Course Syllabus
Course: CHEM 1010
Division: Natural Science and Math
Department: Chemistry
Title: Introductory Chemistry
Semester Approved: Summer 2022
Five-Year Review Semester: Spring 2027
End Semester: Spring 2028
Catalog Description: This course introduces individuals to a variety of chemistry-related knowledge and experience and is designed to give non-majors a glimpse at chemistry and how it relates to the world around them. As a general education course, it relates chemistry to the real world experience and gives the student an opportunity to investigate chemical principles in their life. It gives the student a feeling for how scientists view problems and the systematic method by which they solve them. Discussion topics are chosen from physical, organic, and biological areas inside the chemistry field.
General Education Requirements: Physical Science (PS)
Semesters Offered: TBA
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
Prerequisites: MATH 0850 or MATH 1010 or higher
Justification: This is an equivalent course offered by Chemistry departments at most institutions in the state and may transfer to them. This course also fulfills part of the Physical Science General Education Option. Science is the systematic inquiry into natural phenomena organizing and condensing those observations into testable models and hypotheses, theories or laws. The success and credibility of science is anchored in the willingness of scientists to: 1) expose their ideas and results to independent testing and replication by other scientists which requires the complete and open exchange of data, procedures, and materials; 2) abandon or modify accepted conclusions when confronted with more complete or reliable experimental evidence. Adherence to these principles provides a mechanism for self-correction that is the foundation of the credibility of science. (Adapted from a statement by the Panel on Public Affairs of the American Physical Society which was endorsed by the Executive Board of the American Association of Physics Teachers in 1999.)
General Education Outcomes:
1: A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Students will develop an understanding of the natural world by focusing on the chemical processes and compounds associated with atoms and molecules, atomic structure and chemical reactions through lecture, assignments, and reading of the text. Exploration of the evidence and application of chemical phenomena in the natural world will be covered through the text, lecture and class discussions. Students will be exposed to this material through the text, lecture and in word problems on assignments and tests.
2: A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students will be required to combine lecture, reading and online information to master concepts in General Chemistry. Connections are made through the material in the text, lecture, homework and exams to real-world applications and problems related to the course content. Students will be able to interpret graphs and charts as well as distinguish between various chemical symbols, numerical constants and relationships in General Chemistry and convey information in numbers, graphs, tables and charts in a clear and concise manner. Students will be evaluated through written responses in quizzes, tests and homework.
3: A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students will demonstrate the ability to assess the credibility of scientific information as they encounter topics related to chemistry in their everyday lives. Class discussions and lecture highlight real-world applications of topics taught in this course and relate to currently debated topics that reach into multiple disciplines. These discussions highlight the need for credible information and what constitutes a credible source and the application of the scientific method and to combine information learned in different disciplines and life experiences within the context of the chemistry experience. Their performance will be assessed through readings and assignments associated with the scientific method and complex problems.
4: A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Students will demonstrate reasoning ability by assessing quantitative problems in chemistry dealing with unit conversion and stoichiometry as well as understanding how to make proper analytical measurements using appropriate tools for the quantity measured. They will draw conclusions based on the course content and apply critical problem-solving skills. These outcomes will be evaluated using quizzes, homework and tests.
6: A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason quantitatively. The study of chemistry includes the ability to perform calculations to understand magnitudes of effects or products and how those are influenced by concepts. Students are expected to be able to perform calculations related to product yield, magnitude of atomic and molecular interactions and the behavior of gases. The students will be assessed on homework, quizzes and exams.
General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes:
1: Students will demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of Chemistry including unit conversions, dimensional analysis in situations that they are likely to encounter beyond the duration of this course and in other areas of physical science. These could include applications to their future careers (e.g., dose calculations in nursing, pesticide application in range science or agriculture, etc.). Life-long learning in science is facilitated by the scientific method, which is applied in forming and verifying hypotheses and understanding how others have used the scientific method to enhance our understanding of the physical world. Their performance will be evaluated through homework, quizzes and exams.
Students will demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of Chemistry including unit conversions, dimensional analysis in situations that they are likely to encounter beyond the duration of this course and in other areas of physical science. These could include applications to their future careers (e.g., dose calculations in nursing, pesticide application in range science or agriculture, etc.). Life-long learning in science is facilitated by the scientific method, which is applied in forming and verifying hypotheses and understanding how others have used the scientific method to enhance our understanding of the physical world. Their performance will be evaluated through homework, quizzes and exams.
2: Demonstrate understanding of forces in the physical world. As part of this course students examine the underlying principles of reactions from electrostatic forces and bonding to properties and interactions such as phase changes, colligative properties, intermolecular forces, and combustion. Students will demonstrate the ability to connect these and other principles of Chemistry with everyday occurrences. Their performance will be assessed with real-world problems both in class, on homework and exams.
3: Discuss the flow of matter and energy through systems (in large and small scales). Students approach energy transfer and transformation of energy in this course at both the small scale (individual atoms and molecules and their reactions) to the large scale (thermodynamics, heat transfer, and energy of reactions). This includes the principles of stoichiometry which allow for scaling the molecular scale to the macro scale utilizing the mole concept. Students will be assessed in their understanding of these topics in homework, quizzes, and exams.
4: Develop evidence-based arguments regarding the effect of human activity on the Earth. Instructors will model this outcome by showing and explaining scientifically valid evidence of the consequences of human activities on the natural world through the lens of chemistry (e.g. mining, acid rain, the O3 layer). Students will be given opportunities to recall and restate these examples and to generate appropriate conclusions from evidence provided to them in homework or exam questions or written assignments.
5: Describe how the Physical Sciences have shaped and been shaped by historical, ethical, and social contexts. The history of chemistry and the development of our models of the atom and understanding of chemical processes are tightly tied to the people and progression of the models used to represent the physical world. These are tightly tied to history and are reflected in the way that this course addresses the discovery of atoms and elements and the understanding of atomic theory and how it scales up to macroscopic chemical interactions. Additionally, many of these developments hit on ethical and social constructs as the principles of chemical interactions are applied within science, medicine, and society. As this class is primarily a health sciences pre-requisite, many of these examples focus on real-world examples within the world of medicine and health related fields. One example could be the contributions of Marie Curie to the understanding of radiation could then be connected to cancer treatments and causes, impacts on nuclear warfare, power generation, and medicine. These concepts will be assessed in real world problems on homework, quizzes, writing assignments, projects, and/or exams.
Content:
Chemistry 1010 is an introduction to General Chemistry and an introduction to Organic Chemistry. Through lecture and discussion, the following major topics are covered: scientific method, matter and measurement including the metric system, atomic theory, properties of the main group elements, chemical bonds, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, properties of gases, intermolecular forces, liquids, and solids, solutions and colloids, and acids and bases. As well as a selection from the following topics: reaction rates and equilibrium, thermochemistry, nuclear chemistry, and basic organic chemistry. These concepts and principles are then applied to investigations into issues such as: energy alternatives and energy policies, recycling pros and cons, polymers and their place in society, the chemistry of life, nutrition, water and the environment, air and the environment, and evaluation of degrees of risk. Course content will be conveyed through reading of the text, lecture, homework and class discussion.
Scientists from any background may be highlighted as to their role in these historical experiments. Including the diverse perspectives of historical and modern scientists as well as from the students in this course are invaluable in aiding accessibility for all students to understand the chemical context of everyday life.
Key Performance Indicators:
Students will be assessed often through in-class quizzes and tests. Homework is assigned on a regular basis to allow students to check their own progress.
Tests: 40 to 75%
Quizzes: 5 to 25%
Homework: 5 to 35%
Writing Assignments/Projects 0 to 20%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Baird and Gloffke, Chemistry in Your Life, Current Edition, W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, NY
Baxter, Introduction to Chemistry, current edition, CK-12 Foundation, ck-12.org or similar text
Frost and Deal, General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry: Concise, Practial, Integrated, current edition, Pearson Education Inc, Hoboken NJ, or similar text
Pedagogy Statement:
This course is taught in both an in-person and online format. In these formats, instructors will utilize a range of teaching techniques and formats to provide students with access to the material from a diverse background of learning styles, formats, and educational and cultural backgrounds. These may include discussion, group learning activities, lecture, real-world examples and student lead learning experiences.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
IVC
Maximum Class Size: 48
Optimum Class Size: 24
