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Chemistry 212 - Organic Chemistry II - Fall Semester 1996
Organic Chemistry
A brief introduction by example
A very simple piece of DNA is shown. Understanding DNA is of
interest to many areas including Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology,
Medicine, ... and of course Philosophy. To begin to understand anything
about this very special molecule we need to analyze the molecule and then
test hypotheses we have come up with.
nomenclature
recognize building blocs and functional groups
properties of building blocs and functional groups
connections between building blocs
polymerization of monomer
3d-stereochemistry of building blocs, monomers, polymers
structure determination
The Four Pillars of Modern Chemisyry
In the modern view of chemistry, Experimentation, Theory & Computing, and
Data Analysis are the three equally important sources of hypotheses and
their testing grounds. The fourth pillar comprises the ensemble of
Learning Methods.
Aristotle (384-322 BC) was very wrong
... we are getting better but beware!
Course Materials
(1) Required Text: Organic Chemistry, Vollhardt, K. Peter C.;
Shore, Neil E.; 2nd ed., W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1994. ISBN
0-7167-2010-8. Cost: $76 text only; $92 text plus study guide.
(2) Optional study guide: Study Guide and Solutions Manual for Organic
Chemistry, Schore, Neil. E., 2nd ed., W. H. Freeman and Company, New
York, 1994. ISBN 0-7167-2572-X.
(Answers to assigned problems will be posted on the Chem212 website and,
if needed, in the Chemistry Department on the 2nd floor by the
elevator). Cost: $30 study guide alone.
(3) Recommended (highly) model set: HGS Molecular Model Set, C Set for
organic Chemistry, W. H. Freeman and Company. ISBN 0-7167-1972-X.
Cost: $24.
(4) Computer software for molecular drawing, modeling & visualization,
and review & self-study will be made available in the computer laboratory
in the Physics Building. This integration of computer-assisted learning
methods into Chemistry 212 is a first and your participation is
voluntary. If you are enrolled in the honors' section of this class, you
will have the opportunity to become involved in the design of
computer-assisted exercises.
Prerequisites
You should be familiar with the concepts and principles covered
in Chemistry 210.
Lectures
It is very important that you come to class well prepared! Do
read the background material before it is covered in class. The lecture
will be much more beneficial to you if you do. One of the advantages of
being well prepared is simply that you need to write much less during the
lecture and, instead, you will be able to follow the lecture
intellectually. After the lecture, read the material again and test
yourself, possibly in small groups. If uncertainties remain, review the
material again or come to office hours.
Discussions - Reviews
If necessary and desired, discussion/review sessions will be
scheduled in the evening in order to fit in with your schedules. These
sessions are intended to serve three purposes: First, further discussion
of the more difficult topics presented in class (not additional
material), secondly, discussions of problems, and - most importantly -
general Q&A and problem solving strategies. Dates will be announced in
class as required.
To encourage discussions amongst yourselves, you will be subscribed
to a Chemistry_212 discussion list. There will be several such lists to
keep the number of subscribers low. Details about the discussion lists
will be given in lecture.
Examinations and Grading
There will be three 1-hour-examinations (100 points each) and a
comprehensive final (200 points). The 1-hour-examinations will focus on
the materials covered recently, but it is expected that you recall the
fundamentals of previously studied chapters. There will be no quizzes.
No grades will be assigned to individual tests. After each
examination you will be given a graph representing the performance of the
class that will enable you to assess your relative performance. After
completion of all of the 1-hour-examinations and before the final
examination, you will be informed regarding the point/grade relation.
Grades are assigned based on the average of the class and the class
distribution. In a previous semester, for example, with a course average
of 59 percent, the following cuts were used: Grade A (14.9%) above 76 %,
B grade (22.6%) above 64 %, C grade (35.1 %) above 50 %, and so on.
Plus/minus grades will be given within this framework. A+ for the top 3
percent.
In concert with the policy of the Department of Chemistry, there
will be no make up exams. If a test is missed for a legitimate reason
(sickness and the like with some type of acceptable written proof), a
score will be determined for this missed test that is based on your
average overall performance. If you know in advance, that you will not
be able to take an exam for a certain reason, talk to the instructor
before the date of that test. If you do miss a test without a legitimate
reason, you will receive a score of zero points for that test.
Honors
An honors' section is available. Option (1): Attend six
Chemistry Colloquia (Fridays, 3:40, Schlundt 103), write brief summaries
of the presentations (one page or less), and hand this report in. Option
(2): Research an area of your interest related to organic chemistry and
write a term paper on it (5-7 pages, double spaced). Option (3):
Explore computer-assisted learning methods and design an exercise. I
favor options (2) and (3). If you would like to pursue either option, get
the required forms from the Honor's College and see me for advice &
approval.
As far as option (2) is concerned, topics that have been selected
in the past include, for example, DNA finger printing, alternative fuel
sources, ozone depletion and so on. I'd be more than happy to help you
with your topic selection and to provide guidance (e.g. literature).
Topics that reflect the impact of chemistry on modern society are
encouraged. You might get some ideas from the New York Times Science
pages or from the Science department of Time magazine.
Option (3) relates to the integration of computer-assisted
learning into Organic Chemistry education. You will be involved in
testing and developing computer-assisted review and self-study
exercises. A typical honors' project would consist in the complete
production of one exercise segment from the conception of an idea to
writing the student guide to the exercise. If you choose this option, I
will instruct you in the usage of software (ChemDraw, Chem3D, MacSpartan)
which you can apply to the design of your exercise. I think this is the
most interesting and exciting option and you will certainly learn a great
deal about chemistry and about computer-assisted teaching & learning
technology.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is fundamental to activities and principles of a
university. All members of the academic community must be confident that
each person�s work has been responsibly and honorably acquired,
developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to
all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The
academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious
matter, with serious consequences that range from probation to
expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or
collaboration, consult the course instructor. Proven academic dishonesty
will be reported to the Provost for Academic Affairs and the student�s
Dean.
Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and need accommodations (for example, extended
testing time, note takers, large print materials), please inform your
instructor privately as soon as possible. In most circumstances,
students with disabilities seeking academic accommodations should also
register with the Access Office, A048 Brady Commons, 882-4696. As
necessary, the Access Office will review documentation about your
disability and about the need for accommodations you are requesting. The
Access office will then assist in planning for any necessary
accommodations.
Excellence is a Habit