CHEMISTRY 101: Preparatory Chemistry

Course Syllabus: Fall Semester 2017

Instructor: Dr. Ewa Stec Email: estec2@uic.edu

Office: 4346 SES Office Phone: 312-413-3364
Office Hours: MWF 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm or 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm in 4346 SES

Blackboard Course web site: http://blackboard.uic.edu/

CHEM 101 Preparatory Chemistry (32940) 2017 Fall
CRN: 32940 MW 4:00 – 4:50 pm A1 Lecture Center
plus one quiz (CRN 32941) F 4:00 – 4:50 pm A1 Lecture Center & one discussion class

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisites: To enroll in Chem 101 students must have adequate performance on the UIC
chemistry placement examination.

Registration: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture-Discussion, one

Lecture and one Quiz.

Disability accommodations: Students with disabilities who require accommodations for

access and/or participation in this course must register first with the Office of Disability Services
(ODS). Please contact ODS at 312-413-2183 (voice) or 312-413-0123 (TTY).

ADD/DROP course: Last day for late registration is Friday, September 8th. This is also the last
day to drop the course and not receive a W grade. Last day to drop course with college
approval and receive a W grade is Friday, November 3rd. See your college advisor for further
details.

Final Examination: Final exam will be cumulative and will be given as per university schedule
for the day and time during finals week.

Course Materials:
Required Items:
1) On-line homework: The on-line homework for this class will be with SaplingLearning. It
is available through the Sapling website at http://www.saplinglearning.com/login.

2) Textbook: Practice of Chemistry: Sapling Learning Edition by Wink, Donald J.; Fetzer-
Gislason, Sharon; McNicholas; Sheila D. ISBN 978-1-943405-48-0

The textbook is currently being sold at the UIC bookstore in two different formats:
• Hardcover text - ISBN 978-1-943405-48-0
• Access card for eBook with Sapling Learning - ISBN 978-1-943405-22-0
Sapling Learning Integrated The Practice of Chemistry (Sapling Edition) and
Online Homework (Full Year Access)
There is also:
• Stand-alone Access Card for Sapling Learning Intro Chem (Full Year Access) -
ISBN 9781319081089

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 3) i>clicker: The i>clicker is an electronic student response system used in lectures. The
unique i>clicker number on back must be registered on blackboard under student
tools. The registration itself is free. Either i>clicker1 or i>clicker2 may be used with this
course. It is available from UIC bookstore, other students, or on-line. Be sure to check
delivery time when purchased on-line. Note: i-clicker usage will begin the second week
of class.

4) Inexpensive Scientific Calculator with capability of exponential notation display along

with function keys for yx , xth root of y, log x, antilog x, ln x and inverse ln x. Calculators
with programming and plotting capability are not required for this course. Linear
regression capability will be helpful.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The class consists of two components: class lectures and small class discussion sessions.

Lectures: There are three lectures a week. Students are expected to attend all lectures and
thus are responsible for all class handouts and announcements, as well as all material and
problems discussed in lecture. Some course information will be posted on the blackboard site
along with some of the lecture materials. Do not rely on blackboard to have all lecture
information. Lecture notes are written with verbal descriptions in mind and are not written as
stand alone study guides. Lectures are open to student questions which strongly help clarify
lecture material. Exam topics reflect lectures and historically final grades strongly correlate to
lecture attendance.

Discussion Sessions: Discussion sessions are scheduled once a week with a TA. Attendance
is mandatory and TAs will keep track of who is present or not. In a smaller class room setting,
there is opportunity for more interactive discussion. So you are to take advantage of that and
keep these sessions interactive with your TA. Bring your questions to your session. Let your
TA know what you need help with.
In these sessions your TA will:
! address students’ questions
! demonstrate solving chemistry problems with discussion worksheets
! review some lecture material and tests

Please note, TAs cannot possibly cover all lecture material in discussion. So they should focus
on your needs. Let them know what you need help with in these classes. You will complete your
discussion worksheets prior to class and then review them during discussion class.

HELPFUL STUDY TIPS

Read the textbook material before the lectures and don’t hesitate to ask questions to the
instructor in lecture, to your TA in discussion, or to any TA at the Science Learning
Center (SLC is located at 201-B SES). The best students often ask the most questions during
or just after lectures and discussions. Review any uploaded lecture notes prior to class and take
notes during the lecture. Writing improves memory retention so note taking is very important. Go
over the material as soon as possible after the lectures and re-do example lecture problems on
your own without viewing the solution.

Also, the Sapling homework is tutorial in design and helps students learn. The Sapling
homework is a crucial learning component in the course. Problem solving practice should be a

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major part of your study habits. You learn chemistry best by doing it (problem solving and
labs) not just by reading or listening about it. The Sapling homework will help enhance
problem solving skills covering the same topics as that on exams and quizzes.
Forming study groups is very helpful and I encourage students to study together. Don’t wait to
ask questions until the day before the test or quiz. The best students often ask questions during,
or after lectures and discussions.

Take advantage of the Science Learning Center (SLC) located at Room 201-B SES. The
room is designated as a study and help center for all general science students at UIC and has
helpful resources for you. It opens on the first day of the second week of classes. You may
come here to study on your own or with other students. In addition, teaching assistants are
available throughout the week to help you. There are also computers with tutorial and graphing
software available as well as Internet connection for Sapling homework. It is an excellent
place to study either on your own or with a study partner.

In addition to the SLC, there are a number of free tutoring services at UIC such as:
Math Sciences Learning Center http://www.math.uic.edu/mslc/?sid=main
UIC Writing Center http://www.uic.edu/depts/engl/writing/resources/
UIC Honors College http://www.uic.edu/honors/learning/tutoring.shtml
African American Academic Network (AAAN) http://www.uic.edu/depts/aaan/tutors.php
A full list of academic services for students may be found at
http://www.uic.edu/uic/studentlife/learning/index.shtml

There is also the Academic Center for Excellence (referred to as ACE) which helps students
achieve their academic goals by helping students strengthen their academic skills, offering
study strategies, and providing other counseling services. Students are advised on numerous
skills such as time management, controlling test anxiety, lecture note-taking, reading
comprehension, and math strategies. More information on ACE along with helpful strategies can
be found at http://www.vcsa.uic.edu/MainSite/departments/ace/home/strategies.htm or calling
(312) 413-0032.

General student counseling services are available as well at no cost for all UIC students by
calling the Counseling Center in the Student Service Building at (312) 996-3490. You may seek
free and confidential services from the Counseling Center (www.counseling.uic.edu). In
addition to offering counseling services, the counseling Center also operates the InTouch Crisis
Hotline from 6-10:30 p.m. They offer support and referrals to callers, as well as telephone crisis
interventions; please call (312) 996-5535.

Public Computer Labs are available throughout campus where you may write and/or print out
your work. For a list of labs and the hours they’re open, go to <www.accc.uic.edu/pclabs>.
NOTE: Do not wait until the last minute to print out papers. Sometimes labs have long lines of
students waiting for access.

GRADING ASSESSMENT

Examinations: There will be three examinations during the semester and one final examination.
The final exam will be cumulative. All exams will be based on lectures, homework, and practice
problems. Makeup exams will not be given for undocumented reasons. In case of exam
conflicts with university functions such as sports etc., written documentation is needed for
alternate arrangements. Note that University regulations require that, if you foresee missing an
exam for religious reasons, you must notify the instructor within the first two weeks of the

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semester. If you cannot attend an examination session, you must provide written documentation
of the reason and if the reason is acceptable to the instructor, an alternative time on that same
day will be determined. If you miss an exam without a pre-approved excuse from the
lecturer you will receive a zero grade for that test. No exam will be dropped. All in-term
exams and the final exam will count toward the final grade earned in the class.

If an hour exam is missed due to serious illness or injury and formal documentation is provided
to the instructor, a grade will be assigned for that exam based on other examinations, including
the final. An example of formal documentation would be a signed doctor’s note.

If you miss two exams and/or the final exam with an excused absence, you will be given an
Incomplete.

Exam dates are as follows:

EXAM 1: Friday, September 22nd

EXAM 2: Friday, October 13th
EXAM 3: Friday, November 10th
FINAL EXAM: During Finals Week as per UIC Final Exam Schedule

The in-term exams will be returned in discussion section and reviewed by your TA in class. Any
exam considered for re-grading should be given back to your TA before leaving the
discussion class on that day. So check your answers and point additions at the time you get
the test back. Be aware that exams are copied and saved, and will be checked as part of
the re-grading process by the TA.

Quizzes: There will be 7 quizzes given in this class. Quizzes will be given in lecture. Each
quiz will typically cover lecture material from prior weeks. Details on content will be given in
lecture prior to the quiz. An unexcused, missed quiz will receive a grade of zero.

Pop Quizzes: Pop quizzes may be given throughout the semester. These quizzes are
unannounced, and no makeups will be given. Performance on pop quizzes may be used to
determine final grades in borderline cases. For example, a student with a high C (such as a
79 %) in the course who has performed well on pop quizzes may have his/her grade raised to a
low B (80 %).

Homework: Homework assignments will be given in order to enable a better understanding of

the concepts discussed in lecture. Homework will be done online using Sapling. Registration
instructions are available on my Blackboard site. Announcements about the Sapling homework
will be given in lectures. It is imperative to realize that it is not possible to complete an
assignment in one day. It is best to work on part of it every day. Also, plan your time
accordingly so that you have adequate internet access to complete online homework by
the deadline. The cutoff for homework submission is 11:55pm on the due date. Late
submissions (penalty or not) are not accepted after the hard deadline.

i>clicker: i>clicker is a remote audience response system where students input answers to
questions given during lecture. Students may use i>clicker1 or i>clicker2. I>clicker sessions will
take place several times a week during lectures. For each session, students will get one point
for participating in the session and one point for having at least 50 % of questions answered
correctly. I-clicker points are capped at 30 points for the semester. Students must register
their i>clickers on the class blackboard site so the responses collected in class can be

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identified to individual students. You may use the same i>clicker in other classes but be
aware the registration method may be different in other classes. For this class, i>clicker points
can be verified on blackboard grade center.

Grading Point System: Final grades are determined from the total points acquired from exams,
quizzes, i-clicker points, discussion session attendance, and homework. The number of points
possible is shown below.
GRADING SCHEME

7 quizzes @40 points 280 points

3 exams @100 points 300 points
Final @200 points 200 points
15 HW @10 points* 150 points
Clicker points≠ 30 points (capped)
Discussion section attendance 24 points (capped)
(2 points per week)
TOTAL 984 points
*
Homeworks are grades out of a maximum of 10 points per week, normalized with respect to the
number of problems. Hence, a homework set with 20 questions will get 0.5 points per problem;
a homework set with 25 questions will get 0.4 points per problem. Students will get 5 attempts at
a problem, with 5% of the score deducted for each attempt or for each hint used to solve the
problem.
≠
Clicker points will be assigned as one point for attempting any of the clicker questions in a
given lecture and one point if a student gets 50% or more of the problems correct. Note that at
least 20 of the lectures will have clicker questions. Clicker points are capped at 30 for the
semester.
Final course grades will be calculated on an 90% = A, 80% = B, etc. scoring. Given 984 points
available, this means that an A will require 885 points, a B will require 787 points, a C will
require 689 points, and a D will require 590 points. A grade of “C” or better is required to
advance to Chemistry 122.

On the Thursday of the 9th week of the semester, you will be able to view midterm grades via
Student Self-Service. The midterm grade is an indicator of your class performance thus far and
should be taken seriously. Students should keep all exams, worksheets, and quizzes until the
end of the semester in order to keep track of grade points. However, they may and should
review grade points with their TA to discuss their grade status.

COURSE POLICIES

Email: Please use your uic email addresses only for communication with your instructor or TA.
Polite emails will be responded to as quickly as possible. The turnaround time for a reply is
usually 24-48 hours during the week. If a couple days pass and you have not received a reply,
please resend the email. Email is not an appropriate way to ask complicated chemistry
questions. Use office hours or arrange a time to see your instructor or your TA – the earlier the
better. Grades will not be discussed over email either; make an appointment with the professor
or TA for such matters.

Classroom Etiquette: Students are expected to understand and adhere to basic standards of
classroom etiquette based on the following key principles:

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 • Students are expected to arrive for class on time so that their professor may start and
end the class according to the scheduled course timeframe.
• Students are expected to remain in the classroom for the duration of the class.
• Students are expected to refrain from activities unrelated to class material, such as
browsing the web, disruptive eating, and holding side conversations.
• Students are also expected to turn off cellular devices that may generate disruptive
noise during the class.

Academic Dishonesty: Any form of academic dishonesty will result in an immediate failing
grade. You are encouraged to work together on homework and to form study groups, but all
work submitted must be your own. Any student caught cheating on an exam or quiz in any way
will be failed immediately. Plagiarism is not tolerated. Any work handed in that is not your own
will result in at least a zero grade and, at my discretion, a failing grade for the course. If two or
more students hand in the same work, both students will receive a grade of zero. All students
need to do their own online homework. Having another individual do your online homework is
another example of academic dishonesty and generally correlates with lower scores on quizzes
and exams. In addition, for any instance of academic dishonesty, further action will be
discussed with the department and the Dean.

Grievance Procedures: UIC is committed to the most fundamental principles of academic

freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity involving students and employees.
Freedom from discrimination is a foundation for all decision making at UIC. Students are
encouraged to study the University's “Nondiscrimination Statement”. Students are also urged to
read the document “Public Formal Grievance Procedures”. Information on these policies and
procedures is available on the University web pages of the Office of Access and Equity:
www.uic.edu/depts/oae.

CAMPUS SECURITY

As a UIC student, you've chosen to live in one of the nation's largest cities. But, as at any
university, crime is a reality. At UIC, we are strongly committed to our public safety programs,
and we encourage students to be proactive in learning what programs and services are
available in case of an emergency. You are DISCOURAGED from staying in university buildings
alone, including lab rooms, after hours and are ENCOURAGED to use the POLICE/STUDENT
patrol escort if you are uncomfortable traveling anywhere on campus. You may request an
escort to accompany you to your campus destination on foot by calling 312-996-2830, and
between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am you can dial the Red Car service (312-996-6800) if you are
alone and need to leave the building. Through Red Car, the university has established a safe
evening transportation service for university employees, students, visitors, and other authorized
individuals. The car travels between university facilities within the following general boundaries:
Clinton Street on the east; Western Avenue on the west; Jackson Boulevard on the north; and,
16th on the south. This service is available only to individuals possessing a valid UIC i-card. The
i-card is required to ensure the safety of the driver and other passengers. Consult the following
for more information: http://www.uic.edu/uic/studentlife/campus/safety.shtml
Also you can subscribe your cell phone to receive text message alerts. An immediate SMS text
alert will be sent in case of a serious crime in progress, a weather emergency, or other urgent
situation. (http://sms.accc.uic.edu). Finally, by dialing 5-5555 from a campus phone, you can
summon Police or Fire for any on-campus emergency. You may also set up the complete
number, 1-312-355-5555, on speed-dial on your cell phone. For more information contact:
http://www.uic.edu/uic/studentlife/campus/emergency-information.shtml

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 CHEMISTRY 101: PREPARATORY CHEMISTRY Fall 2017
Course Schedule with references to The Practice of Chemistry, Sapling Learning Edition
Week Monday
Date
1 Introduction; elements
8/28 and compounds 1.1-1.2
2 LABOR DAY
9/4 No class
3 Recording Measurements
9/11 2.2 and begin Algebraic
Variables and Formulas;
M.1
4 Units of Measure (metric
9/18 conversions), 2.3
5 Lewis Structures, 3.2
9/25
6 Polyatomic ions 3.3;
10/2 Oxidation numbers 3.4
7 Measuring and counting
10/9 in substances 4.3
8 Molar mass 5.1
10/16
9 Empirical and molecular
10/23 formulas 5.4
10 Predict products- 6.2
10/30 Synthesis/decomp rxns,
Intro to balancing rxns
11 Counting in Reactions—
11/6 More Balancing 7.1,
Mole stoichiometry, 7.2
12 Limiting Reactants and
11/13 Yields, 7.4
13 Molarity and
11/20 Stoichiometry, 8.2,
Quiz 6 (Chapter 7.2-7.4)
14 Acids and Bases in
11/27 Water-11.1
15 Molarity of Acid- Base
12/4 Mixtures, 11.3, pH 11.4
*Final Exam – Scheduled during final week (Dec 11-15) in accordance with UIC final examination
schedule
Dr. Ewa Stec
Wednesday
Atomic numbers and the
periodic table 1.3
Finish 1.5 and begin Methods
of Measurement, 2.1
Algebraic Variables and
Formulas: M.1; Direct
Proportions: M.2
Molecules in Chemistry, 3.1
Lewis Structures, 3.2
Density 4.1
Moles and counting 4.4
Multiple conversions and
chemical amounts 5.2
Chemical properties and
changes 6.1
Displacement and Oxidation-
Reduction Reactions, 6.3
Mass Stoichiometry, 7.3
Limiting Reactants and
Yields, 7.4
Molarity and Stoichiometry,
8.2
Reactions of Acids and Bases, Quiz 7 (Chapter 8.1-8.2,
11.2
The pH of acid-base mixtures Review
11.4
Friday
Physical properties and
states, 1.4, and start of The
Periodic Table, 1.5
Finish Methods of
Measurement, 2.1
Quiz 1 (Chapter 1)
Working with Exponents,
M.3
Quiz 2 (Chapter 2.1, 2.2,
M.1)
Exam 1 (Chapters 1, 2,
M.1-M.3)
Binary ionic compounds,
3.3
Percentage & other ratios
4.2
Quiz 3 (Chapter 3)
Exam 2 (Chapters 2.3, 3,
4.1-4.3)
Percent composition, 5.3
Recognizing reactions, 6.2
Quiz 4 (Chapter 4.4, 5)
Finish Redox Reactions,
6.3
Quiz 5 (Chapter 6.1-6.2)
Exam 3 (Chapters 4.4, 5,
6, 7.1)
Solutions and Molarity, 8.1
THANKSGIVING
No Class
11.1), Molarity of acids
and bases, 11.3
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