General Chemistry 003
Fall 1998
 

Prof. Michael T. Pope
636 Reiss
687-6253
popem@gunet.georgetown.edu

Prof. Diana C. Glick
602F Reiss
687-5961
glickdc@gusun.georgetown.edu

Prof. Hossein Razavi
razavih@gusun.georgetown.edu

Textbook: Brown, LeMay, Bursten, "Chemistry, The Central Science", 7th ed., Prentice Hall 1997

Laboratory Manual: Nelson, Kemp, "Laboratory Experiments",Prentice Hall 1997

CD Rom: (Optional) "Interactive Chemistry Journey"

Two Lectures, two Recitations, and one 3-hr Laboratory per week.

Course Homepage

http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/popem/chem3home.htm

This contains (so far)

General Information about the Course
Lecture Schedule and Homework Assignments
Laboratory Schedule
Laboratory Safety Rules
GU's Honor System and Chem 003
 

Successful completion of a General Chemistry course requires only that you study regularly, and can recognize when you have fully understood a particular topic. As in all science courses, material presented later in the course can only be understood in terms of earlier material. To this extent all General Chemistry Examinations are cumulative. All of us, lecturers and Recitation/laboratory instructors, are her to help you learn the material in an ordered fashion, but your success ultimately depends on you.
 

The main rule is: prepare for each lecture by reading the assigned sections of the text, and prepare for each lab by reading the experiment/hand-out and completing the study questions assigned.
 

Lectures and Recitations

The lectures will emphasize the important or more difficult topics, and will introduce some material not covered in the text. I shall assume that you have read the assigned parts of the text before you come to class, and will not necessarily spend time in lecture covering material that is quite straightforward. Questions of a general nature during lecture are encouraged, but, given the large size of the class, specific detailed questions are best handled by e-mail, in office hours, or in Recitation.

The Recitations will be used for reinforcement and drill on specific tasks related to the course: problem-solving, nomenclature, formulas, equation-writing and -balancing, etc.

About once a week a short (20-min) Quiz will be given during recitation. The timing and topics of the quizzes will be pre-announced. The recitation instructors may also use some time to discuss forthcoming laboratory experiments.
 

Homework Assignments

These are given on the lecture schedule. They are for your guidance and will not be collected or graded (although some may be included in the Hour Exams). Answers and solutions are available in the back of the text and in a Solution Book on reserve in the Blommer Library.
 

Laboratory

For your first laboratory you should come prepared to purchase a Breakage Card ($30 cash or check) which is used to obtain locks and Safety Goggles, and to pay for anything you may break during the year. You will be able to redeem what is left on your breakage card when you check out of the Laboratory.

The 3-hr laboratory periods (new this year) should provide sufficient time to complete the experiment(s) assigned and to write up (and calculate) the results and answer the post-lab exercises during the laboratory period.

Examinations and Grades

There will be three "Hour" Exams (from 8:30 to 10:05 am) on September 28, October 26, and November 23; a 2-hr Final (December 14), and Recitation-administered quizzes given approximately once a week. We shall try to construct (and grade) exams and quizzes so that you can estimate your progress on the following scale:
 

90's A, A-

80's B+, B, B-

70's C+, C, C-

60's D+, D

<60 F
 

The course grade will be based on the average of the three hour exam grades (E), the Final (F, weighted 150%), the laboratory grade (L), and the quiz average (Q), i.e.
 

Final Grade = (3E + 1.5F + L +Q)/6.5
 

If you miss an examination due to an unscheduled emergency, no Make-up examination will be given, and the Final examination grade will be weighted 250% towards your final grade.
 

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