Syllabus for CHE-112

GENERAL CHEMISTRY II

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Chemistry is a science that deals with the composition, structure, and properties of substances and with the transformations that they undergo. It is the "study of change."

In this, the second of a two-semester general chemistry sequence, we explore intermolecular forces and liquids and solids; physical properties of solutions; chemical kinetics; chemical equilibrium; acids and bases; chemistry in the atmosphere; entropy, free energy, and equilibrium; electrochemistry; metallurgy and the chemistry of metals; transition metal chemistry and coordination compounds; organic chemistry; and synthetic and natural organic polymers.

At the atomic and molecular level, chemistry is a very abstract subject, but the study of atoms and molecules is fundamental to understanding life itself, since all matter is made up of atoms and molecules. Through practical examples and applications, we hope to explain not only the abstract concepts of chemistry but also how we come to know and understand those concepts in real-life contexts.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Relate intermolecular forces of compounds to physical properties of solids and liquids.
2. Calculate the concentration of solutions in different units.
3. Relate the kinetic molecular theory to the rate of reactions.
4. Explain the concept of dynamic equilibrium.
5. Determine the change in chemical equilibrium based on Le Châtelier's principle
6. Calculate the pH of strong and weak acids and bases and buffers.
7. Apply the solubility product principle in calculating solubility of solids.
8. Explain the three laws of thermodynamics and their relationship to chemical reactions.
9. Calculate the electromotive force of electrochemical cells.
10. Explain the band theory of conduction in metals.
11. Explain the properties of transition metals and coordination compounds.
12. Relate organic and selected biochemical compounds to living organisms.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following required textbook to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

COURSE STRUCTURE

General Chemistry II is a three-credit online course, consisting of six (6) modules. Modules include learning objectives, study materials, and activities.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to complete six (6) online quizzes, participate in five (5) Group Activities, and take two proctored examinations—a midterm and a final. See below for more details.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Online Participation

Online participation in General Chemistry II counts 15 percent toward your final grade in the course. In addition to an ungraded Introductions Forum in module 1, you are required to participate in five (5) graded online Group Activities.

Group Activities focus on problem solving, which is at the heart of studying and learning chemistry. The Group Activities in this course provide an opportunity for you to test your analytical and computational skills within an interactive group setting, where you can benefit from the help of your classmates and share your understanding of chapter concepts. These activities take place in two phases: group problem solving (or group work) and posting your own solutions to selected problems.

Deadlines for posting draft solutions in the Group Work Forum and for posting worked-out solutions in the Solutions Forum are given in the course Calendar.

Phase 1: Group Work

Phase 1 (Group Work) involves group problem solving and discussion. Participation in group work entails posting draft solutions to four problems from the textbook and discussing them with other group members in the activity’s Group Work Forum.

Phase 2: Posting Solutions
Phase 2 (Posting Your Solutions) involves posting the solutions to the problems you selected, discussed, and worked out in phase 1. Participation in phase 2 entails posting your worked-out solutions in the activity’s Solutions Forum.

Online Quizzes

In lieu of homework or written assignments, General Chemistry II requires you to take six (6) online quizzes—one quiz for each module. These quizzes count 35 percent toward your final grade in the course. They are timed assessments (maximum from fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on the number of questions). Quizzes 1–5 consist of 20–25 multiple-choice questions; Quiz 6 consists of 10 multiple-choice questions.

To prepare for the quiz and work on your answers in advance, use the practice quiz provided in each module. The practice quiz contains the same questions as on the graded quiz only in a different order and with answers scrambled. On completing the practice quiz you will receive a report telling you which questions you answered correctly or incorrectly. You may take the practice quiz as often as you like, without any time limit.

Please set aside sufficient time to complete the quiz without interruptions. Deadlines for taking quizzes are given in the course Calendar.

Examinations

You are required to take two (2) proctored online examinations: a midterm exam and a final exam. Both exams require that you use the College's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.

Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.

Midterm Examination

The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and consists of thirty (30) multiple-choice questions and three (3) problems. The exam covers all reading and assignments from modules 1–3 of the course. You are permitted to bring a scientific (nongraphing) calculator. Programmable calculators are not permitted in examinations.

Final Examination

The exam is 2½ hours long and consists of fifty (50) multiple-choice questions. It covers all reading and assignments from modules 4–6 of the course. The exam is open book, but not open notes. You may use your course textbook and a scientific (nongraphing, nonprogrammable) calculator. You may not use your notes or any other reference sources. The use of blank scratch paper for doing calculations is permitted during online test administrations.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:

1. Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find an answer.
2. Copying and pasting or, in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your exams. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
3. Plagiarizing answers.
4. Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take an exam.
5. Copying any part of an exam to share with other students.
6. Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at an exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

1. Group activities (5)—15 percent
2. Online quizzes (6)—35 percent
3. Midterm exam—25 percent
4. Final exam—25 percent

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a nonarea of study course), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

3. Arrange to take your examination(s) by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.

4. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

2. Check Announcements regularly for new course information

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

1. Cheating
2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
3. Fabricating information or citations
4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > "Citing Sources.")

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else's. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.