CHEM 1100: Chem-Energetics
Goals: To introduce and develop some basic principles of chemistry and demonstrate how they affect humankind and the environment.
Content: Basic principles of chemistry are introduced using a case study method. Topics include the ozone layer, global warming, acid rain, nuclear fission and fusion, nutrition, water as a natural resource, fossil and solar energy, and others. Special attention is paid to the social, economic and political contexts in which society deals with these issues. Models of chemical structure and bonding are developed as well as the basic concepts of thermodynamics, kinetics, and acid-base relationships.
Taught: Annually.
Prerequisite: None. High school chemistry is not required.
CHEM 1100L: Lab: Chem-Energetics
This lab must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 1100 lecture. The lab itself has zero credit value.
CHEM 1130: General Chemistry I
Goals: To introduce and develop the fundamental principles of analytical, biological, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. To provide instruction in fundamental laboratory techniques and to encourage the development of interpretive and problem-solving skills.
Content: Scientific measurement, stoichiometry, energy changes, physical behavior of gases, electronic structure of atoms, periodicity, bonding models including valence bond, molecular orbital and hybridization, molecular geometry, intermolecular forces, properties of solutions, liquids and solids, nomenclature, and chemistry of familiar elements. Gravimetric, volumetric and calorimetric measurements; graphical data analysis. Application of modern spectroscopic techniques to structure determination.
Taught: Annually.
Prerequisite: Higher algebra. High school chemistry is highly recommended.
CHEM 1130L: Lab: General Chemistry I
This lab must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 1130 lecture. The lab itself has zero credit value.
CHEM 1140: General Chemistry II
Goals: To further develop the fundamental principles of analytical, biological, inorganic, physical and organic chemistry. Emphasis on the development of problem-solving techniques. The laboratory focuses on inorganic qualitative analysis.
Content: Spontaneity and rates of chemical reactions; equilibrium involving gases, acids, bases and salts; acid-base theories; titration theory and practice, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, biochemistry, the chemical and physical properties of metals, non-metals and coordination compounds.
Taught: Annually.
Prerequisite: CHEM 1130.
CHEM 1140L: Lab: General Chemistry II
This lab must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 1140 lecture. The lab itself has zero credit value.
CHEM 3240: Analytical Chemistry
Goals: To introduce and develop the theoretical concepts and laboratory practices of quantitative chemical analysis.
Content: Theory and practice in classical analytical methods and instrumentation; emphasis on ionic equilibria and electrochemistry and their relevance to chemical analysis; application of computers and statistics to analytical problems.
Taught: Annually, spring.
Prerequisite: CHEM 1140.
CHEM 3240L: Lab: Analytical Chemistry
This lab must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 3240 lecture. The lab itself has zero credit value.
CHEM 3330: Instrumental Methods
Goals: To develop in depth the theory, scope, and limitations of the most commonly applied instrumental techniques of chemical analysis.
Content: Theory and techniques of infrared, ultraviolet, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas and liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, potentiometry, and other spectral and electrical methods of analysis, emphasizing relations among such factors as noise, resolution, sensitivity, error, and economics; applications of computers to analytical systems.
Taught: Annually, fall.
Prerequisites: CHEM 3240, 3460, and co-registration with CHEM 3940. MATH 1180 and PHYS 1240 recommended.
CHEM 3450: Organic Chemistry I
Goals: To develop a broad understanding of the theoretical concepts of organic chemistry. Molecular orbital theory and valence bond resonance theory are invoked to describe and explain the ramifications of covalent bonding in organic molecules. Thermodynamic considerations of 3-dimensional molecular shape are discussed. Instrumental techniques for the assignment of molecular structure are a key focus. Modern mechanistic theory of organic chemical reactions is developed in detail.
Content: Nomenclature, model building, stereochemistry, mass, ultraviolet, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Mechanisms associated with acid-base reactions, nucleophilic substitution, and nucleophilic addition.
Taught: Annually, fall.
Prerequisite: CHEM 1140 (C grade or better).
CHEM 3450L: Lab: Organic Chemistry I
This lab must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 3450 lecture. The lab itself has zero credit value.
CHEM 3460: Organic Chemistry II
Goals: To further develop the theoretical concepts of organic chemistry and develop plausible synthetic and mechanistic pathways.
Content: Mechanisms associated with elimination, electrophilic substitution, electrophilic addition, free radical reactions, and pericyclic reactions. Chemistries of alkenes, alkynes, aromatics, pericyclic compounds, polymers, proteins and carbohydrates including reactions of intermediary metabolism.
Taught: Annually, spring.
Prerequisite: CHEM 3450.
CHEM 3460L: Lab: Organic Chemistry II
This lab must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 3460 lecture. The lab itself has zero credit value.
CHEM 3550: Physical Chemistry I
Goals: To introduce and develop fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics and demonstrate applicability to real systems.
Content: Quantum mechanics and its application to simple systems; electronic structure of atoms, molecules and the chemical bond; atomic and molecular spectroscopy and symmetry; approximation methods and computations; solids and surface chemistry.
Taught: Annually, fall.
Prerequisites: CHEM 1140 (C grade or better), MATH 3320 or co-registration, and PHYS 1230 or co-registration.
CHEM 3560: Physical Chemistry II
Goals: To introduce and develop fundamental concepts of thermodynamics and kinetics and to further develop problem-solving techniques using advanced mathematical tools.
Content: Thermodynamics, properties of gases, partition functions, phase equilibria, chemical equilibria, solutions and applications to biological systems. Chemical kinetics including rate equations, reaction mechanisms, collision theory, transition state theory and application to biological systems.
Taught: Annually, spring.
Prerequisite: CHEM 3550 (C grade or better).
CHEM 3820: Biochemistry I
(Listed under Biochemistry, BIOC 3820.)
CHEM 3830: Biochemistry II
(Listed under Biochemistry, BIOC 3830.)
CHEM 3940: Advanced Laboratory Techniques
(2 credits fall term, 2 credits spring term)
Goals: To provide instruction in some practical skills commonly used by professional chemists.
Content: Experimental design, laboratory manipulations, data analysis, searching the scientific literature, preparation and presentation of oral and written reports. Work in the fall term is coordinated with CHEM 3330 and emphasizes student-driven small group research projects along with instrument design, capabilities, and limitations. Work in the spring term emphasizes application of instrumental methods to the study of physical chemistry.
Taught: Annually.
Prerequisites: Fall term: CHEM 3240, 3460, co-registration with CHEM 3330. Spring term: CHEM 3550, co-registration with CHEM 3560.
CHEM 5820: Advanced Analytical Chemistry
Goals: To further develop techniques for efficiently dealing with analytical problems relevant to chemical research and production.
Content: The analysis of real materials with attention to the literature of analytical chemistry and to the theoretical aspects of such topics as separation techniques and instrumental methods. Emphasis on the relationship between analytical problems and methods to solve them.
Taught: By request.
Prerequisites: Chemistry 3330, 3460, and 3550 (or co-registration).
CHEM 5840: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
Goals: To introduce and develop classical and modern concepts of inorganic chemistry.
Content: Periodic, chemical and physical properties of the elements; symmetry and group theory; ionic and covalent bonding; acid-base chemistry; kinetics and mechanisms; metals and semi- conductors; electronic spectra of coordination complexes; organometallic and bioinorganic chemistry; the application of molecular orbital theory; and quantum mechanical calculations.
Taught: Annually.
Prerequisites: CHEM 3460 and 3560.
CHEM 5840L: Lab: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
This lab must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 5840 lecture. The lab itself has zero credit value.
CHEM 5860: Advanced Organic Chemistry
Goals: To further develop skills in modern mechanistic theory and in retrosynthetic analysis. Particular emphasis is placed on stereocontrol in synthetic applications.
Content: Problem solving discussion sessions; individual and group problem sets; critical analysis of research seminars and research papers.
Taught: Alternate years.
Prerequisites: CHEM 3460 and 3560 (C grade or better).
CHEM 5880: Advanced Physical Chemistry
Goals: To provide an advanced treatment of several special topics in physical chemistry.
Content: Topics from statistical thermodynamics, molecular spectroscopy, magnetic resonance, theoretical organic, kinetics, molecular mechanics and polymer chemistry may be included.
Taught: By request.
Prerequisite: CHEM 3560.
CHEM 5960: Research Techniques
(2 credits fall term, 2 credits spring term)
Goals: To provide an opportunity to further develop research techniques and skills in the field of chemistry.
Content: An individual, original student research project in some field of chemistry, including reviewing the pertinent chemical literature, designing and carrying out laboratory experiments, writing an extensive paper and presenting a formal seminar.
Taught: Annually.
Prerequisite: CHEM 5840 (or co-registration) or faculty consent.
