CHEM 201/202 ORGANIC
CHEMISTRY COURSES
Instructor: Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti
Office: OWS 462
Phone: 962-5582
E-mail: jtippoliti@stthomas.edu
Office Hours: Monday
2:30-5:30 and by appointment
Lecture: 10:55-12:00
am MWF, OWS 251
Website: Chemistry Department: http://chem.stthomas.edu
This Class: http://chem.stthomas.edu/pages/ochemn1.html
Required
Materials
Lecture Text: Organic Chemistry by Solomons and Fryhle; John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2008 (9th edition)
Supporting Materials: (1) study guide and solutions manual for Organic Chemistry
(2) molecular model kit (part of lab text and notebook package)
Lab Materials: (1) Organic Lab Techniques, 3rd ed., by Fessenden, Fessenden, and Feist
(2) student laboratory research notebook (carbonless type)
(3) CHEM201 Lab Manual—(in-house duplicated) contains experiment procedures—may be purchased at the Stockroom
Course Objectives
Welcome to Organic Chemistry! This course has the following learning objectives:
(1) Gaining factual knowledge. You will be introduced to the
nomenclature, structures, and properties of the various families of organic
compounds. You will learn to
recognize them by their characteristic bonding arrangement of atoms, their functional group. You will understand how the structure
of an organic molecule relates to the
properties of that organic compound.
(2) Learning fundamental principles, generalizations, or
theories. You will be
introduced to the concept of reaction
mechanism, the specific pathway by which a chemical reaction proceeds. You will build upon the knowledge of
acid/base chemistry and chemical equilibria you
acquired in general chemistry so that you can apply these principles to organic
chemistry. You will learn the
principles of stereochemistry and
understand how molecular ÒhandednessÓ influences properties and reactivity.
(3) Learning to apply course material (to improve
thinking, problem solving, and decisions). You will use your factual knowledge and grasp of fundamental
principles to predict the outcomes of chemical reactions that perhaps no one
has performed before. You will
develop the ability to propose reasonable synthetic pathways for new and useful
organic compounds.
(4) Developing specific skills, competencies, and points
of view needed by professionals in the field most closely related to this
course: Chemistry. You will be introduced to the
laboratory methods used by organic chemists to make new compounds, and you will
learn the use of glassware, instrumentation, and techniques favored by
practicing chemical professionals.
(5) Acquiring an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking answers. With your increasing knowledge of both the theory and practice of organic chemistry, you will acquire the ability to both understand and propose projects in current chemical research. What you learn in this course may inspire you to pursue undergraduate research in chemistry in our department and perhaps to pursue a career as a researcher in one of the many fields of chemistry.
These objectives are addressed through lecture, laboratory, and reading/problem assignments. The course is divided into four units, with a list of recommended reading and problem assignments (the ÒUnit Assignment SheetÓ) made available to the students at the beginning of each unit. An exam is given at the end of each unit; see the section of ÒEvaluationÓ below for the exam schedule.
Evaluation
Objectives (1), (2), and (3) are addressed primarily in the lecture; Objective (4) is addressed primarily in the laboratory. Both lecture and laboratory offer the opportunity for advancement toward Objective (5).
Evaluation of student progress toward meeting these objectives, and determination of the final course grade, are based on the following:
4 Unit Exams—400 pts
Lab—150 pts Final
Exam—150 pts Total—700 pts
Exam Schedule:
Unit 1: Wednesday, Sept. 30 Unit 2: Friday, Oct. 23
Unit 3: Monday, Nov. 16 Unit 4: Wednesday, Dec. 9
Final Examination (cumulative): 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 pm, Tuesday, Dec. 15
Academic Integrity: It is expected that all students will follow the academic integrity policies set by the University of St. Thomas. Violations of these policies will not be tolerated.
Attendance
If their health
permits, students are expected to
attend all lectures. Material
covered in the lecture is not always covered in the text, and even when the
same topics are covered, the emphasis may be different. Because you will be responsible for
this material on exams, regular attendance is obviously critically important to
your success in the course.
Attendance will be taken each class period by means of a sign-up sheet. Excessive absences will be noted and reported to Academic Counseling. If you are ill for more than a day, you should use official channels (call Counseling) to inform all of your instructors. If you miss a lecture, it is your responsibility to obtain material such as missed lecture notes and handouts.
Students must notify the instructor in advance if they cannot be present for an exam. Failure to do so could result in a score of zero for the exam. Do not simply assume that a makeup exam will be offered. Failure to take the exam before the answer key is posted or before the graded exams are returned to the class will be grounds for a score of zero. Simply falling behind in assignments, unless due to serious illness or other compelling circumstances, is not a legitimate reason for postponing an exam. If you miss an exam, it is possible that no makeup exam will be given, but the points offered on that exam may be distributed over your remaining exams so that you will still have the opportunity to earn them.
For policies concerning missed labs, please refer to the relevant section in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory Manual.
Please note the following special
considerations related to attendance during 2009-2010:
The University of St. Thomas is committed to
a healthy campus community. During the 2009-2010 academic year, there will be
ongoing concerns regarding the prevalence among university faculty, staff
and students of both the H1N1 virus and seasonal influenza. To
help limit the spread of these illnesses, the Centers for Disease Control has
provided college campuses the following recommendation: students, faculty, or
staff with influenza like illnesses (temperature of 100.0 or greater, plus a
cough or sore throat) are directed to self-isolate (or stay home) for at least
24 hours after their fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
In the event that students are unable to attend classes due to this
self-isolation recommendation, they should consult the universityÕs pandemic
web site http://www.stthomas.edu/pandemic/plan/default.html
and complete an on-line form informing professors of their absence. In
accordance, faculty will provide opportunities for these students to
participate in alternative educational delivery due to this illness.
NOTE: A grade of at least C- in CHEM201 is a prerequisite for advancing to CHEM202 (Organic Chemistry II). A grade of at least C- in CHEM202 is a prerequisite for advancing to CHEM440 (Biochemistry I).
NOTE: If you require special circumstances
for taking exams, you must make arrangements with the appropriate University
office (such as the Reading and Study Skills Center or the St. Thomas
Enhancement Program) and notify your instructor well in advance of the first exam. Qualified students with documented
disabilities who may need classroom accommodations should make an appointment
with the Enhancement Program—Disability Services office during the first
two weeks of the term. Telephone
appointments are available to students as needed. Appointments can be made by calling
651-962-6315 or 800-328-6819, extension 6315. You may also make an appointment in person in OÕShaughnessy
Educational Center, room 119. For
further information, you can locate the Enhancement Program on the web at http://www.stthomas.edu/enhancementprog/.
NOTE: You should keep all graded materials (including exams, lab reports, and quizzes) until after you have received your final course grade. They will help you review for the final exam, and you must produce them if you feel that your final grade has been calculated incorrectly.
A FEW TIPS FOR STUDYING, LEARNING, AND ENJOYING ORGANIC CHEMISTRY—
1. With the help of your text, rewrite, revise, and clarify your lecture notes after every lecture.
2. Attend all classes. Read, retain, and review all handouts.
3. Become organized immediately and stay with the flow of the course. Do NOT fall behind.
4. Study in small increments on a daily—not weekly—basis. Review constantly.
5. Work as many problems as you possibly can, whether they are assigned or not.
6. DonÕt consult the solutions manual for the answer to a problem too soon. Strengthen your deductive reasoning powers by giving them a real chance to work.
7. Realize that a portion of the organic chemistry course involves learning a certain amount of ÒvocabularyÓ (names, structures, and reactions). To some extent this is memory work; however, it is indispensable if you are to obtain any real benefit from this course. Organic chemistry is comparable to a language; in order to write sentences, compose paragraphs, and someday write novels, you must first learn the vocabulary. To help you, your instructor will take a mechanistic approach, concentrating on the mechanisms of organic reactions so that you can understand why and how a reaction occurs between two molecules. As you begin to understand the guiding principles that underlie organic chemistry, your memory work will become more meaningful, less burdensome, and thus easier to remember and apply to chemical problems. The goal is to learn how to apply the material you learn, not just how to reproduce it on an exam. Perhaps the most important skill you can obtain from this course is the ability to apply facts and concepts you already know to problems and situations that are totally new and unfamiliar to you. This skill will serve you well throughout your career, whether that career is research (in which you will apply your scientific knowledge to a variety of new research problems), medicine (in which every patient you treat will represent a new situation requiring your medical skills), or practically any other endeavor. Organic chemistry is a challenging course, but it is a very rewarding one as well. Give it your best effort. Have fun in the course. Good luck!