CHEM1214 General Chemistry 2

Spring 2018 STUDENT GUIDE

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Ed Witten

BEST WAY(S) TO REACH ME:
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Phone: (617) 373-4508
CLASS TIME: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:30 – 11:35
Room: 102 ISEC
REQUIRED TEXTS:
No New Textbooks are required this semester, if you bought them last semester.
Chemistry, An Atoms Focused Approach Gilbert et al (2nd Edition, WW Norton, 2014):
General Chemistry Laboratory Manual, Witten (1st Edition, Kendall-Hunt, 2006):
ISBN 0-7575-3220-7
SmartWork Access code (comes with new text at bookstore or from publisher) can be purchased
separately directly from publisher ($25) Publisher’s website is www.wwnorton.com
The course code is 45878
Laboratory Research Notebook
If you bought a new copy of the text or the ebook last semester your SmartWork access will
work and a new access code will not need to be purchased. If you do not know your code I
should be able to add you to the course.

A subscription to Top Hat in class management system. You should have received an email from
them. It is best to buy the year subscription. If you bought the year subscription in the fall it
should still be good.

Laboratory Research Notebook

Textbook Purchase Options

(1) Buy a new copy of the book at the bookstore.

(2) Buy the book directly from the publisher. To do this go to wwnorton.com click on
textbooks click on chemistry click on the above book and click on see all options.

The direct link is:

books.wwnorton.com/books/webad-detail-editions.aspx?id-4294993785

There are 4 options (all come with SmartWork):

Paperback $143.63
Loose Leaf $118.13
Hardcover $168.75
E-book $75.99
Stand alone SmartWork is $25.00??? Available from the publisher

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WiFi based response system for the lecture. Top Hat (you can use your Smartphone)

INTRODUCTION
CHEM1214 is the second of a two-semester sequence of college chemistry courses for
students majoring in the biological and physical sciences (Biology, Premed, Geology, Physics,
Pharmacy, Behavioral Neuroscience). It is a 4 SH course with three 65-minute lectures, one 65-
minute recitation session (CHEM1216), There is also a required lab (CHEM1215) that meets for
up to three hours each week. You must be registered for CHEM1214, CHEM1215 and
CHEM1216. However, you will receive separate grades for CHEM1214 and CHEM1215.
CHEM1216 is a recitation, it has no credit and your grade for it is integrated into your lecture
grade (CHEM1214).
Success in the course requires an understanding of basic chemical principles and the
ability independently to solve problems related to them. The math in these problems is
essentially basic algebra. If you are weak in algebra, then you should seek help immediately (see
WHERE TO GET HELP SECTION). Remember: the best way to improve your math skills is to
use them, and the best way to use them is to do the Smartwork homework problems listed at the
end of this Guide.
It is important that you keep up with the reading and the assigned end-of-chapter
questions and exercises. That means reading the relevant pages in the text before they are
covered in lecture. It is important that you read actively, pausing to think about the material in
each section, answering the homework problems to the best of your ability, and writing down
any questions you have so that they can be answered in lecture, recitation session or Chem
Central. When you do homework assignments, use your textbook to learn about the concept that
is the basis of each problem. You should plan to spend about two hours studying and doing
homework for every hour of lecture.

LEARNING GOALS

Develop an understanding of the following aspects of chemistry:

1. Students should be able to explain the concepts of enthalpy, entropy, and free energy
and use it to solve problems and relate it to everyday occurrences..
2. Students should be able to understand reaction rates, and determine how the extent of
reaction relates to the time elapsed and how a mechanism is related to the rate law.
3. Students should be able to explain the concept of equilibrium, the equilibrium constant,
solve problems using the concept of equilibrium.
4. Students should be able to determine whether a substance is an acid or base, write acid
base reactions, understand how a buffer solution works and explain the concept of pH.
5. Students should be able to balance oxidation reduction reactions and relate these
processes to electrochemical data.
6. Students should be able to name simple organic compounds, identify functional groups
and relate organic chemistry to biochemical processes.

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 COURSE STRUCTURE

1. Mid-Term Exams (100 points each, 45% of course grade): There will be three mid-term
exams. There are no make-up exams. The midterm exams will count for 45% of your total grade.
The format of the hour exams will be part multiple choice and part free response.

The grade you earn on the final exam will replace your lowest mid-term grade. If the grade on
final exam is higher. If you miss an exam the grade on the final will replace the missed exam.

2. Final Exam (250 points, 25% course grade): In December there will be a cumulative two-hour
final exam covering all topics discussed in the course. Note: It is possible that the Final Exam
will be held on Friday April 27 at 3:30 PM. You should plan to take the Final Exam at this
time. There will be a common final for all sections of 1211 (not including the Honors section).
This exam will be all multiple choice.

3. Recitation (Discussion) Sessions (100 points): The recitation carries the course number
CHEM1213. The purpose of recitation is for you to ask questions about the homework
assignments and lecture material. Ten-minute quizzes will be given during recitation sessions
except during the weeks of mid-term exams. The difficulty and format of these quizzes will be
comparable to exam problems. If you miss a recitation session for a medical or other valid reason,
see your recitation instructor. It is your responsibility to safeguard all of your exams and returned
quizzes for future reference, study and questions related to grading. You need to be registered for a
recitation section that is associated with your lecturer. You must attend one of the recitation
sections listed below.

DAY TIME ROOM CRN Section Instructor

Monday 9:15 425 HA 30058 13 Tom Stracensky
Tuesday 11:45 002B 34786 16 Martin Komani
Knowles
Tuessday 1:35 109 RB 30325 8 David Zhao
Tuesday 3:25 015 SL 30331 1 David Zhao
Wednesday 9:15 425 HA 30012 15 Tom Stracensky
Wednesday 4:35 210 SH 30327 4 Martin Komani
Thursday 4:35 210 SH 30330 3 Tom Stracensky
There will be two components of your recitation grades. Quizzes and attendance

There will be a weekly quiz in recitation it will count as 10% of the your overall course grade. The
lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

4. SmartWork (150 points) Among the key skills to success in any discipline are critical
thinking and problems solving. Honing these skills takes practice. That is where homework comes
in. There will be 10 required homework sets to be submitted using the interactive on-line
homework system SmartWork. Each assignment consists of approximately 20 problems selected
from those at the end of each chapter. You may work alone or with friends (the latter is
encouraged). You may use your textbook, notes, Google, the staff in Chem Central, etc.when
working on the assignments
For mathematical problems, students will have unlimited tries with no loss of points.
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 For multiply choice questions, students will lose points for each attempt if they do not get it
correct on the first attempt.
Your homework will be completed on-line and graded by SmartWork. Due dates will be
announced in class and are posted in SmartWork for each chapter. Due times will always be 11:59
PM for the day listed (most likely a Sunday night). After the due date time, the SmartWork link
will disappear for the assignment and no further submission for that chapter is possible.

To access SmartWork, register as a “first time user” at digital.wwnorton.com/atoms2

Click on “Create an account”. Fill out the fields and click “Create my new account”. You will
need:

A. a valid email address that will serve as your student ID.

B. For this course CRN30061 the student set code is 45878.
C. a registration code. The registration code is included in new copies of the textbook
If you buy a used textbook, you will have to purchase the access to SmartWork
separately from the publisher.
5. Lecture Quizzes (50 points, 5% of course grade): During most lectures there will be a
questions asked that can be answered from a mobile device such as your cell phone. These
quizzes probe your understanding of concepts covered in that lecture. You are allowed
(encouraged actually) to collaborate with other students before submitting your final answer.
There may be several questions asked in each class. Also attendance may be used instead of a
quiz. You must be physically present during class to get credit for this activity.

6. Extra Credit (20 points, 2%) There are two ways to get extra credit.
10 points (1%) for turning in the last SmartWork assignment.
10 points (1%) if 95% of a class does a TRACE evaluation.

7. Office Hours: Both your professor and recitation instructor will be available to help you
in Chem Central (Room 115 HT) during their posted hours. Chem Central will open the week of
September 11th.

8. Missed Work: You are responsible for all material covered and all announcements made in
lecture and recitation classes even if you were absent. If you miss all or part of any class, find out
from a classmate what you missed. Most announcements will be posted on Blackboard. Lecture
notes are also posted on Blackboard.

9. Registration: Your name must be on the official Registrar's list for you to receive a grade. If
your name is not on this list go immediately to the Registrar's office (271 Huntington Ave) to
have your name added.

10. Withdrawal: To withdraw from the course, your Professor must sign a withdrawal form. After
the third week (September 26th), withdrawing results in a W grade on your transcript. After the
class ends (December 7th) no withdrawals are allowed. Absence does not guarantee automatic
withdrawal. Any student who does not withdraw formally and has an unexcused absence for the
Final Examination will receive an F. Before deciding to withdraw you should ask your academic
advisor about the consequences of doing so. Withdrawal is not a good idea.
Medical Withdrawal: From time to time students are forced to withdraw from the university or
classes for the term for medical reasons. Should you have medical issues, you should consult
your advisor to determine the best option for you. If you have shorter term medical issues you
should still contact your advisor for best options. They will inform all your professor’s (usually
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through We Care) about your absence and will help you to find solutions to make up your missed
worked.

11. Incomplete: To get an incomplete (I) grade, you must have a passing grade for the work
already done. An incomplete will not be given for work missed because of unexcused absences.
To have an excused absence, you must have a medical reason documented by the Northeastern
health service or a physician, or you must present an acceptable reason in writing to your
Professor. You have one year to make up the missing work and clear an incomplete. You must
also fill out an Incomplete-Grade Contract (www.northeastern.edu/huskyid/form-inc-grade.pdf)
indicating how and when you will be making up the incomplete and get this form signed by your
Professor and by the College of Science Dean’s Office. Otherwise you will need to retake the
entire course to get a passing grade. Incomplete grades are a bad idea.

12. Blackboard

Blackboard is an on-line course management system that supports all courses at Northeastern
University. It is designed to provide a convenient method of posting announcements,
assignments, grades etc. You will have access to the Blackboard site for all courses you are
enrolled in through your myNEU account. Please check this site regularly for information about
CHEM1211. Please keep in mind that the site will be updated as frequently as possible bit it may
take a day or two for grades to be posted. Only students enrolled in CHEM1211 have access to
the CHEM1211 site. Grades are strictly confidential – you will not be able to see anyone else’s
grades nor will your grades be visible to anyone else in the class.

13. Academic Integrity

For general questions concerning plagiarism and other issues of academic integrity, please refer
to the NU policy located at http://www.northeastern.edu/osccr/academic-integrity-policy.

14. Student With Disabilities

Students who have disabilities who wish to receive academic services and accommodations
should follow the procedures developed by the Disabilities Resource Center (DRC):
http://www.northeastern.edu/drc/getting-started-with-the-drc.
GRADING SYSTEM

GRADE COMPONENT POINT VALUE

Hour exams 134 pts each

Discussion Session 150 pts

Smartwork Homework 150 pts

Lecture Quizzes 50 pts

Final Examination 250 pts

TOTAL 1000 pts

Assignment of Letter Grades

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 930, 900 pts A-, A

870, 830, 800 pts B-, B, B+

770, 730, 700 pts C-, C, C+

670, 630, 600 pts D-, D ,D+

< 600 pts F

Plus/minus grades Instructor discretion

WHERE TO GET HELP

1. Chem Central: The Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology has set up an academic
assistance center for students in General Chemistry courses. The center is located on the first
floor of Hurtig Hall (115 HT). It is open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
The Center is staffed by faculty and teaching assistants (TA’s) who will assist you with whatever
problems you are having in this course. For example, if you are having difficulty with a
homework assignment, bring your work to Chem Central and someone will help you. If you and
several friends like to do your homework together, Chem Central is a place where you can do
that, too. If you are having difficulty with a lab you can get help with that in Chem Central as
well. Traditionally Chem Central has served as a location for one-on-one and group assistance as
well as a study space. Staffed hours are posted on the door of 115 HT at the beginning of each
semester.

2. Your Recitation Section Instructor: Your first source of help is in the weekly recitation section
that you are enrolled in. Please attend the one you are scheduled for. Hopefully you will have a
chance to ask questions but given the size of a recitation section (30 – 40 students) you may find
yourself with unanswered questions. Your recitation is the person who is primarily responsible
for individual help. In addition to providing guidance during weekly recitation meetings, your
recitation instructor also holds weekly office hours in Chem Central. As subject-matter experts,
your recitation instructor can provide alternative explanations for difficult material, effective
problem-solving strategies and helpful tips to guide your Chemistry studies.

3. Your Professor: Your professor will list specific times when he/she is available for individual
help (in Chem Central). Your professor is happy to assist you with any aspect of the course,
including lecture material, assessment, homework problems, lab related questions and
learning/study strategies.

4. Free Peer Tutors: Northeastern University offers a free peer-tutoring service to all students
taking required courses. Tutors are distinguished undergraduates who have successfully
completed the course for which they are providing assistance and have been trained according to
the certification guidelines of the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).
Headquartered in 101 Lake Hall, peer-tutoring appointments can be arranged by visiting their
website:
http://www.northeastern.edu/csastutoring.

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The Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department (102 HT, 617-373-2383) keeps a list of
graduate students who are willing to tutor students for a fee. Each tutor determines the cost for
their services.

SMARTWORKS ASSIGNED PROBLEMS (TENTATIVE)

THESE PROBLEMS MUST BE TURNED IN TO BE GRADED BY SMARTWORKS.

CHEM1214 Online Homework Due Dates (Too be announced)

Assignment 1 (Chapter 11) Properties of Solutions: Their Concentrations and Colligative

Properties

Assignment 2 (Chapter 12) Thermodynamics: Why Chemical Reactions Happen

Assignment 3 (Chapter 13) Chemical Kinetics: Clearing the Air

Assignment 4 (Chapter 14) Chemical Equilibrium: Equal But opposite Reaction Rates

Assignment 5 (Chapter 15) Aqueous Equilibrium: Proton Transfer in Biological Systems

Assignment 6 (Chapter 16) Additional Aqueous Equilibria: Chemistry and the Oceans

Assignment 7 (Chapter 17) Electrochemistry: The Quest for Clean Energy

Assignment8 (Chapter 19) Organic Chemistry: Fuels, Pharmaceuticals, and Modern Materials

Assignment 9 (Chapter 20) Biochemistry: The Compounds of Life