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Use whereby to video-conference in the scienceheaven virtual room.

Syllabus/ Week-at-a-Glance

Image Credits:
Nanocar ball-and-stick model in banner retrieved from: http://news.rice.edu/2015/12/14/rice-to-enter-first-international-nanocar-race/

Nanocar with fullerene wheels in banner by Materialscientist at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16454593

Glucose ball-and-stick model retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/pathway-most-atp-per-glucose-molecule-608200

Course Overview

The purpose of this course is to assist you in linking principles you already learned in general chemistry to more advanced concepts as they will actually be applied in the organic chemistry course you will take as a sophomore in college. You will review and apply, (1) most of the concepts delineating atomic/ molecular structure, and how these structures are represented by the various models; such as ball and stick, Lewis structures, Hawthorne structures, Newman projections, and dash-wedge notation, (2) chemical bonding and the implications for charge separation, polarity, and species reactivity, (3) how to write reaction mechanisms using curved arrows; (4) acid-base chemistry; and (5) understand and describe the ten elementary reaction steps. Through assigned readings, problem sets, online discussions, quizzes, home experiments, molecular simulations and exams, you will gain many of the prerequisite skills necessary to examine simple reactants and reaction conditions, and predict products.

Instructional Strategy

Since this is a blending learning "flipped" course, you are expected to spend considerable time outside our face-to-face meetings, learning course content. Whenever we start a new chapter it is recommended you do the following in order:
  1. Print out the Chapter homework and have it at your desk whenever watching the videos or reading the textbook.
  2. Read the class webpage in its entirety, so you are oriented with respect to what was covered in the past week, and what is coming up in the next week.
  3. Watch the videos for each section BEFORE reading the textbook. Answer questions from the Chapter homework as we address them in the videos.
  4. Use the course textbook as a backup, in the event you don't understand everything to your satisfaction from watching the videos or class discussions.
  5. Before coming to classes, make sure you have completed every item on the Check-off List of Things to Do.
  6. Always bring Chapter homework with you to class, so you can ask questions on problems you do not understand.
  7. If you have any questions on a particular problem - please feel free to post in the class Discussion Board - perhaps a peer can assist you, in fact, I would encourage this kind of dialogue with one another.
  8. All assignments unless otherwise noted will be collected in class, and returned upon grading and posting in class, or in student mailboxes.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
  1. Using valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory, indicate the bond angles along with both electron and molecular geometry of organic species.
  2. Examine organic species to determine whether angle strain is present in any of the bonds.
  3. Apply the rules for dash-wedge notation by re-drawing organic species, provided only the Lewis structure or chemical formula.
  4. Identify the various intermolecular interactions between solvent molecules (ion-ion, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, London dispersion forces, etc.) when provided a Lewis structure of the solvent particle.
  5. Examine organic species to determine how many potential H-bond donors and H-bond acceptors are present.
  6. Compare a pair or trio of organic molecules and determine which would have the highest boiling point.
  7. Examine a potential solvent and solute pair, and determine solubility by identifying their intermolecular interactions.
  8. Arrange an array of different organic molecules, ranking them in order of boiling points.

Course Materials

  1. Organic Chemistry - Principles and Mechanisms (1st Ed.) text by Joel Karty
  2. Study Guide and Solutions Manual to accompany Organic Chemistry - Principles and Mechanisms by Joel Karty and Marie M. Melzer
  3. Ryler Enterprises Organic Chemistry Molecular Modeling Kit (ORG-1) - I will provide this for you
  4. Download the app, Quizlet, on your phone, so you can study functional groups and reaction conditions
  5. Binder (at least a 2-inch ring capacity), along with about 20 dividers for each chapter in the text.
  6. Paper for taking notes.
  7. Scientific calculator - need not be a graphing calculator.

Information Technology Requirements

  1. Internet access for watching videos, taking online quizzes, and checking the mars-hill-press.com website.
  2. Printer for printing out worksheets, exams, laboratories, and other assignments.
  3. Email account for correspondence with the instructor and other students.
  4. Microsoft Word 2016 for typing out laboratory reports.

Contact Me

  • For questions concerning technical support for the course website or videos, drop an email to: [email protected], allowing 48 hours for response.
  • For questions regarding clarification on an assignment, assistance with a homework problem, please post this to the Discussion Board - other students may benefit from learning the answer to your question!
  • If you require further assistance outside of classroom hours, please feel free to email me to schedule a video conference using the Whereby app, and the scienceheaven virtual classroom.