Professor: Department
Semester: Spring and Summer
Catalog Description: This course provides an introduction to basic concepts in chemistry and instruction in the use of instruments, including gas and liquid chromatographs, electronic balance, visible spectrophotometers, and pH meters. Topics covered include chemical properties, identification and separation of substances, atomic structure, elements and compounds, gases and solutions, acids and bases, and amino acids and proteins.
Credits: 3, Lecture: 2 hours, Lab: 2 hours
Prerequisites: None

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Explain the difference between elements, compounds, and mixtures and apply this knowledge to qualitative questions.
• Understand the theory explaining the experimental separation of mixtures and demonstrate this understanding using various chromatographic lab techniques.
• Explain and understand the qualitative and quantitative nature of the metric system, scientific notation, and significant figures and use this knowledge in solving problems directly related to the science of chemistry.
• Solve mathematical problems using the technique of dimensional analysis.
• Understand the Mole concept and associated calculations.
• Explain the meaning of chemical formulas and predict the formula of binary compounds.
• Explain what a solution is, how it is formed, and what the different parts are.
• Understand the concept of concentration and solve problems on molarity and % concentrations.
• Explain the structure of atoms at the subatomic particle level and understand the Bohr Model of the atom and use it to explain experimental behavior of atoms in spectroscopy and chemical reactions.
• Explain the behavior of light energy and its effects on matter using spectrophotometry and demonstrate this understanding during several experiments using various modes of spectrophotometry.
• Explain how atoms bond together based on their atomic structure and explain the difference between ionic and covalent bonding.
• Understand the definitions of acids and bases, how they interact, pH, and buffers.
• Draw Lewis structures or simple organic molecules and their molecular shapes.
• Explain hydrogen bonding and its effects on the properties of molecules, specifically water and DNA.
• Explain the formation of proteins from amino acids and the different levels of protein structure and their effects on the properties of proteins.

At the end of this course the student will have mastered the following laboratory techniques:

• Paper chromatography
• HPLC
• Gas chromatography
• Column chromatography
• Visible spectrophotometry
• UV spectrophotometry
• Titration
• Pipette usage
• pH meters
• Use of lab balances
• Keeping a lab notebook

Course Outline:

1. Matter and Substances
   1. Pure substances
   2. Mixtures
   3. Analyses
2. Chromatography
   1. General principles
   2. Paper chromatography
   3. Gas chromatography
   4. Liquid chromatography
3. Measurements
   1. Metric system
   2. Conversions (dimensional analysis)
   3. Scientific notation
   4. Significant figures
   5. Computer graphing
4. Phases of Matter
   1. Gases and gas pressure
   2. Temperature
      1. Liquids
      2. Solids
      3. Phase changes
      4. Freezing
      5. Vaporization and boiling
5. Types of Matter
   1. Elements (atoms and atomic weights)
   2. Compounds and molecules
   3. Periodic tables and chemical symbols
   4. Chemical formulas and molecular weights
   5. % composition
6. The Mole Concept
   1. Definition
   2. Conversion between mass and moles
7. Solutions
   1. Solute and solvent
   2. Solubility and saturation
   3. Concentration
   4. Molarity, % by weight, % by volume
   5. Dilution
8. Light
   1. Waves
   2. Electromagnetic spectrum
   3. Spectrophotometry
   4. Beer’s Law
9. Atomic Structure
   1. Electrons, protons, and neutrons
   2. Bohr’s Model of the atom
10. Chemical Bonding
    1. Ionic
    2. Covalent
11. Chemical Reactions
    1. reactants and products
    2. Acid- base reactions
    3. pH
    4. Buffers
12. Molecular Structures
    1. Lewis structures
    2. Molecular shapes
    3. Polarity
13. Intermolecular Attractions
    1. van der Waals Forces
    2. Hydrogen bonding
14. Proteins and Polypeptides
    1. Amino acids
    2. Peptide bonds
    3. Protein structures

Required Materials:

• Bound lab notebook with carbon copy page (see bookstore on campus)
• Scientific calculator

This course is taught by various members of the chemistry department staff.

This course will provide students with hands-on experience with some of the laboratory techniques and instrumentation that they will encounter in the real world as they enter the work force. It provides students with the theory they need to understand the principles behind these techniques and build a basic chemical information background needed for other science courses they will be taking.