For students interested in the sciences, engineering or medicine, either Chem 130 or Chem 210/211 can be their starting point. Students who have had a strong course in high school (which may include AP credit in chemistry) are advised to start in Chem 210 and 211, the laboratory course that accompanies it. Chem 130 is recommended for all other students. Section 400 of Chem 130 is reserved for students who would benefit from a smaller lecture section and more frequent contact with both senior faculty and teaching assistants.
Students who have had little or no laboratory work in high school should plan to elect Chem 125 with Chem 130. Other students electing Chem 130 may postpone laboratory to a subsequent term.
105/AOSS 105. Our Changing Atmosphere. (3). (NS). (BS).
This course considers the science needed to understand human-induced threats to the atmospheric environment, with special emphasis on the global changes that are taking place, or are anticipated. We will discuss the greenhouse effect (and its impact on climate), ozone depletion, the polar ozone holes, and urban air pollution. Some basic meteorology will be presented, including how climate changes might affect the frequency and severity of hurricanes and tornadoes. Students will have access to real-time weather information via computer. This lecture course is intended for non-science concentrators, and there are no prerequisites. Grades will be based on three one-hour exams (no final exam) and homework. Cost:1 WL:1 (Samson/Wu)
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108/Geol. 130/Phys. 119. The Physical World. High-school algebra. (4). (NS). (BS). (QR/2).
See Geological Sciences 130. (van Keken)
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125. General and Inorganic Chemistry: Laboratory. To be elected by students who are eligible for (or enrolled in) Chem. 130. No credit granted to those who have completed Chem. 211. (2). (NS). (BS). Laboratory fee ($60) required.
This laboratory course can be elected with, or following, Chem. 130. It is intended that students planning to enroll in Chem. 130 that have had little or no previous chemistry laboratory enroll concurrently in Chem. 125. The focus of this guided inquiry laboratory is to foster critical thinking that allows students to design, perform, and interpret experiments. In addition, the student acquires technical skills that are required for further advancement in experimental sciences. Although an ability to collect and analyze data in a quantitative manner is developed, the emphasis of the course is to provide a qualitative understanding of the basic concepts of chemistry. This is accomplished by demonstrating that chemical principles are derived from experimental data. The goal is to provide students both with a more accurate picture of the scientific process and also with skills that are relevant to solving real life problems. Much of the course work is done as a member of a team. Student groups each explore the same problem with each group using different reagents and/or conditions. A networked computer system is used to collect, pool, and summarize the largely qualitative class data. Student groups address questions which require them to organize the class data using commercial graphing software. Group answers are presented in discussion.
The format of the course is organized into three sections. Pre-laboratory reading and questions are completed prior to each multi-period project laboratory. A one-hour lecture provides support for the topics and problems that will be investigated in the laboratory. The second component is performance in the laboratory where team data are shared, analyzed, and evaluated. The third begins in the first hour following completion of each multi-period project lab where groups communicate their findings during a student-led discussion. There are two one-hour written examinations, scheduled for Tuesday evenings, that constitute 30% of the grade. The remaining 70% of the grade is based on the points acquired in laboratory. Refer to the Time Schedule for examination dates and times. Cost:2 WL:2
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130. General Chemistry: Macroscopic Investigations and Reaction Principles. Three years of high school math or Math. 105; one year of high school chemistry recommended. Placement by testing, or permission of Chemistry department. Intended for students without AP credit in chemistry. (3). (NS). (BS). (QR/2).
This General Chemistry course is intended to satisfy the one-term chemistry requirement for students interested in science, or as a natural science elective for non-science concentrators. This course may also be used as the first term in a four or more term chemistry sequence (probably 130, 210/211, 215/216, 260/241/242, etc.) for science concentrators and pre-professional students.
Chemistry 130 provides an introduction to the major concepts of chemistry, including the microscopic picture of atomic and molecular structure, periodic trends in the chemical reactivity, the energetics of chemical reactions, and the nature of chemical equilibria. Students will be introduced to the fundamental principles of modern chemistry, the descriptive chemistry of the elements, and to the underlying theories that account for observed macroscopic behavior. In Chem 130, students will learn to think critically, examine experimental data, and form generalizations about data as chemists do. Chem 130 will meet three times each week in lecture sections with senior faculty (the intensive section will have four lectures a week), and once a week in small group discussion classes led by graduate student instructors. Lecturers and teaching assistants will have scheduled office hours for after-class help, and computerized study aids will be available to all students. Course grades will be determined from discussion class evaluation, three one-hour examinations (Tuesday nights), and a final examination. See Time Schedule for examination times and dates.
The intensive lecture section (Section 400) is intended for those students who would benefit from a smaller lecture section (maximum 100 students) and more lectures so that the pace is slower and there is more feedback. Placement by LS&A testing or permission of the Chemistry Department (1500 Chemistry) is needed for enrollment in this section. Cost:4 WL:2
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210. Structure and Reactivity I. High school chemistry. Placement by examination during Orientation. To be taken with Chem. 211. (4). (NS). (BS).
Chemistry 210 is the first course in a two-term sequence in which the major concepts of chemistry are introduced in the context of organic chemistry. Emphasis is on the development of the capacity of students to think about the relationship between structure and reactivity and to solve problems in a qualitatively analytical way. This course is a particularly good first course for students with AP credit in chemistry, Honors students, and other students with a strong interest in chemistry and biology. The course has three lectures with the professor and one hour of discussion with a graduate student instructor per week. There are three hour examinations (Tuesday nights) and a final examination. See Time Schedule for examination times and dates.
NOTE: This course is linked to Chemistry 211. The recitation sections for Chemistry 210 and the corresponding laboratory sections for Chemistry 211 are listed together in the Time Schedule under Chemistry 210. Students must elect both Chemistry 210 (for 4 credits) and Chemistry 211 (for 1 credit). Cost:3 WL:2
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211. Investigations in Chemistry. To be taken with Chem. 210. (1). (NS). (BS). Laboratory fee ($67.50) required.
Chemistry 211 is a laboratory introduction to methods of investigation in inorganic and organic chemistry. Students solve individual problems using microscale equipment and a variety of techniques such as thin layer chromatography, titrations, and spectroscopy. The course consists of a four-hour laboratory period with a teaching assistant under the supervision of the professor. Students keep laboratory notebooks, which also serve as laboratory reports. Grades are based on performance in the laboratory and the laboratory notebooks.
NOTE: This course is linked to Chemistry 210. The recitation sections for Chemistry 210 and the corresponding laboratory sections for Chemistry 211 are listed together in the Time Schedule under Chemistry 210. Students must elect both Chemistry 210 (for 4 credits) and Chemistry 211 (for 1 credit). Cost:1 WL:2
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