PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY II 331
LYCOMING COLLEGE, SPRING 1996

Instructor: Charles H. Mahler, Office: HBC 202, Phone 321-4351 or 322-8840 (h)
Office Hours: M 9-10 AM, 1-2 PM, W 10-11 AM, F 11-12 AM, by appointment, or drop by.

CLASS meets M, W, F from 8:00 to 8:50 AM in HBC Room 215.
LAB meets T from 7:45 to 11:35 AM in HBC Room 203.

Materials for Course:
"Physical Chemistry" 5th Ed. Peter Atkins
Calculator with logarithmic and exponential functions
Bound Laboratory Notebook with quadrille pages - for lab use only
Safety Glasses or Goggles, closed shoes. (Lab Coat or Apron recommended)
Experimental Procedures will be distributed in class.

Evaluation and Grading:
Grades will be based on the following weighting scheme: 3 Exams (35%), a Final Exam (20%), Lab (30%), and Homework and Quizzes (15%). 3 extra credit points (on a 1000 point scale) will be given for each Chemistry Colloquium attended. Alternative extra credit will be available for those whose schedules conflict with colloquium. ALL EXAMINATIONS ARE COMPREHENSIVE, ESPECIALLY THE FINAL.

The following scale will be applied to determine the final letter grade: A > 90% > B > 80% > C > 70% > D > 60% > F . Plus and minus grades are included in these ranges and will be determined at the end of the semester. Adjustments to this scale are possible, but unlikely.

Tests:

Hour Exam 1 Tuesday, February 6, 1996 (in lab)
Hour Exam 2 Tuesday, March 12, 1996 (in lab)
Hour Exam 3 Tuesday, April 9, 1996 (in lab)
Final Exam Week of April 22-26, 1996, To Be Announced

Attendance and Make Ups:
Students are required to be present for all labs and exams. Lecture attendance (with textbook and calculator) is expected. Excessive absences will be penalized at 2% off the final grade per day after 4 absences. Colloquium attendance or extra credit assignments may be applied towards nullifying absences instead of extra credit.

In order to make up exams or labs, only absences notified ahead of time can be made up. Wherever possible, the cause of absences should be substantiated (i.e. doctor's excuse, newspaper article, note from parent, etc.). In case of emergencies leading to absence, you are expected to contact me (at 321-4351 (office) or 322-8840 (home)) or the Department Secretary (321-4006).

If you have questions or comments about anything in the course, please come see me. I am ready and willing to meet with you and discuss your concerns, answer questions, explain concepts,solve problems, etc.

Homework:
There will be homework problems assigned most days during the semester. These are due at the start of the next lecture (or as soon as you enter lecture if late) and will be graded. Because we then go over the problem and its solution, no homework problems will be accepted after the end of the lecture in which they are due. The lowest two homework grades will be dropped.

Lab Reports:
Reports are generally due one week after completion of the lab work - a deadline will be given for each experiment. Safety and Notebook evaluations will be conducted. At least one lab report will be formally written up - further directions will be given in lab. Lab reports are considered late at the end of the lab they are due in (but may be handed in early). Late work will be penalized 5% per day. If you can not be in class, have someone else take notes and hand in any assignments for you.

General Comments:
Students are responsible for knowing material in the assigned reading, problem sets, labs, and lectures. Working problems and understanding the material are keys to doing well. Keys for assigned problems and exams will be posted. There will be periodic review sessions.

It is assumed that the students are familiar with the background material. While I am glad to help you in reviewing these topics, it is your responsibility to make up any weaknesses or deficiencies you might have. Much of the course material involves a high degree of conceptual understanding (not just memorization), so adequate preparation and study are essential. It is not sufficient to learn the material from the lecture alone - you are expected to have read and thought about the topics covered before attending lecture. If you have tried and still can't get a problem or concept, see me for help.

In homework and exams be neat, box answers, show your work and units (partial credit will be given). On a test, look at all problems, then do the easiest ones first. Don't spend too much time on any one problem. Preparation and practice (i.e. doing problems and studying) are the best ways to do well on tests. Start work on lab reports well before they are due - these can not be done well at the last minute.

Administrative procedures (withdrawals, etc.) will follow the published guidelines and rules of the college and department.

Safety and Labs:
Unsafe behavior in Lab will not be tolerated. Repeated unsafe behavior will result in a zero for that lab. In lab: 1) Eyewear must be worn at all times; 2) No eating, drinking, or smoking; 3) No horseplay; 4) No unauthorized, "independent" experiments; 5) No sandals (enclosed shoes only); 6) Legs must be covered to the knees, I prefer long pants. See the additional safety rules distributed at lab check-in.

You are expected to read the safety information given and to come to lab each week well prepared. Report all accidents and injuries immediately. Know the location of all exits and emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, blankets, etc.) When in doubt, ask.

Wearing contact lenses in lab is highly discouraged. If you do wear them in lab, please let me know (no penalty - it is good to know in case of an accident). Wear older clothes - they could be stained or ruined. Above all, use common sense and your chemical intuition - THINK.

As an experienced student chemist, you will be working in many situations which demand your utmost care and attention to protect the safety and health of yourself, your fellow students, and the environment. Preparation and careful, patient work are needed to obtain the results required in each experiment

Notebook and Lab Reports:
Your Lab Notebook should be neat, well organized, up-to-date and complete, with a Table of Contents. The Table of Contents should be updated with each experiment. Leave room to record your data, the uncertainties in measurements, and any observations about the experiment. Make a copy of each notebook page and hand these in on leaving lab. Each page should be clearly labeled with your name, the date and the name of the experiment (abbreviations are OK). Notebooks will be graded once during the semester. When working in groups, record the names of your group members and also note who performed what tasks (i.e. temperature data (from John), absorbance values (from Susie)).

Lab reports consist of the report form, sample calculations, any graphs or other material needed, and answers to questions. When working in groups, each member of the team will submit their own lab report. Graphs should be on proper paper, fill the page, show data points in ink, have linear (or proper) scales with units and labels on axes. Graphs done on computers should have a printout of the data attached. Data from unknowns and values determined from the graph should be clearly marked. Additional instructions will be given in the prelab lectures.

Academic Honesty:
Include citations for all sources consulted in labs or homework. Unless otherwise stated, all work submitted for a grade should be your own work. For further information see the Bulletin.

Posting:
Scores will be posted using secret codes from last semester. If you would prefer not to have your scores posted at all, let me know (in writing) within the first two weeks of class.

Content:
The course will cover topics in Electrochemistry, Equilibrium Systems, Kinetics, and Quantum Mechanics.