Chemistry 312 Spring 2007

Description. This is a 4-credit course covering analytical chemistry topics for non-chemistry science majors, for which the prerequisites are a complete course in introductory chemistry and a complete course in organic chemistry. The course is not a beginning course in chemistry and will use material already covered in the prerequisite courses. The course does not serve as a prerequisite for Chem. 513, Instrumental Analysis.

Timetable. The class meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9.05 am in GSMN 51. There will be no evening meetings of the class or evening exams. A separate document gives the schedule of topics, exams, etc.

Instructors. The course is under the direction of Professor Julian F. Tyson (GSMN 132, 545-0195, e-mail tyson@chem.umass.edu) and Professor David Sommerfeld (GSMN 149E, 545-4634, e-mail dsommerf@chem.umass.edu), who is responsible for the laboratory component of the course and who will be assisted in the laboratory classes by teaching assistants to be appointed. Professors Jennifer Normanly and Lou Roberts will also instruct in the labs. Details of the instructors' office hours will be announced in due course. Guest instructors may take some of the class sessions. Christine Oslowski (coslowsk@student.umass.edu) is the supplemental instruction leader for the class.

Communications. The course website is http://courses.umass.edu/chem312/. You should check this regularly and make sure you give Professor Tyson an e-mail address that you check regularly. Several of the homework exercises are to be word-processed. E-mail submissions will not, in general, be accepted.

Course Texts: The books you need are “Zodiac” by Neal Stephenson, Bantam Books, 1995. and “Exploring Chemical Analysis”3^rd ed., D. C. Harris, W. H. Freeman, New York, 2005. Several copies of the first edition and one copy of the second edition of the Harris book will be available on restricted loan in the Main Library. The course will be taught assuming you have unrestricted access to the Harris text. Prof. Sommerfeld will advise on the material relating to the laboratory class.

Accessories. (1) Suitable eye protection, which must be worn at all times in the laboratory, is required. A laboratory overcoat is not required but recommended. (2) A bound notebook for the direct recording of results in the lab (this must not be loose leaf) is also required. (3) An electronic calculator capable of performing some elementary statistical calculations (mean and standard deviation) is required.

Grading	Percentage of Total
First in-class exam	5
Second in-class exam	10
Final examination	25
Lab	37
Interpersonal skills	3
Homework	10
Project	5
In-class quizzes	5
Photo Due (due Wednesday Feb 7^th)	1

An entire 1% of the overall grade is available as a bonus for the provision of a recognizable, recent head and shoulders photograph by Wednesday February 7th to go with a completed questionnaire. A probable outcome is that a total of 90% or more will be awarded an “A”, with each band of 3-5% below this mapping onto the various grades below. Totals of less than 60% will probably be awarded an “F”. You will need to get a passing grade in the lab (better than 24% out of 40%) in order to get a passing grade in the course.

The scheme looks something like this:

A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	F
>90	87-90	84-87	80-84	77-80	74-77	70-74	67-70	64-67	60-64	<60

Attendance and deadlines. Attendance is required. Absence due to good cause may, at the discretion of Professor Tyson only, not result in any penalty. Requests for the exercise of this discretion must be made in writing (a formal memo is needed with a signature and a date). There are no make-up labs, but there may be some flexibility in the scheduling; if you could make-up the work for a missed lab on a different day of the week, discuss your situation with Professor Sommerfeld. Professor Sommerfeld will provide information about the rules for lab reports and submission. In the case of a homework exercise, no marks will be awarded in the case of a late submission. Again, missing a deadline due to good cause may, at the discretion of Professor Tyson only, not result in any penalty. Requests for the exercise of this discretion must be made in writing (a formal e-mail memo is needed with a “signature” and a date). Homework exercises are due at class time on the day in question.

Absence due to religious reasons will not result in any penalty provided such absences are in accordance with the guidelines set out in The Undergraduate Rights and Responsibilities booklet and that notice of such absence is given in writing (formal e-amil memo with signature and date) to Professor Tyson by Wednesday February 14th. Similar arrangements apply for absences in relation to university athletic events.

Special Needs. A student with special needs should report this to Professor Tyson in writing as early as possible in the semester. Provided that appropriate documentary support for the claim is available (from LDSS), special arrangements will be made as far as is possible.