Chemical Science for Engineering Study Guide

Learning Objectives GER outcomes: GER courses provide “students with a broad body of knowledge” (UWM Fac. Doc. 1382, p. 2, II, par 1). This course carries the GER natural sciences distribution designation because it prepares students to achieve the following three learning outcomes. Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to: 1. Understand and apply the major concepts of a natural science discipline, providing insights into its breadth and its relationship to other disciplines; 2. Explain and illustrate the relationships between experiments, models, theories and laws; and, 3. Demonstrate an understanding of the process of generating and testing of data, and apply this knowledge to the solution of problems. Course-specific objectives: In order to set the GER outcomes within the framework of this course, a set of objectives have been designed to give you a better understanding of what you are expected to learn over the course of the semester, and some indication of how it will be measured as to what degree this has occurred. These will be incorporated through all types of assessments but will be formally measured on the weekly quizzes and hourly exams. In order to prepare for this, certain objectives will be presented each week in discussion with exercises for practice. The examples of how these may be measured are examples ONLY and should not be interpreted as an inclusive ‘checklist’. Objective 1: Understand spatial scale, particularly to the very sizes (on the order of atoms). As an example you should be able to: estimate measurement, conceptualize relative sizes, use measurement tools skillfully, correctly compare numbers, convert measurements and scales, be able to compare specific objects (atoms and molecules, for example) by size and use the atom as a starting point in representing matter and changes. Objective 2: Understand the language of chemistry including naming simple compounds. As an example you should be able to: properly define important key terms, give a name for a chemical formula of a simple compound, give the chemical formula for a name, give the charges and names for the monoatomic and polyatomic ions of interest (these will be specified). Objective 3: Understand the relationship between macroscopic, particle and symbolic representations of matter including atom relationships in molecules and compounds. As an example you should be able to: identify macroscopic vs particle representations, read chemical formula, represent bonding detail in molecules, know that some elements exist as diatomic molecules, and be able to interpret organic chemical formulas from line drawings. Objective 4: Understand the relationship between the composition of atoms and their properties. As an example you should be able to: identify the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons for any isotope or ion, approximate the relative abundance of certain isotopes given the periodic table and additional information (for example, the number of isotopes and the number of neutrons in each), and calculate weighted averages, isotopic masses or relative abundances. Objective 5: Understand the basics of chemical reactions. As an example you should be able to: balance chemical equations, correctly use terms and states of matter and correctly represent chemical formula. Objective 6: Understand the basics of mixtures and chemical reactions involving water as a solvent. As an example you should be able to: define key terms of mixtures, represent solutions on a macroscopic and particle-level and quantitatively represent concentrations. Objective 7: Understand quantitative relationships between substances represented in a balanced Chemical equation. As an example you should be able to: do stoichiometric calculations involving moles, masses, volumes, pressures, particles, and concentrations of reactants and/or products also including limited quantities of a reactant. Objective 8: Understand the basics of the properties and behavior of gases on both the macroscopic and particle level. As an example you should be able to: relate pressure, volume, temperature and amount of an ideal gas, explain the ideal gas law in terms of gas particles, and calculate properties of a mixture of gases. Objective 9: Understand the basics of the modern model of the atom as it applies to to electrons in atomic orbitals as well as writing electron configurations. As an example you should be able to: define key terms, know the rules for relative energy of atomic orbitals, apply Hund’s rule and correctly write electron configurations.. Objective 11: Understand periodicity of certain properties of the elements. As an example you should be able to: define key terms, give periodic trends for certain properties, and give general descriptive chemistry facts. Objective 12: Understand chemical bonding and molecular shape. As an example you should be able to: be able to draw a Lewis dot structure, determine a molecular shape from VSEPR theory, determine molecular polarity and determine bond order. Objective 13: Understand the experimental nature of science. As an example you should be able to: define all components of the scientific method, identify key experiments and the conclusions made (particularly in atomic and electronic theory), and maintain the correct number of significant figures throughout the calculations. In order to measure the degree to which students in this course meet the objectives for this course, the university criterion of understanding and applying the major concepts of a natural science discipline, including its breadth and its relationship to other disciplines will be measured using the final course exam. This final exam will be graded based on correctness of responses and, where appropriate, as supported by student work in problem solving. UW System Shared Learning Goal: This course also meets shared UW System Shared Learning Goal 2: “Critical and Creative Thinking Skills including inquiry, problem solving, and higher order qualitative and quantitative reasoning.” This is met through the course objectives as described previously. Time Spent on the Course: To estimate the time that a student should expect to spend on this course, one can use the standard method of a minimum of 3 hours outside of class for every hour in class. Therefore for a 5 credit course (counting laboratory as only one hour), a student may expect to spend a minimum of 15 hours per week on the course outside of class. This includes studying, reading, doing homework, writing laboratory reports and rewriting class notes. Some notes on studying Learning in this class may come with hard work and dedication. Please remember that much of your learning takes place through your own reading of the textbook, reading of your lecture notes, working problems, and conversations with me, your TA, and your classmates. Please do not expect to learn all of the concepts by attending lecture only. Your teaching team (me and your discussion TA) will work cohesively to present you with learning opportunities. To best use these opportunities, please come prepared. Otherwise much of what is discussed may be confusing or frustrating. I am hopeful that by the end of the semester, you will find that learning chemistry is exciting and rewarding. Here are some tips for success in Chemistry 100: 1. Read the text (on the lecture material for the day) before attending the lecture. 2. Attend lecture, discussion and laboratory sessions. Take these times seriously. Be on time, stay attentive and take notes. 3. Use your lecture notes – how may be very individual to you. This could include recopying or rereading after lecture (the closer to the lecture the better), adding to lecture notes from textbook material, adding problems, or discussing within a study group. Your lecture notes should be considered another source of information for this course (like your textbook). 4. Do as many problems as you are able – more than those assigned. You will probably have to average 3-4 problems a day, seven days a week to be successful in the course. Don’t wait until right before the exam – you will most likely be overwhelmed and unable to properly understand the material. If you have difficulty solving a particular problem, go back to the more straightforward related problems in the text and work them first. Indeed, one of the main purposes of this course is to help you develop your own method of thinking through problems. See your homework as an opportunity to test yourself on your own learning – this will allow you to find where you have succeeded in understanding and where you may still need to work through some concepts. Please do not wait until a quiz or exam to test your learning. See me if you would like help with ways to check your learning. 5. Form a study group or attend the group tutoring sessions – these can be a very effective method of learning. 6. Strive for understanding instead of just familiarity. It may take several attempts to gain the level of understanding that will allow you to articulate and use the models presented in this course. Be patient with yourself! 7. Be proactive! If you are struggling to understand something – seek help. Chemistry builds on previous concepts – without fully understanding one concept, it is very difficult to understand the next concept on which it builds.