

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CHEM 1100/1100Lecture/Exam Schedule – Spring 2020

Week Dates # of Content Topics Chapters to Exams Quiz in

Lectures Cover (Mondays 8am) Lab

1 1/13, 1/16 2 Introduction to Parts of Chapter no quiz

Chemistry, Atomic 2, Chapter 3 pt 1
2 1/23 1 Theory, Quantum Quiz 1
Mechanics

Periodicity Chapter 3pt 2

3 1/27, 1/30 2 Quiz 2
Chemical Bonding I: Chapter 4
The Lewis Model and
4 2/3, 2/6 2 Quiz 3
VSEPR Theory
5 2/10 , 2/13 2
Chemical Bonding II: Chapter 5 Quiz 4
Valence Bond &
6 2/18, 2/20 2 Molecular Orbital Exam 1 (2/18) No quiz
Theory Chapters 3, 4, 5
pt. 1
7 2/24, 2/27 2 Organic Chemistry Chapter 21 Quiz 5

8 3/2, 3/5 2 Quiz 6

Spring Break 3/9-3/13

9 3/16, 3/19 2 Solutions & Acid-Base Chapters 6 and 7 Quiz 7
Reactions
10 3/23, 3/26 2 Redox Reactions Chapters 6 and 7 Exam 2 (3/23) No quiz
Chapters 5 pt 2,
21, 6, 7 pt. 1
11 3/30, 4/2 2 Thermochemistry Chapter 9 Quiz 8

12 4/6, 4/9 2 Quiz 9

13 4/13, 4/16 2 Gas Laws Chapter 8 Quiz 10

14 4/20, 4/23 2
Chemical Equilibrium Chapters 13 and Exam 3 (4/20) No quiz
and Acid-Base 14 Chapters 7 pt 2,
Equilibria 9, 8
15 4//27 1

Study Days: 4/30 – 5/3; Final Exams: 5/4 – 5/8

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CHEM 1100 Lab Schedule:

Week Date of Labs Experiment Quiz

st
1 1/16-1/17 1 week of lab, no experiment No Quiz
2 1/23-1/24 Emission Spectroscopy Quiz 1
3 1/30-1/31 Chemical Periodicity Quiz 2
4 2/6-2/7 Lewis Structure Tutorial Quiz 3
5 2/13-2/14 Shapes of Molecules and Ions Quiz 4
6 2/20-2/21 No Experiment, Discussion Only No Quiz, Exam 1 (2/18)
7 2/27-2/28 Artificial Flavorings and Fragrances Quiz 5
8 3/5-3/6 Introduction to Infrared Spectroscopy Quiz 6
Spring Break 3/9-3/13
9 3/19-3/20 Quantitative Analysis and Beer’s Law Quiz 7
10 3/26-3/27 Strong Acid-Strong Base Titration No Quiz, Exam 2 (3/23)
11 4/2-4/3 No Experiment, Discussion Only Quiz 8
12 4/9-4/10 Thermodynamics: Solution Calorimetry Quiz 9
13 4/16-4/17 Verification of the Ideal Gas Law Quiz 10
14 4/23-4/24 Last Lab, Discussion Only, Evaluations, No Quiz, Exam 3 (4/20)
Hand back papers
15 4/27-4/29 Last week of classes

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Dr. T’s Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Engage, Enlighten, Energize.

Engage-My teaching philosophy revolves around getting students engaged in chemistry. In

lecture, I engage students through providing real-world examples of the concept being covered,
homework assignments having multiple difficulty levels, and getting the students to explain their
answers to questions to their peers in the language of chemistry. For example, if a student says
“NaOH(aq) reacts with HCl(aq)”, I require them to provide me the proper nomenclature and
phase of the chemical reagents when speaking to me (aqueous sodium hydroxide reacts with
hydrochloric acid solution in this case). I encourage the students to be as specific as possible
when communicating their thoughts to me and each other. When in lab, I encourage students to
think of ways to improve the experiments. I also encourage them to converse with their peers
regarding experimental techniques and design, and have them justify why one technique might
be better than another. For example, doing an experiment using a graduated cylinder to measure
volume versus using a buret, students can get an understanding of why data quality is important
and why significant figures are used when reporting quantitative data.

Enlighten-Students need to find relevance in what they are learning to have it impact their life..
Having a good answer for “why do we need to know this?” is key to enlightening the students
about chemistry. As we all know, chemistry is not the kind of subject that can easily be self-
taught, and it is necessary for the professor to provide real world examples of where chemistry is
used to give students something to relate to. Having 16 years of industrial experience and 10
years of academic experience, I am well qualified to provide these real-world examples and give
students the understanding of how chemistry is relevant to them. Regarding scientific
misconceptions, it’s been said that it is harder to unlearn something than it is to learn something,
and I take great care in making sure that any misconceptions the students might have are
addressed and corrected quickly, so that they have a clear understanding of the chemical world
they live in.

Energize-Students need to develop a life-long passion for learning chemistry, otherwise the
information they are given will not convert to long-term knowledge. Energizing the students
involves having them build confidence in themselves by praising them when they answer a
question correct, constantly having them ponder and question the world around them, and having
them follow the scientific literature and current events as part of their daily activities. I
encourage them to join the ACS as a way of connecting to the chemical community. In addition,
encouraging students to teach to their peers when studying for exams also energizes students and
builds their confidence. People tend to build passion(s) for activities they excel at, and chemistry
is no different in that respect. So, it is important to get the students to be proficient in chemistry,
and they will be able to self-energize themselves.

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