This is the course syllabus for Chemistry 120, the inorganic chemistry class at UC Merced.
A note about printing this page: Please don’t. This page will be at this URL long enough to share with your children and grandchildren. You don’t need a paper copy of it.
Instructor: Professor Erik Menke
Class Room and Hours: KL 217, MWF 9:30-10:20
Office: Science and Engineering, Room 358
Office Hours: Drop by my office any time if you have questions or concerns. If I don’t have time to talk, we can schedule a time. In addition, I will be available from 9:30-11 am, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at the Lantern Café in the library.
Contacting me: In addition to visiting my office, you can reach me by e-mail or leaving a message on the UCMCrops website for the class.
Course description and objectives: This is a one semester course that covers the fundamentals of chemical behavior for elements throughout the periodic table. In particular, we will discuss chemical bonding, the structure of solids, acids and bases, and redox chemistry. This will be followed by an introduction to molecular symmetry and group theory, with a focus on understanding transition metal complexes. Finally, we will end with an overview of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.
Expected student learning outcomes: By the end of the semester you should be able to:
-Describe an element’s properties based on its position in the periodic table.
-Predict the stability and reactivity of atoms and molecules.
-Predict the shape and spectra of transition metal complexes.
Relationship to program learning outcomes: CHEM 120 enables student mastery of PLO 1, Fundamental skills and knowledge, by exploring topics that were introduced to students in CHEM 2, CHEM 10, and CHEM 8. CHEM 120 also enables student development of PLO 3, Communication and teamwork, by having the students write short summaries after each class, explain concepts to the class, and work in teams on a final project. Finally, CHEM 120 introduces students to the role that inorganic chemistry plays in industry, which is related to PLO 4, Citizenship, ethics, and the role of chemistry in society.
Required Text: Inorganic Chemistry, by Shriver, Weller, Overton, Rourke, and Armstrong (6th Edition), ISBN# 1-4292-9906-1
Prerequisites: Chem 8 and Chem 10.
Class Policies: The number one rule is to respect the time of everybody in the class, including the instructor. Ultimately, I believe that this is the only rule we should need, but it is rather vague. To help overcome the vagueness of said rule, here are some examples of what this covers:
-Refrain from using cell phones in class (this includes texting or having the ring volume above vibrate).
-Refrain from talking out of turn.
-Do not tease, taunt, or belittle others.
-Anything that someone else reads (e-mails, papers, message posts, etc.) should be legible, with proper grammatical structure and spelling.
Academic Integrity: This is a topic that I take very seriously. While I understand that shortcuts are attractive, they very rarely end up helping in the long run. Dishonest practices, like cheating and plagiarism, typically prevent you from understanding the material, which is ultimately why you are here in school. A full description of the University policy, as well as the judicial process and potential penalties, can be found on the student life website. Students should be familiar with the University policy as anyone caught violating the policy will be dealt with harshly.
Disability Services: A disability should not impede learning. To this end, UC Merced provides a number of options to help people with disabilities succeed in their academic career. If you have a disability, I encourage you to contact the University Disability Services Office to find out how they can help. You can find out more information on their website, e-mailing them at disabilityservices@ucmerced.edu, or calling them at 209.228.6996. In addition, please let me know so that we can take measures to ensure that it has a minimal effect on your ability to understand the material.
Class structure: This class has a format that is different then most. Each class has been broken down into six sections. For the first five minutes of the class, you will individually work on a problem set that I will give you at the start of class. After those five minutes, you will form groups and spend ten minutes discussing your solutions to the problem, as well as to identify any confusion or misunderstanding. The next ten minutes will be a class discussion of the problem, followed by a fifteen minute lecture by me introducing a new topic. The remaining ten minutes of class will consist of five minutes of individually working on a new problem related to the topic I just introduced, followed by five minutes for you to write a very brief (2-3 sentence) summary of that day’s class.
Grading: Your grade in this class will be based on five sources, according to the following percentages:
3 in-class exams @ 12.5% each = 37.5%
1 final exam @ 12.5% = 12.5%
1 video project @ 9.375% each = 9.375%
Homework @ 25% = 25%
Group/class participation @ 15.625% = 15.625%
The grading will follow a standard 10 point scale (100 - 90 = A, 89 - 80 = B, 79 - 70 = C...), with any +/- to be left for the instructor’s discretion.
Exams: There will be three in-class exams and a comprehensive final, each worth 12.5% of your overall grade. There will be no make-up’s allowed for missed exams. If you miss an exam and have a legitimate excuse (i.e. doctor’s note or equivalent) the other exams will be renormalized to make up the point difference.
Exam schedule:
Exam 1: Friday, October 2nd.
Exam 2: Friday, November 6th.
Exam 3: Friday, December 11th.
Final: Wednesday, December 16th.
Video project: Each of you has been assigned to a group with an avatar that is an important chemist. To learn more about these chemists, each group will propose and create a 10 minute video that describes some aspect of this person’s work.
Video project schedule:
Short overview due Monday, October 5th.
Descriptive outline due Monday, November 9th.
Video due Thursday, December 17th.
Homework: Three homework problems (see class schedule) will be due at the beginning of each class. Two of the problems will be related to the topic presented in the previous class, while the third will be on the topic to be presented in the second half of that class. Each problem will be worth 3 points, with a correct answer receiving 3 points, a valiant but incorrect answer receiving 2 points, and minimal effort receiving 1 point. In addition, you will receive 1 point for simply turning the homework in, so that each assignment is worth a total of 10 points.
Participation: As there is a large portion of this class that involves discussion, your participation will be graded. This grade will be based on two components. The first component will be the class summaries that you will write and turn during the final five minutes of class. The second component will be based on the group and class discussion during the first half of the class.