CEM152

Spring 2020

Syllabus for CEM152 - Principles of Chemistry II

Table of Contents
I. General Information .......................................................................................................1

II. Instructor ........................................................................................................................2

III. Teaching Assistants .......................................................................................................2

IV. Lectures .........................................................................................................................2

V. Recitations Hours ...........................................................................................................2

VI. Help Room Hours ..........................................................................................................2

W 10AM-12PM ...................................................................................................................... 2

VII. Textbook .........................................................................................................................3

VIII. Course Webpage ...........................................................................................................3

IX. Homework ......................................................................................................................3

X. Recitations .....................................................................................................................3

XI. Midterm Exams ..............................................................................................................4

XII. Final Exam ......................................................................................................................4

XIII. Important Dates .............................................................................................................4

XIV. Grading Weight ..............................................................................................................5

XV. Grading Scale ................................................................................................................5

XVI. Academic Integrity & Spartan Code of Honor ...............................................................5

XVII. Accessibility for Students with Disabilities .....................................................................5

XVIII.Limits to Confidentiality .................................................................................................6

XIX. Tentative Course Outline and Schedule .........................................................................7

XX. Homework Schedule ......................................................................................................9

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

This course is the second of the two-semester sequence in General Chemistry intended for
students pursuing degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering. The chemistry
studied in CEM152 includes chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, chemical equilibria, and
electrochemistry, among other topics. The general objectives of this course are:

• Learn how to qualitatively and quantitatively describe the rate at which chemical reactions
proceed.

• Acquire a basic understanding of the relationship between the kinetic and thermodynamic
factors that control chemical reactions.

• Recognize that whereas the concept of chemical equilibrium refers to a static (invariant)
state on the macroscopic scale, it is fundamentally associated to dynamic (time-dependent)
processes at the microscopic scale.

• Build a solid chemical intuition based on the laws of thermodynamics to understand and
predict the macroscopic properties of chemical systems as well as the direction of change of
chemical reactions.

• Apply the laws of thermodynamics to solve chemical equilibrium problems, including those
associated with acid/base (proton transfer) reactions and redox (electron transfer) processes.

As expected from a second semester class, the content of this course will be more challenging
than that in CEM151. Consequently, make sure that you do not fall behind during the semester.
Devise a schedule that will allow you to devote some amount of time to CEM152 every day (we
suggest one hour every day) to study the material actively, rewrite your lecture notes, work on

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your weekly homework, study collaboratively with other students in the class, go to recitation
and the help room and ask questions, and see your instructor if you have difficulty.
II. INSTRUCTOR

Prof. Jim Geiger

9a Chemistry building

517-353-1144

geigerj@msu.edu (**please include “CEM152” at the beginning of the subject line)




Office Hours: M/W/F 2 - 3PM, in 9a Chemistry

III. TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Ms Nona Ehyaei, ehyaeino@chemistry.msu.edu

Ms. Courtney Bingham, bingha32@chemistry.msu.edu

Mr. Nate Landes, landesna@chemistry.msu.edu

IV. LECTURES
M, W, F 12:40PM - 1:30PM 138 Chemistry

V. RECITATIONS HOURS
SECTION DAY TIME ROOM TEACHING ASSISTANT

1. M 3:00 - 3:50PM 127 Chemistry Courtney

2. M 4:10 - 5:00PM 109 Chemistry Courtney

3. Tu 1:50 - 2:40PM 127 Chemistry Nona

4. Tu 3:00 - 3:50PM 85 Chemistry Nona

5. Tu 10:20 - 11:10AM 85 Chemistry Nate

6. M 1:50 - 2:40PM 109 Chemistry Courtney

7. Tu 12:40 - 1:30PM 183 Chemistry Nate

8. Th 10:20 - 11:10AM 126 Chemistry Nate

9. Tu 12:40 - 1:30PM 110 Chemistry Nona

VI. HELP ROOM HOURS

TAs will be available to help with anything related to CEM152 (homework, exams, lecture
material, etc…) in the Help Room in the Chemistry building (room 83). The schedule will be
different depending on whether an exam is coming up that same week or not:



Regular weeks: M 5 - 6PM

W 10AM-12PM
Tu 12-2PM
Th TBA 


Exam weeks: M TBA

Tu 9 - 10AM

W 10AM - noon

Th 9 - 10AM, 12-2PM

F 10-12PM

There are four exam weeks in the semester; the dates with extended Help Room hours are:

I) Friday Jan 26 to Tuesday Jan 30 (Exam I on Friday Jan 31)

II) Friday Feb 22 to Thursday Feb 27 (Exam II on Friday Feb 28)

III) Monday Mar 27 to Friday Mar 31 (Exam III on Wednesday, Apr 1)

IV) Monday Apr 22 to Friday Apr 26 (Final exam on Monday Apr 29)

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VII. TEXTBOOK

Brown, Lamay, Bursten et. al. Chemistry, The Central Science. You should already have
copies from last semester.

VIII. COURSE WEBPAGE

Handouts from the class will be posted, as necessary, on the D2L page of the course,
www.d2l.msu.edu.

IX. HOMEWORK

We will use the ALEKS system (class code: RPLGC-YCG34) which goes with the Brown/Lamay
text and which was also used last semester - you should therefore also already have an active
subscription; if not, you will need to get one (www.aleks.com). Weekly homework (“Objectives”
on ALEKS) are a necessary part of this course and are normally due every Wednesday by
11:59PM, except for HW #1 and #9 (see calendar at the end of the syllabus). Homework are
worth 24% of the overall grade distributed as: 12% for the amount of work achieved by each
deadline +12% for the amount of work that you complete by the end of the semester (in the
ALEKS language, 12 out of 24% for Objective Completion, and 12 out of 24% for Pie
Progress). This is to encourage you to still try to go through all of the materials even if you miss
a deadline.

Example: if every week you complete only half of the objectives by the deadline, but that you do
get everything done before the final exam, you would earn 14% out of the maximum of 24%
(50% × 12% + 100% × 12% = 18%). Note that this this is a waste of an easy 6%, which could
easily cost you half a grade (or more) just for not keeping up every week…


Remember: You will NEVER loose points for making mistakes in your homework (as long
as you complete them on time). This is true even for the “knowledge checks”, which will pop-
up once in a while and are simply a way for ALEKS to know where you are into your learning
progress. It is HUGELY advantageous for you to be honest on ALEKS: if you try to “cheat”
the system, it will think you are more advanced for where you really are, and it will keep asking
you questions that you are not prepared to handle, which will result in you spending much
more time trying to get through the weekly objectives. Plus, you will never really know whether
or not you are well prepared for the exams!

You should plan to spend at least six hours a week working on the assignments and/or reading
the assigned chapters (i.e., about 2 hours of study per course credit per week). The amount of
work and/or the overall difficulty of the problems will vary from week to week, so make sure to
start working early in the week to not get caught at the last minute with a lot of work to do
close to the deadline. Make sure to not fall behind: you will strongly improve your grade and
general appreciation of the course if you work a little and often compared to trying to
accomplish all the work at the last minute. The homework and recitation components (see
below) basically reward you for simply showing up and working on the course instead of
putting the emphasis on how well you perform. Note that the homework deadlines will not be
moved for any reasons, so plan ahead to make sure that you do not miss the deadlines!

X. RECITATIONS
Recitations are NOT optional. Every week, your TA will bring a worksheet to recitation that he/
she will have you fill in for credit. Taking part in this exercise is worth 10 % of your grade,
whether you complete the worksheet correctly or not! The worksheets will be representative of
the types of questions that will be asked on exams and they will be focused on material that
was covered the previous week in lecture. The worksheets provide an easy way to keep up
with the material, practice for exams and boost your final grade. Absences will be approved

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subject to the same rules as midterm exams (see below); grades for approved absences will be
given upon completion of the missed recitation worksheet no latter than one week after the
missed recitation date.

XI. MIDTERM EXAMS

There will be three closed-book midterm exams, each scheduled on the 1st of each month of
the semester (Feb. 1st, Mar. 1st, Apr. 1st) during the class time. The midterms will cover the
material we will have covered during the past month, but the material of the last two lectures or
so before the exam will typically not be included in the exam. Each midterm exam will focus on
the new part of the material that was not covered in the previous exam; that being said,
recognize that a lot of what we will learn will hinge on what came before it (including
knowledge acquired in CEM 151), so do not assume that you can safely forget about
something once it has been covered in a midterm! A study list of all the materials that will be
covered on each exam will be distributed a week before each midterm. Each midterm exam will
be worth 12% of your grade, for a combined total of 36%.



You are required to take these exams during the scheduled class period. Make sure to get in on
time, as no extra time will be granted for late arrivals. Should an absence be anticipated, the
student is expected to inform Professor Beaulac in advance, in writing. If the absence is not
reported and/or not approved, the student will receive a zero score for the missed test.
Absences will be approved for religious holidays and University-sponsored activities such as a
road trip for a sports team. Notice of illness on a test day should be substantiated, after the
fact if necessary, with a note from a doctor. Absences will not be approved for discretionary
travel or other personal scheduling conflicts. If an absence is approved for one of the three
midterms, the student will be allowed to substitute the final exam score on a percentage basis
for the exam grade. No make-up exams will be provided. If in doubt, consult Professor
Beaulac about the anticipated absence well in advance of the exam day. The course grade
book will be posted through CEMSCORES (cemscores.chemistry.msu.edu) and will be updated
after each exam.

XII. FINAL EXAM

The final exam is scheduled on Monday, April 27 2019, 12:45 - 2:45PM in 138 Chemistry. The
final exam will be comprehensive and cover all the materials covered during the semester; it
will be worth 30% of your overall grade.

As per University policy: A student absent from a final examination without a satisfactory
explanation will receive a grade of 0.0 on the numerical system […]. Students unable to take a
final examination because of illness or other reason over which they have no control should
notify the associate deans of their colleges immediately.

The full policy is available on: https://reg.msu.edu/ROInfo/Calendar/FinalExam.aspx.

XIII. IMPORTANT DATES

• Jan 6: Classes begin

• Jan 20: Martin Luther King day - no class

Jan 31: Midterm Exam I

• Feb x: Tuition refund period ends

• Feb 27: Middle of semester (deadline to drop CEM 152 with no grade reported)

Feb 28: Midterm Exam II

• Mar 4-8: Spring break

Apr 1: Midterm Exam III

• Apr. 26: Last day of class

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CEM152 Spring 2020

Apr. 27: Final Exam, 12:45 - 2:45PM, in room 138 Chemistry

nb: more information is given in the course and the homework schedules below.
XIV. GRADING WEIGHT

Midterm 1 12 %

Midterm 2 12 %

Midterm 3 12 %

Final Exam 30 %

Homework (ALEKS) 24 %

Recitations 10 %

Total 100 %

XV. GRADING SCALE

85.0% and above 4.0

80.0 - 84.9% 3.5

70.0 - 79.9% 3.0

65.0 - 69.9% 2.5

55.0 - 64.9% 2.0

40.0 - 54.9% 1.5

33.3 - 39.9% 1.0

< 33.3% 0.0

XVI. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY & SPARTAN CODE OF HONOR

The Department of Chemistry adheres to the policies on academic honesty outlined by the
General Student Regulations and the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and
Grades. Statements of these policies are found in the Spartan Life Handbook (http://
splife.studentlife.msu.edu) and on the MSU Academic Programs’ website (https://reg.msu.edu/
AcademicPrograms/). Students who cheat by copying the work of others or by using
unauthorized materials when completing homework assignments, preparing laboratory reports,
or taking quizzes, tests, or examinations will receive a score of 0 on the assignment. Students
are reminded that copying material verbatim from books and websites, or simply paraphrasing
the content of books and websites in preparing written laboratory reports without proper
attribution constitutes plagiarism.

The Spartan Code of Honor was adopted by ASMSU on March 3, 2016, endorsed by
Academic Governance on March 22, 2016, and recognized by the Provost, President, and
Board of Trustees on April 15, 2016.

The Pledge: “As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will
practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor
in ownership is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student
at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do.”

https://msu.edu/unit/ombud/academic-integrity/
Spartan%20Code%20of%20Honor%20Academic%20Pledge.html

XVII. ACCESSIBILITY FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

MSU is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and
activities. Requests for accommodations by persons with disabilities may be made by
contacting the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at 517-884-RCPD or on the web

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at rcpd.msu.edu. Once your eligibility for an accommodation has been determined, you will be
issued a verified individual services accommodation (“VISA”) form. Please present this form to
the instructor at the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test,
project, etc). Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible.

XVIII.LIMITS TO CONFIDENTIALITY
Michigan State University is committed to fostering a culture of caring and respect that is free
of relationship violence and sexual misconduct, and to ensuring that all affected individuals
have access to services.  For information on reporting options, confidential advocacy and
support resources, university policies and procedures, or how to make a difference on campus,
visit the Title IX website at www.titleix.msu.edu.

Importantly, students should be aware that University employees, including instructors and
teaching assistants, may not be able to maintain confidentiality when it conflicts with their
responsibility to report certain issues based on external legal obligations or that relate to the
health and safety of MSU community members and others. As instructor/teaching assistants,
we are legally obliged to report the following information to other University offices if you
share it with us:

• Suspected child abuse/neglect, even if this maltreatment happened when you were a child,

• Allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment when they involve MSU students, faculty,
or staff, and

• Credible threats of harm to oneself or to others.

These reports may trigger contact from a campus official who will want to talk with you about
the incident that you have shared.  In almost all cases, it will be your decision whether you wish
to speak with that individual. If you would like to talk about these events in a more confidential
setting you are encouraged to make an appointment with the MSU Counseling Center (https://
caps.msu.edu).

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XIX. TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULE

(nb: the outline/schedule are tentative and subject to changes)

Book ALEKS
Date Topic
Chapter Homework Due

1 M Jan 6 Introduction, Chemical Kinetics 14

2 W Jan 8 Chemical Kinetics (cont’d), Rate Laws 14

3 F Jan 10 Rate Laws (cont’d), Integrated Rate Laws 14

4 M Jan 13 Collision Theory, Arrhenius Equation 14 #1: Review

5 W Jan 15 Mechanism of Chemical Reactions 14

6 F Jan 17 Catalysts, Steady-State Approximation 14

PART I

M Jan 20 NO CLASS - MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. DAY

7 W Jan 22 Ideal Gas Laws 10 #2: Lect. 1-6

8 F Jan 24 Partial Pressures and Dalton’s Law 10

9 M Jan 27 Kinetic Theory, Maxwell Distribution, Effusion/Diffusion 10

10 W Jan 29 Review Part I (Lectures 1-9) #3: Lect. 7-9

11 F Jan 31 MIDTERM EXAM 1, 12:40PM - 1:30PM, ROOM 138

12 M Feb 3 Enthalpy and 1st Law of Thermodynamics 19 #4: Review

13 W Feb 5 Standard States, Hess’ Law, Reversible Processes 19

14 F Feb 7 Entropy and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics 19

15 M Feb 10 2nd Law and Free Energy 19 #5: Lect. 11-13

16 W Feb 12 Equilibrium Constants and Activities 15

17 F Feb 14 Equilibrium Problems and Gibbs Free Energy 15

PART II

18 M Feb 17 Le Châtelier’s Principle, Clausius-Clapeyron Equation 15 #6: Lect. 14-16

19 W Feb 19 liquids, Pure Phase Diagrams, 11

20 F Feb 21 Solutions 13

21 M Feb 24 Raoult & Henry laws, Colligative Properties 13

22 W Feb 26 Review Part II (Lectures 12 - 21) #7: Lect. 17-19

E2 F Feb 28 MIDTERM EXAM 2, 12:40PM - 1:30PM, ROOM 138

Mar 4 - 8 NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK

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 CEM152 Spring 2020

Book ALEKS
Date Topic
Chapter Homework Due

23 M Mar 09 Acids and Bases 16 #8: Review

24 W Mar 11 Autoionization of Water, Strong vs. Weak Acid/Bases 16

25 F Mar 13 Conjugate Acid/Base, Proton Affinity 16

26 M Mar 16 Acid/Base Equilibrium Constants, Salts in Solutions 17

PART III

27 W Mar 18 Polyprotic Acids, Neutralization Reactions 17 #9: Lect. 22-24

28 F Mar 20 Neutralizations (cont’d), Henderson-Hasselbalch Eq. 17

29 M Mar 23 Acid-Base Titrations 17

30 W Mar 25 Solubility Equil., Solubility Product, Common-Ion Effect 17

31 F Mar 27 Electron Transfer, Reduction & Oxidation 20 #10: Lect. 25-28

E3 M Mar 30 Review Part III (Lectures 23 - 31)

32 W Apr 1 MIDTERM EXAM 3, 12:40PM - 1:30PM, ROOM 138 NO HW due

33 F Apr 3 Galvanic Cells, Standard Electrode Potentials 20

34 M Apr 6 Electrochemical Equilibrium, Nernst Equation 20

35 W Apr 8 pH Electrodes, Batteries & Fuel Cells 20 #11: Lect. 31-32

36 F Apr 10 Electrolysis & Faraday’s Laws 20

PART IV

37 M Apr 13 Nuclear Reactions, Radioactivity, Radioactive Dating 21

38 W Apr 15 Nuclear Fission/Fusion, Radioisotope Applications 21 #12: Lect. 33-35

39 F Apr 17 Bonding in Condensed States, Intermolecular Forces 11

Band Theory of Solids, Insulators, Semiconductors,

40 M Apr 20 12 #13: Lect. 36-38
Metals. Solar Cells & Photosynthesis

41 W Apr 22 Electronic Devices, Nanotechnologies 12

42 F Apr 24 Review of Part IV (Lectures 31 - 40)

E4 M Apr 27 FINAL EXAM, 12:45PM - 2:45PM, ROOM 138 ALEKS closes

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XX. HOMEWORK SCHEDULE

Homework Due Date (by Topic Lectures

Number 11:59PM) Covered

1 Monday Jan 13 Prerequisite Review from CEM151 -

2 Wed Jan 22 Chemical Kinetics 1-6

3 Wed Jan 29 Gases 7-9

4 Friday Feb 3 Thermodynamics, CEM151 Review -

5 Friday Feb 10 Thermodynamics 11 - 13

6 Thursday Feb 17 Chemical Equilibrium 14 - 16

7 Wed Feb 26 Pure & Solution Phases 17 - 19

- Wed Mar 4-8 NO HOMEWORK DUE (SPRING BREAK) -

8 Wed Mar 9 Acid-Base Equilibria, CEM151 Review 20

9 Wed Mar 18 Acid-Base Equilibria A 22 - 24

10 Friday Mar 27 Acid-Base Equilibria B 25 - 28

- Wed Apr 1 NO HOMEWORK DUE -

11 Wed Apr 8 Redox Processes A 31 - 32

12 Wed Apr 15 Redox Processes B 33 - 35

13 Wed Apr 20 Nuclear Chemistry 36 - 38

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