Chemistry 330: Introductory
Inorganic Chemistry
Spring 2007
TR 9:30-10:45, SIMS 302
Instructor:
Dr.
Robin Lammi
Office:
Sims 212A
Phone:
323-4946
E-mail:
lammir@winthrop.edu
Office Hours:
MW
Textbook:
Inorganic Chemistry,
2nd ed., Housecroft and Sharpe
Course Objectives:
·
To gain a
detailed understanding of covalent, metallic and ionic bonding, and the
properties of molecules and compounds formed by these interactions.
·
To learn more
about reactivity of inorganic compounds, including acid-base,
oxidation-reduction, and non-aqueous chemistry.
·
To understand
the organization of the Periodic Table and use it to explain chemical
properties.
·
To investigate
one element in detail and make a presentation to the class.
·
To appreciate
the breadth and diversity of inorganic chemistry, with discussions of topics
such as semiconductors and nanotechnology, industrial catalysis, and
bioinorganic/medicinal chemistry.
Outline:
Unit
I: Electronic Structure and Covalent Bonding Models (Review, 5 lectures):
Chapter 1,
Chapter 4 (Sections 4.1-4.3)
Unit
II: Metallic and Ionic Bonding; Solid-State/Materials Chemistry (5 lectures)
Chapter 5,
Chapter 27 (selected topics)
Unit
III: Inorganic Reactivity: Acid-Base, Oxidation-Reduction and Non-Aqueous
Chemistry (7 lectures)
Chapter
6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8 (selected topics)
Unit
IV: Chemistry of the Transition Metals: Coordination Compounds, Bioinorganic
and Organometallic Chemistry (5 lectures)
Chapter
19, Chapter 20 (Sections 20.1-20.3), Chapters 28, 23, and 26
(selected topics)
Unit
V: Chemistry of the Elements: Student Presentations (3 lectures)
Grading:
The
assignments for this course and their respective point values are shown
below.
Problem
Sets 100
Quizzes
(4 x 25) 100
Exams
(3 x 100) 300
Research
Paper 100
Presentation
50
Final
Exam 200
Total 850 points
Course
grades will be determined from the total points earned. The following grading scale is guaranteed;
grade cut-offs may be adjusted lower depending on class performance. A: 88-100; B: 76-87; C: 66-75; D: 56-65;
F: <56
Textbook Problems and Problem Sets:
Your
textbook contains a large number of problems intended to help you learn the course
material: worked examples, self-study questions, and mid-chapter and
end-of-chapter problems. The answers for
nearly all of these are provided, either with the questions or in the back of
the text. For each chapter, I will
identify a number of end-of-chapter problems that I think should be especially
helpful. I suggest that you work
these and as many others as possible as we cover material in lecture; then,
check your answers and seek help with those problems you missed.
In
addition, I will give a few (non-textbook) problem sets for each chapter,
which will be collected and graded, as announced in class.
I
encourage you to work on textbook problems and problem sets in small groups,
and to seek help early and often!
Quizzes:
Four
quzzes will be given in class during the course of
the semester, each worth 25 points.
Tentative dates are shown on the schedule.
Exams:
Three
100-point midterm exams and a cumulative final worth 200 points will be
given on the dates below.
Exam I Thurs., Jan. 25th 9:30-10:45
Exam II Tues., Feb. 20th 9:30-10:45
Exam III Tues., Mar. 27th 9:30-10:45
Final Exam Tues., May 1st 8:00-10:30
If
you will be unable to take an exam at the scheduled time due to participation
in a University-approved activity (such as an athletic meet), you must make
arrangements in advance to reschedule.
If you are absent on the exam date without prior approval and do not
provide a written doctor’s excuse (or proof of other personal or family
crisis), you will receive a zero for that exam.
You
must take the final exam in order to pass the course.
Research Paper and Presentation:
Each
student will prepare a 7-10-page research paper on the chemistry of an element
and give an 8-10-minute presentation to the class.
Topic – due by Feb. 1st: Each student must identify an element AND one or two specific
issues on which to focus. The paper
and presentation should each include a general overview of the element’s
chemistry and an in-depth discussion of the chosen issue(s). In order to ensure variety in presentations, only
two elements may be chosen in each group of the Periodic Table. I will pass around a sign-up sheet in class.
Sample
elements and topics:
·
Lithium –
chemistry of lithium ion batteries
·
Calcium – role
of Ca2+ in muscle response
·
Thallium –
medical imaging of radioactive tracers
Outline – due by Apr. 3rd: Each student must turn in outline of his/her paper
that describes the content to be discussed in as much detail as possible. This is the only formal opportunity for
students to receive feedback on this project prior to submission of the final
paper. As such, the more detail that is
included, the better.
Paper – due by Apr. 19th: Papers should be 7-10 pages in length, with 1”
margins and 12-point font. At least
three references (books, journals, magazines, web sites, etc.) must be
cited. In-text citations should be
marked with superscript numbers; sources should be listed in numerical order
(in the order they are cited) at the end of the document.
Presentation – Apr. 12th,
17th, or 19th: Presentations should be 8-10 minutes in length and should aim to teach
the class (and the instructor!) about the chemistry of the element
studied. Material from student
presentations will appear of the final exam. Students may choose the presentation format
(e.g. PowerPoint presentation, demonstration/experiment, game show, debate,
etc.) Please inform me in advance of any
chemical or audiovisual needs.
Attendance:
Students
are expected to attend all class meetings and are responsible for all course
material and assignments regardless of absences.
Getting Help:
I
encourage you to see me before or after class or stop by my office with
questions about lecture material and/or assignments. Feel free to come during the office hours
listed above and/or make arrangements to meet outside of office hours.
Students with
Disabilities:
Academic Integrity:
Any
instances of academic misconduct will be dealt with as outlined in the Student
Conduct Code (Sect. V), found in the Student Handbook (p. 35).