Principles of Chemistry I Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

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Administrative Drop Policy

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Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

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The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

CHEM-1311-001 Principles of Chemistry I

Prerequisites

Prerequisites: CHEM 1305-minimum grade of C or high school chemistry; MATH 1314; RDNG 0331-minimum grade of C or a score on a state-approved test indicating college-level reading skills Corequisite: CHEM 1111

Course Description

Fundamental principles of chemistry for majors in the sciences, health sciences and engineering; topics include measurements, fundamental properties of matter, states of matter, chemical reactions, chemical stoichiometry, periodicity of elemental properties, atomic structure, chemical bonding, molecular structure, solutions, properties of gases, and an introduction to thermodynamics and descriptive chemistry.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Text: Chemistry:  The Central Science, 13th Edition, by Brown, LeMay, Bursten

Highly  Recommended book: Preparing for your ACS examination in General chemistry

Supplies

No supplies available

Student Performance

\ STUDENT PERFORMANCE/LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

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\ Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

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1. \ Define the fundamental properties of matter
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2. \ Classify matter, compounds, and chemical reactions.
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3. \ Determine the basic nuclear and electronic structure of atoms.
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4. \ Identify trends in the chemical and physical properties of the elements using the periodic table.
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5. \ Describe the bonding in and the shape of simple molecules and ions.
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6. \ Solve stoichiometric problems.
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7. \ Write chemical formulas.
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8. \ Write and balance equations.
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9. \ Use the rules of nomenclature to name chemical compounds.
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10. \ Define the types and characteristics of chemical reactions.
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11. \ Use the gas laws and basics of the Kinetic Molecular Theory to solve gas problems.
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12. \ Determine the role of energy in physical changes and chemical reactions.
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13. \ Covert units of measure and demonstrate dimensional analysis skills.
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Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Class Conduct:  Please be respectful of the other students in class.  Turn off cell phones/pagers.  Pay attention in class.  Do not be disruptive.  If you arrive late, do not try to go to your accustomed seat, but quietly take a chair close to the door.  If you are causing a disruption in class, you may be asked to leave. 

If there is any evidence of cheating on any homework, quiz, test, or final, you will receive a zero for that item and cannot make it up or replace it and it cannot be dropped. Also according to the Student Rights and Responsibilities document, tobacco and tobacco product use is prohibited inside college buildings.  This includes smokeless products as well as cigarettes, pipes, and cigars.

Please see Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook for further information.

Grade Disputes:  While I encourage you to come to me with questions about answers on assignments anytime, if you wish to dispute a grade or have a grade changed, you must contact me about it within two weeks of the assignment due date or there will be no change to the grade.

Grading Criteria

METHOD OF EVALUATION OF STUDENTS:

The final average will be derived from the following weighted grades: Take home quizzes - 20%, Tests - 50%, Online homework 10% and Final Exam - 20%. Grades are based on 90.00+ = A, 80.00-89.99 = B, 70.00-79.99 = C, 60.00-69.99 = D, and 59.99 and lower = F.

Overall Grade:  It is the students’ responsibility to keep track of their overall grade based on Quizzes - 20%, Tests - 50%, Online homework 10%  Final Exam(ACS EXAM) - 20%.  As an incentive to the students, who do better on the final exam, the lowest test grade will be dropped by the grade on the final exam.

Tests: There are NO makeup exams. If special accommodations become necessary, arrangements must be made BEFORE (at least 24 hours prior) the exam date. The student must receive written approval to take the test other than the date assigned. There are going to be 3 tests.  If a test is missed it will automatically count as a zero, but can still be the dropped grade.  There are NO makeup exams.  Work must be legible and the final answer must be clearly indicated to receive credit. You may not leave the room during a test.

The tests will be taken in the test center

Take home quizzes will be given in the class and will be due on the assigned date

Final Exam: The final exam date will be according to AC schedule.  This will be a comprehensive, multiple-choice exam produced by the American Chemical Society.  You will be informed about the special rules for the final beforehand

Attendance

Attendance in class is expected.  Dropping the course is the sole responsibility of the student.  Failure to officially withdraw will result in a grade of F.  Last day to drop courses is 06/23/2016.

Calendar

Additional Information

\ Reading the Text:  It is vital that you read the text BEFORE the lecture on that chapter.  This will greatly improve your understanding of the topic and therefore your grade.  As there is a large amount of information to cover in this class, not all of it can be covered in the time allotted for class.  You are responsible for the information presented in the text even if it is not covered in lecture and vice versa.

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\ Resources Available:  Additional helpful books are available on reserve on the 4^th floor of the library.  Most resources I have in my office including supplementary texts and additional problems are available for check-out.

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\ Email:  Every student has an account in AConline.  You need to check this several times a week. Announcements, extra credit assignments, grades, and contact will all be made through email on AConline.

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\ Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements, should contact Accessibility Services in  Student Services Room 125 (Phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.        

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\ INFORMATION SHEET/SIGNATURE:  You must fill out and return the attached information sheet.  You must also sign it to signify that you have read and understand the syllabus.  No graded assignments will be returned to you and you will not be shown your overall grades until the signed information sheet is turned in.

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\ ***This syllabus is subject to change.  You will be informed of any changes to the syllabus***