Chemistry 101 Inquiries into the nature of matter

Hunter College of the City University of New York

 Department of Chemistry

   

Instructor:   Atena Farahpour

             Email: [email protected]

Office Hours: Thursday, 2pm-3:45pm

Welcome!

Chemistry is all around us: in the food we eat, in the clothes we wear, in the technology you are using to read this right now, and in you yourself! In this course we will be looking at the world around us through the lens of chemistry and how we can measure and observe things in a laboratory in order to learn more about chemical processes.

The course will be taught as hybrid model (lecture fully online and lab in person) with the primary delivery of course content through a custom-made lab manual that covers twelve different experiments with videos, images, readings, and questions. The majority of the course will be synchronous in person, meaning that you are required to attend in person lab and meet all the course deadlines.

Course Description

CHEM 101: Essentials of General Chemistry Laboratory: 3 credits. Introduction to laboratory experimentation to familiarize students with scientific measurements and practical chemical reactions.

Purpose of the Course: This is a one-semester general chemistry laboratory course which will serve as an introduction to the basic principles of chemistry using a puzzle solving inquiry-based approach to laboratory experimentation.

Academic or Learning Objectives: After completing this lab, students should be able to:

• use information provided in a puzzle to design a scientific experiment that addresses a specific problem.
• understand how make precise and accurate measurements using physical and chemical equipment and instruments.
• use measured data and theoretical concepts to solve problems.
• understand the principles that govern chemical transformations in chemical reactions.

Instructional Technology: As part of this course, we will be using two course platforms: Blackboard and Top Hat. You should log on to both as soon as you can so that you can familiarize yourself with the look and feel of the web interfaces.

Blackboard: You should automatically gain access to the Blackboard site if you have registered for the course. All course announcements, course documents, and discussion boards will be hosted on Blackboard.

Top Hat: You will receive an email from Top Hat inviting you to join this course which will require you to create an account within Top Hat. This email will be sent to the email address associated with your Blackboard account. If you cannot find your invitation email, please contact me. You will need to create your Top Hat account with the email address used in Blackboard and entering your EMPLID as your student ID.

The Top Hat site we will use has been designed specifically for our course. You should think of it is a virtual interactive lab manual. This is where you will read and watch all the material for the different experiments we will be covering as well as where you will complete most of the coursework. Please note that the Top Hat lab manual for CHEM 101 is completely separate than the Top Hat course for CHEM 100. They are two separate courses with their own course materials and grades.

Course Components

Experiments: For this course we will be using an online lab manual through Top Hat containing twelve different experiments. All the laboratory material and assignments can be found within this Top Hat manual. Please make sure you get signed up for Top Hat on the first day of class.

Each experiment contains the following six sections:

1. Pre-Lab Background: (5 pts)
2. Pre-Lab Skills: (15 pts)
3. The Puzzle: (no points)
4. Notebook and Data Analysis: (45 pts)
5. Post-Lab Questions: (25 pts)
6. Connections to Human Health: (10 pts)

These sections will be completed at once according to deadlines.

Each experiment corresponds to a specific day of class as indicated in the syllabus below. The pre-lab components (Background & Skills) are due by the start of class. The core of the experiment (Notebook and Data Analysis) is due on the day we have the lab. The post-lab components (Post-Lab Questions & Connections to Human Health) are due before our new class. Please pay close attention to the deadlines in TOP Hat and make sure your work is completed on time.

Student Presentations: The final assignment for this course will be a presentation made by you and presented to your classmates.

Detailed Course Outline: This lab course will cover twelve different experiments over the course of the semester. All deadlines are listed below and on Top Hat.

Grading Policy:

Your overall letter grade will be based on the total number of points you earn in both the lecture and laboratory components of the course. The total number of points that can be earned in this course is 1900 (500 pts from the lecture component and 1400 pts from the lab). This total will be converted to a percentage (out of 100%) andscaled according to the Hunter College Grading system.

Lecture Graded element	TOTAL Points
Quizzes	100
Exam 1	200
Exam 2	200
TOTAL	500

Week	Date	Content	Title	Point Value
1	08.31.2023	Introduction	Course Intro & Safety Overview	25
2	09.07.2023	Experiment 1	The “Mysterious Matter” Column	100
3	09.14.2023	Experiment 2	Messing with Mixtures	100
4	09.21.2023	Experiment 3	Chemists Make Things: Change that Matters	100
5	09.28.2023	Experiment 4	Precipitation Reactions Part 1: The Role of Reactants	100
6	10.05.2023	Experiment 5	Precipitation Reactions Part 2: The Law of Definite Proportions	100
7	10.12.2023	Experiment 6	Precipitation Reactions Part 3: Mass Conservation	100
8	10.19.2023	Experiment 7	Like Dissolves Like	100
9	10.26.2023	Experiment 8	Rainbow Cabbage	100
10	11.02.2023	Experiment 9	A Titration Competition	100
11	11.09.2023	Experiment 10	Alka-Seltzer and the Escaping Gas	100
12	11.16.2023	Experiment 11	That’s Cool	100
13	11.30.2023	Experiment 12	What a Flame!	100
14	12.07.2023	Presentation	Student Presentations	105
5 attendance/participation points for each class session				70
Total Grade Goal				1400

LABORATORY POLICY:

Attendance for each laboratory experiment is MANDATORY. You will be allowed one excused absence for the semester*. Any subsequent absences will result in a grade of zero for that experiment. If you are more than 10 minutes late for lab you will not be allowed to complete the experiment. This will count as your one excused absence for the semester. NO MAKE-UP labs.

One lab with the lowest score will be dropped.

All cell phones must be turned off while in the class. Any students who disrupt the class will be asked to leave.

In the first day of lab, you will be require to have:

•          Chemistry 101 “Inquiries into the nature of matter” virtual Laboratory Manual available for purchase on TOPHAT platform or online bookstore.  

•          Carbonless Copy Laboratory Notebook 50 pages – Introductory chemistry lab notebook – for purchase at Shakespeare bookstore across Hunter College or online at hunter bookstore.

•          Calculator

•          Safety glasses (available at Hunter College bookstore or any hardware store)

1. Academic Integrity Statement: “Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty.  The College is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.”
2. ADA Statement: “In compliance with the ADA and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational access and accommodations for all its registered students. Hunter College’s students with disabilities and medical conditions are encouraged to register with the Office of AccessABILITY for assistance and accommodation. For information and appointment contact the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1214 or call (212) 772-4857 /or VRS (646) 755-3129.”
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   1. Sexual Violence: Students are strongly encouraged to immediately report the incident by calling 911, contacting NYPD Special Victims Division Hotline (646-610-7272) or their local police precinct, or contacting the College’s Public Safety Office (212-772-4444).
   1. All Other Forms of Sexual Misconduct: Students are also encouraged to contact the College’s Title IX Campus Coordinator, Dean John Rose ([email protected] or 212-650-3262) or Colleen Barry ([email protected] or 212-772-4534) and seek complimentary services through the Counseling and Wellness Services Office, Hunter East 1123. CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct Link: http://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/la/Policy-on-Sexual-Misconduct-12-1-14-with-links.pdf”