Organic Chemistry I

Chemistry 263: Fall 2007

Des Moines Area Community College -- Urban Campus

Building 2, Rooms 202 & 209

 

Instructor:

David Vanderlinden

Office: Building. 1, Room 247

Office Hours: Monday 2:30-4:00; Tuesday 11:00-12:30; Wednesday 2:30-3:30

Thursday (in lab) 1:25-2:20

Phone: 248-7224

e-mail: dwvanderlinden@dmacc.edu

web page: http://www.dmacc.edu/instructors/dwvanderlinden/

 

Texts:

Organic Chemistry, 7th Edition, Francis A. Carey (required).  A study guide and solutions manual is also available but is not required.

 

Napoleon’s Buttons: How Seventeen Molecules Changed History, Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson (required).

 

Lab Manual:

Laboratory handouts will be distributed throughout the semester.

 

Equipment:

Eye protection in the form of safety goggles is required for laboratory exercises.

 

Prerequisites

This course assumes a basic understanding of general chemical concepts such as those covered in a year long, college-level general chemistry course.  CHM 175 or a full year of college level general chemistry is a required prerequisite to this course.

 

Purpose of the course:

            This is the first semester of a one-year sequence covering organic chemistry.  It is designed primarily for students entering fields such as chemistry, biology (including pre-medical and pre-dental programs), physics, pharmacy, and other majors requiring a full year of organic chemistry. 

 

Class Schedule:

            The lecture portion of the class meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (1:25-2:20 pm).  Laboratory experiments will be conducted on Tuesdays (1:25-5:25 pm). The last day to drop a class is Monday, November 5. If you decide to drop a class, you must provide written notification to the Student Records Office (any campus) of your decision. This class will not meet for the following holidays/breaks: Monday, September 3 (Labor Day) and Friday, November 23 (Thanksgiving Break).

 

Grading Policy:

 

A

92% or above

 

C

70% - 74%

 

A-

89% - 91%

 

C-

67% - 69%

 

B+

87% - 88%

 

D+

65% - 66%

 

B

82% - 86%

 

D

62% - 64%

 

B-

79% - 81%

 

D-

60% - 61%

 

C+

75% - 78%

 

F

below 60%

 

 

 

Quiz 1:

Friday, September 14

10 pts.

 

Exam 1:

Friday, September 21

60 pts.

 

Quiz 2:

Friday, October 12

10 pts.

 

Exam 2:

Friday, October 19

60 pts.

 

Quiz 3:

Friday, November 9

10 pts.

 

Exam 3:

Friday, November 16

60 pts.

 

Quiz 4:

Friday, November 30

10 pts.

 

Exam 4:

Friday, December 7

60 pts.

 

Final Exam:

Friday, December 14

(2:30-4:45 pm)

75 pts.

 

Lab Points:

 

120 pts.

 

Pop quizzes/assignments

 

35 pts

 

Participation:

 

15 pts.

 

 

 

(Total = 525 pts.)

The dates of events (i.e., exams) listed above are subject to change.  The instructor will announce any changes at least one week in advance.

 

Accommodations Policy:

It is the policy of DMACC to accommodate students with disabilities.  Any student with a documented disability who requires reasonable accommodation should contact the special needs coordinator at (515) 964-6850 voice or (515) 964-6810 TTY.

 

Attendance Policy:

            Attendance is required and daily active participation is expected.  Points are awarded daily for participation (approximately 1/3 point per day for a total of 15 points for the semester.)  Any absences will result in an appropriate deduction from participation points.  You are encouraged to contact me to determine what material was missed.

 

Pop Quizzes/Assignments:

            Pop quizzes could occur at the beginning of a class period on any given day.  These pop quizzes will focus on material that has recently been covered in class, assigned as reading from the textbook, or scheduled for laboratory activities on the day of the quiz.  To be prepared for pop-quizzes, be certain to review your notes after each class period, keep up to date on reading and practice problems, and read the introduction and procedure for all labs before coming to class.

            Throughout the semester, a few graded assignments will also be given in class.  On some occasions these assignments will need to be completed in class on the day that they are given, on other occasions they will be due during a later class period.  These assignments may pertain to assigned reading, recent lecture topics, or laboratory materials.

 

Laboratory Policy:

            There are required laboratory exercises which will be performed throughout the semester.  Due to the physical make-up of our classroom/lab, it is hazardous to keep excess lab equipment set-up.  Therefore, you are required to be present when a laboratory period is scheduled.  Students not attending lab may not turn in the lab report.  Lab reports are due one week following completion of the lab, with a 10% deduction per week for late lab reports.  If you must be absent for a lab, you will be able to make up credit for one lab report during the week of classes prior to final exams.  This is the only form of make-up credit available.  Out of the 120 lab points, 110 points are allocated to successful completion of reports and 10 points are allocated to appropriate lab etiquette – following safety guidelines, care for lab equipment, working safely, cleaning up, etc.


Quiz Policy:

            There are four scheduled quizzes, which are structured as group quizzes.  Your instructor will assign you to a group containing 2-4 members.  During a quiz, an initial period of time will be spent discussing the questions as a group.  No writing or calculating can be done during this group time, but the members should discuss together the approach which is required to answer the questions.  This will be followed by individual quiz time, when each individual will work independently to complete his/her quiz.

None of the quiz scores will be dropped.  It is expected that you will take these quizzes at the times scheduled; however, if you must miss a quiz for reasons of illness or personal emergency, you must call or e-mail the instructor before the quiz.  Under no circumstances will a makeup quiz be given simply because the student does not “feel ready.”  If you do not contact the instructor before the quiz period, a score of zero will be recorded.  Makeup quizzes must be taken within one week of the scheduled date or a score of zero will be recorded for the missed quiz. 

 

Exam Policy:

            You must take four unit exams and the final exam on the dates indicated.  None of these scores will be dropped.  It is expected that you will take these exams at the times scheduled; however, if you must miss an exam for reasons of illness or personal emergency, it is expected that you will call the telephone number listed above before the exam and leave a message.  Under no circumstances will a makeup exam be given simply because the student does not “feel ready.” If you do not contact the instructor before the exam period, a score of zero will be recorded.  No make-up exams will be allowed.  If you receive approval to be absent for an exam, your final exam percentage will be used to calculate a make-up score (percentage multiplied by 60 points).  You are strongly encouraged to do what is necessary to be present for all exams in order to avoid this situation. 

 

Bonus points:

            Quizzes: If all group members receive at least a 90% on a given quiz, the group members will be awarded 2 bonus points.  Any group member who is absent on the day of the quiz forfeits his/her right to bonus points for that quiz.

            Exams:  Each exam will contain some extra questions for which bonus points will be available.  Bonus points will be awarded for correct answers to these questions and will be added into your total exam points. 

These are the only forms of extra credit available for this course.

 

A note on honesty:

            Science is a field which often relies on collaboration.  During both the laboratory and lecture portion of the class, we will often share ideas and data with each other in order to help clarify what is happening and to more fully describe an idea or concept.  You are free to discuss your laboratory reports with each other, but the work that is submitted must be your own.  On exams, you must rely solely on your own knowledge.  All written work must be in your own words – do not copy from a book, another individual, or any other source.  A first offense of cheating on a laboratory report or exam will result in a score of zero recorded for the project involved (exam, lab report, etc.).  Any further incidents of cheating will result in a failing grade for the course.

Examples (for first offenses): 

  • If two individuals turn in lab reports with the same written response(s), both students will receive a score of zero on the report.
  • If I find a student using unauthorized aid on a quiz or exam, a score of zero will be recorded for that quiz or exam.