While every effort has been made to make sure this
electronic syllabus is error-free, it is not official.
The
definitive source of course information remains the original (paper)
syllabus distributed in class.
CHEMISTRY 333
SPRING 1997 SYLLABUS
LYCOMING COLLEGE ADVANCED INORGANIC CHEMISTRY 333 SPRING 1997
Instructor: Charles H. Mahler, Office: HBC 202, Phone 321-4351 or
322-8840 (h)
Office Hours: M 2-3 PM, W, F 10-11 AM, by appointment, or drop by.
CLASS meets M, W, F from 9:00 AM to 9:50 AM in HBC Room
215.
LAB meets R from 7:45 to 11:35 AM in HBC Room 203.
Materials for Course:
"Inorganic Chemistry" James R. Bowser; 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. A lab deposit of $5 will be collected - the cost of lab handouts
will be taken from this.
Evaluation and Grading:
Grades will be based on the following weighting scheme: 3 Exams
(33%), a Final Exam
(20%), Lab (25%), Presentation (7%), 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 (see
me before Mar. 31).
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 Thursday, January 30, 1997 (in lab)
Hour Exam 2 Thursday, March 6, 1997 (in lab)
Hour Exam 3 Thursday, April 3, 1997 (in lab)
Final Exam Week of April 21 - 25, 1997, To Be Announced
Content:
The course will cover topics from Chapters 1-8 (Quantum and Group
Theory, Structure &
Bonding), 9-11(Inorganic Reactions), 15-18 (Transition Metals), and
Descriptive Chemistry.
Attendance and Make Ups:
Students are required to be present for all labs and exams.
Lecture attendance (with textbook
and calculator) is expected. Lecture absences will be penalized 3 points per day (on a 1000 point
scale), after 3 absences. Colloquium attendance or extra credit assignments will be applied towards
nullifying absences before counting as 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 and Quizzes:
Homework problems will be assigned during the semester. They
will be collected and some
will be graded. There will also be several quizzes. The lowest homework grade will be dropped.
There will also be a Periodic Table quiz given in lab - you will be given a blank periodic table and
asked to fill it in with the proper symbols. For certain elements, the properly spelled name will be
required. Students must take at least one periodic table quiz, with the best performance (of 1, 2 or
3 attempts) counting. If you can not be in class or lab, have someone else take notes and hand in
any assignments for you.
Presentation:
All students will be required to research the descriptive
chemistry of a group of elements and
make a 20 minute oral presentation on this topic in lab. More details
will be given in class.
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 reviewed in class and/or posted. There will be periodic review
sessions.
It is assumed that the students are familiar with the background
material, especially that
covered in General Chemistry. 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. Please do not worry about
admitting that you don't understand something: I would rather learn of this while answering your
question than while grading your work.
In homework and exams be neat, box answers, show your work and
units (partial credit will
be given). On an exam, 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. Even if an experiment is done as part of a group, the report should be each
student's individual work.
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) Wear enclosed shoes
only; 6) Legs must be covered; 7) 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. A safety evaluation will be conducted. Report all accidents and injuries immediately.
Know the location of all exits and emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, blankets, eye-wash,
first aid kit, 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 with the report. 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 are generally described in the lab write-up and in
prelab. The Title, Objective,
Approach should be in your notebook before you start any experiment. When working in groups,
each member will submit their own lab report. A group may submit only one copy of
supplementary material (i.e. spectra, copy of an article, etc.). Reports are generally due one week
after completion of the lab work - a deadline will be given for each experiment. 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 school day. Additional instructions and safety information will be given in the
prelab lectures.
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. If a line is fitted, the equation of the line should be given (and determination of points from
this equation shown in a sample calculation).
Academic Honesty:
It is often assumed that constants or values needed to solve
problems will be looked up in
various reference works. Always 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 on Academic Honesty see the current Catalog or Faculty
Handbook.
Posting:
Scores will be posted using four-character secret codes supplied
by the student. If you would
prefer not to have your scores posted, let me know (in writing) within
the first two weeks of class.
Tentative Lab Schedule - Advanced Inorganic 333
Week of Experiment
Jan. 6 CHECK IN, LECTURE, SYMMETRY ELEMENTS
Jan. 13 CuCl SYNTHESIS, COPPER TO SILVER TO GOLD
Jan. 20 KMF SYNTHESIS, CRYSTAL GROWTH
Jan. 27 EXAM ONE
Feb. 3 KNOWN Co COMPLEX SYNTHESIS
Feb. 10 UNKNOWN Co COMPLEX SYNTHESIS
Feb. 17 UNKNOWN Co COMPLEX CHARACTERIZATION
Feb. 24 SPRING BREAK - UV Dermatological Studies
Mar. 3 EXAM TWO
Mar. 10 SYNTHETIC TOURNAMENT
Mar. 17 UNKNOWN V, AIR SENSITIVE SYNTHESIS
Mar. 24 UNKNOWN V, AIR SENSITIVE SYNTHESIS
Mar. 31 EXAM THREE
Apr. 7 UNKNOWN V, AIR SENSITIVE SYNTHESIS
Apr. 14 ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Week of Apr. 21 FINAL EXAMINATION
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Last updated January 6, 1997.
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