Welcome to CHEM 152! (Start here) – Chemistry 152

Welcome to the second semester of general chemistry, CHEM 152! This class is a continuation of the General Chemistry sequence started with CHEM 151 and is an important part of the scientific foundation that you need to be successful in your chosen career area.

I’m Bruce Farris, your professor, and I look forward to working with you this semester! I know this is likely a required class for you, but I’m hopeful you will enjoy it and find it rewarding and useful. If you want to know a little more about who you will be working with behind the screen this semester (or are just bored and looking for something else to read!), you can find a bit more information about me at this link. Also, the best ways to get in touch with me are listed here: https://fe2.openlcc.net/brucefarris/contact-information-for-bruce-farris/

In this “Welcome” unit, I want to cover a few basics. I want to describe how the course is organized and structured, give you an overview of what resources and help (if needed) are available to you, and tell you what you have to do to be successful. I also want to give you some hints you might find useful to navigate the course and resources and to study. Finally, I want to provide some answers to questions students often have at the beginning of the semester. I know a lot of this information can be boring and laborious to read, but taking a little time to read it now will save you time and effort later in the semester looking for things, and hopefully help you be more successful!

While I’m at it, one other thing: Most students who are required to take CHEM 152 are also required to take its companion lab course (CHEM 162). If the lab is required for your curriculum or transfer plans it is best that you take the two courses together as they are designed to work well together, and I’d recommend you enroll in it if possible. If it is not possible you can always take the lab in a later semester.

What you need to remember from CHEM 151 or your first semester course

It is assumed that students enrolling in CHEM 152 have a good background of the material from LCC’s CHEM 151 or an equivalent first semester college general chemistry course. If you took your first semester course at another college, took it more than a year ago, or are uncertain of your background for any other reason you should discuss it with me.

Why is it important to follow up with me if you took your first semester class at another school? If you look at a whole year of general chemistry (two semester sequence) at most colleges, pretty much the same topics are covered. However, different schools do it in different orders. Therefore, if you took your first semester class elsewhere, this course may assume you have learned something that you haven’t (and you may have already learned some material this class will cover). If this is the case, discussing it with me now will allow me to tell you what topics you might wish to review and allow me to get you information and resources to help.

No matter where you took your first semester class (CHEM 151 at LCC or elsewhere), a strong background in these topics will help. These are the topics you might wish to briefly review from CHEM 151 if it has been awhile since you have taken it:

mass, moles, and stoichiometry
chemical formulas (especially monoatomic and polyatomic ions and their charges)
molecular, ionic, and net ionic equations
equilibrium constants and calculations (including ICE tables)
acids and bases (our first topic this semester will actually be a review of acid-base chemistry from CHEM 151)

Here is a link to my CHEM 151 online course in case there are any topics you would like to review from it at any time.

Course Basics – how the course works

How the course is structured

Units

The course has four units. Each unit is listed in the menu at the top (and right side) of this page. Each unit contains 2-4 topics. For example, Unit 2 will cover the topics of Chemical Kinetics and Nuclear Chemistry. There will be a 100 point departmental exam for each unit. Each unit exam will be closed-book, proctored and taken using pencil or pen on paper, either at an LCC Testing Center or with an off-campus (non-LCC) proctor.

Topics

Each unit will have 2-4 topics. Each topic will be a different area of general chemistry. As an example, the first topic in Unit 1 is a review of acid-base chemistry from CHEM 151.

Each topic will have several objectives. If you are able to do what the objectives say, you will probably be able to do well on the quizzes and exams on that topic.

For example, there will be 12 objectives for our first topic in Unit 1:

Write the equation for an acid/base reaction (either ionization or neutralization) identifying the Brønsted – Lowry acids or bases present.
Given an acid or base, write the conjugate base or acid.
Explain the relationship between the strength of an acid and the strength of its conjugate base.
Recognize the common strong acids: HCl(aq), HBr(aq), HI(aq), HNO₃, H ₂SO₄, HClO₃, and HClO₄.
Recognize the common strong bases: Group IA metal hydroxides, Ca(OH)₂ and Ba(OH)₂.
Calculate [H⁺], pH, [OH^–], and/or pOH given the value of any one of the variables or the concentration of a strong acid or base.
Calculate all equilibrium concentrations and pH or pOH in a solution of a weak acid or base given the K_aor K_b
Calculate the K_a/K_b for a weak acid/base given the pH of a solution of known concentration.
Calculate percent ionization of an acid or base from initial concentrations and K_a or K_b values or vice-versa.
Interconvert between the K_a of an acid and the K_b of its conjugate base.
Write the balanced chemical equations for hydrolysis of a salt then predict whether the salt solution will be acidic, basic or neutral.
Calculate the pH of salt solutions.

If you are able to to what the objectives say for all the topics, you will likely do well on the exams, quizzes, and homework and participation assignments, and you will be successful in the course!

What to do and study

Each topic will have several resources for you to read, study, and practice to help you understand the topic and help you achieve the objectives for the topic (again, if you can do the objectives your chances of being successful are good!)

1. Bruce’s notes

I will have a document available that will be an expanded version of the lecture notes and handouts that I have used in my face-to-face classes. It will not be a detailed description and explanation of the topic (that will be provided in the online textbook reading), it will provide a good overview and summary of the topic, address issues that are typically difficult for students as well as common mistakes and misconceptions, and will call your attention and provide links to textbook reading and other places you can use to study the material. The notes will also have examples and practice problems with answers that you can try to practice various objectives.

Links to the Bruce’s notes for each topic are listed in the menus at the top and the right sidebar of this page.

2. Textbook Reading

The course textbook is OpenStax Chemistry 2e It is available free at the link as a website. If you prefer a hard copy, options for purchasing one or downloading a free printable pdf are listed on the textbook title page.

We will not be using the entire textbook (it is meant for a two-semester course sequences like CHEM 151 and CHEM 152) and the order of topics in the book are tailored for the largest number of professors that use the book. I will post specific reading assignments for the text in each topic in this course site. I will also post links to the textbook sections for the OpenStax text throughout the Bruce’s notes for the topic, where I will suggest the appropriate textbook reading to help with the concepts in the notes.

In previous semesters, CHEM 152 used the textbook Chemistry, The Central Science, Brown, Le May, Bursten, Murphy, Woodward, and Stoltzfus, 13th Edition. We are in the process of converting the entire General Chemistry sequence (both CHEM 151 and 152) to this text. If you obtained a copy of this book for use in CHEM 151, liked it, and continue to wish using it, that will work and it will certainly be helpful. I will post recommended readings for the “old” Brown and LeMay textbook in the suggested reading guides for each topic (see the menu).

3. Online homework problems

Online homework problems for each course topic are posted at this website. You can access all the homework problems for the semester using the top link under “Useful Links” on the right sidebar from anywhere in this CHEM 152 course website. Here is a link to the homework for the first course topic – CHEM 151 Acid Base review. These homework problems are designed to help you learn the course material and practice problem solving skills. They allow unlimited attempts.

For you to get credit in the course for completion of homework assignments, you will need to be logged into your homework site as a user. You should have received an email with instructions to log in and register the first time at your LCC student email account (NOT at D2L email). If you did not receive this email, click this link for login instructions.

There will be 130 points total available on all the homework assignments this semester. However, they will count out of a total grade of 100 points. This will benefit you. For example, a student who earns 120 total points on the homework throughout the semester will get a 100 out of 100 for their homework grade plus 20 bonus points for the course. For example, a student who earns 90 total points out of the total 130 on the homework throughout the semester will get a 90 ot of 100 (or 90%) on homework toward their total course grade.

Each assignment will have a due date, with each due date available on the course schedule.

4. Quizzes and Class Participation (These are available on the course website – they are NOT in the Quizzes Tab in D2L)

There will be a total of seven 20 point quizzes throughout the semester. The lowest two quiz scores will be dropped and the highest five scores will be kept for a total of 100 points. You will be able to complete them either typed or handwritten) and submit them to me by email (if handwritten, you can take a picture of it with your phone and email it to me.

These assignments will be made available on this website. There are two ways you can access them:

By clicking the link to the quiz in the pull down menu under the appropriate unit in the menu at the top or right of each page in this site. For example, Quiz Zero, Quiz 1, and Quiz 2 are under Unit 1.
By clicking the links to each assignment in the Online Course Schedule (the course schedule also gives you the due dates for each assignment)

Please note they are NOT in the Quizzes Tab in D2L as they are not autograded by D2L) Again, the due dates (and links) for each are listed on the course schedule.

5. Exams

Each of the four unit exams will be a 100 point departmental exam. The final exam will be split into 2 parts (one covering units 1 and 2 and the other covering units 3 and 4) offered on two different days at the end of the semester.

All unit exams and the final exam will be closed-book, proctored and taken using pencil or pen on paper, either at an LCC Testing Center or with an off-campus (non-LCC) proctor.

Testing at an LCC Campus

Online students can choose from four LCC Testing Centers for their proctored online course exams. The Downtown Testing Center (GB 2228), West Campus, LCC East and the Livingston County Center in Howell all administer exams for online courses. Please check out the testing hours and contact information for each location. Testing hours vary by location. You must make an appointment to test at the Livingston County Center by calling 517-545-3522. All other LCC testing sites are walk-in centers.

Testing with an Off-campus (non-LCC) Proctor

If you are a distance learner who is unable to test at an LCC testing center, you must request to take your proctored tests at an approved off-campus location, typically at another college testing center closer to you. Test proctoring fees may apply at non-LCC testing sites.

Testing at a non-LCC site must be approved by Testing Services. Requests to test at a non-LCC testing site must be submitted at least 5 days in advance of your test open date to ensure test availability offsite. You can search for a proctor location using the NCTA website or by using our previously-approved proctor map. If you need assistance in locating a testing site in your area you may also call the Testing Support Office at 517-267-5503.

Proctors cannot be an acquaintance, friend, relative, direct supervisor, and/or co-worker. Guidelines for choosing a proctor can be found on our website.

You will have 80 minutes to complete each exam. All exams will be closed book but you will be provided with a periodic table for each exam. The periodic tables will also include other materials pertinent to the exam. These periodic tables are also provided in your course D2L site, under the content menu in each Unit folder (there are different Tables for the different units).

You will be allowed a 3″ by 5″ index card (side handwritten) that you can write info on to refer to during the exam for each part of the final exam only.

Each exam will be available over a multiple day window which should allow completion for most of your schedules. The dates for the unit exams, Unit 1 and 2 Final Exam, and Unit 3 and 4 Final Exam are available on the course schedule. If the dates and times will be difficult or impossible under your schedules, contact me.

What is on this site and what is on D2L

This course is divided between two websites: this one and LCC’s course management system (Desire2Learn or D2L). You will need to access and use both sites. Almost everything required for this course is available on this website: https://fe2.openlcc.net/chem152/

This site

This site is housed on LCC’s Open Learning Lab. I keep almost all of the learning and study material here for several reasons:

It allows you to access course material without having to log in
It is easier to view in smartphones and tablets
it allows me to integrate practice questions, textbook reading, and my course materials in ways to help students learn
It will be available to you after the semester ends (if you need to take CHEM 152, you may find it useful to have to review)

This site will include announcements: I will put announcements and reminders for this course at this link on the course website

D2L

Grades

The College requires any material that can be linked to your grades to be housed on D2L. For that reason, your grades will be housed on D2L and will not be available from this site.

Announcements and Communication

I will put all the same announcements and reminders that I put on this course website on D2L as well, so if you prefer to keep up with them through D2L you can. Also, you can email me either through regular email to farrisb@lcc.edu or through D2L email, and I will reply to the address you send it from.

Trouble with D2L?

If you need technical help with D2L, please contact the LCC Help Desk at (517) 483-5221 or visit the Help Desk website. To learn more about navigating D2L and the tools within D2L, please visit the eLearning Student Resource Site.

Additional Resources to help you succeed

Additional resources, including practice problems and practice exams that can be done using pencil and paper are posted under the pull down menu at the top of the page under each unit.
Free online tutoring for all LCC students is offered by LCC’s Learning Commons. Here is a link to the Chemistry Tutoring Schedule provided by the Learning Commons

What’s next?

In this intro section you will also find a discussion of and answers to common questions about the course and syllabus.