Text:
Chemistry, the Central Science Brown, LeMay and Bursten, 8th ed

Content:
Topics will be covered in the following, tentative order: Brief review of 8.5-8.8, 9.2-9.3: Molecular Geometry; Chapter 11: Intermolecular Forces; Chapter 13: Solutions; Chapter 14: Kinetics; Chapter 15: Equilibrium; Chapter 16: Acid Base Equilibrium; Chapter 17: Aqueous Equilibria; Chapter 20: Electrochemistry. We will also look at portions of Chapter 12: Modern Materials; Chapter 18: Chemistry of the Environment and Chapter 19: Chemical Thermodynamics as time permits.

Exams and Course Grades:
All quizzes, exams and the final are cumulative. A brief quiz will be given each week that you do not have an exam. In general, make-up quizzes and exams are not given. If you have a personal emergency, contact me before the exam and I will substitute your final exam grade for the missed exam. During exams, you are not allowed to use programmable calculators with memory. Unlike CHM 2045 honors, you will receive a separate 1 credit grade for CHM 2046 Honors laboratory.

Important dates:

Holidays: Jan 21, March 11-15

Withdrawal Deadline: March 1

Cheating:
Cheating will not be tolerated. Students found cheating will be given an F for the entire course and a letter will also be placed in the student's academic record. I also reserve the right to bring further disciplinary actions against the student; the possible outcome of which is expulsion from the University. In the end, cheating hurts everyone! Look at it this way, would you want to be operated on by a surgeon who cheated her way through medical school, be defended by a lawyer who cheated his way through law school, or work in a building designed by an engineer who cheated her way through college? How would you feel about being taught by me if I didn't know anything because I had cheated my way through graduate school? For further information, consult your UCF Golden Rule book.

Ahhh, sweet success...
My goal in this class is the same as yours! I want you to learn chemistry (and to have some fun and gain some insight into the world around you along the way). Do you want an "A" in chemistry? Well, you are definitely smart enough, so the question isn't if can you succeed, but will you choose to succeed. Will you put in the time and effort to ensure a positive learning experience? You have many resources to help you reach that goal:

Yourself: College chemistry is not easy. Your success in this course requires hard work and commitment. You are expected to spend at least 2 hours studying outside of class for every hour of lecture. We meet for 3 hours a week so you should be spending about 6 hours a week studying chemistry. Cramming for exams does not work. It is much more effective to study an hour or so every day. This method provides you with plenty of time to seek help with problem areas. The night before an exam, you have few resources to turn to if you need help.

Your peers: Form study groups. Research shows that study group members typically earn higher grades by providing opportunities to check the completeness of notes with others. Another useful way to use study groups is to have everyone make up a sample exam or quiz to share with everyone else. You then have 4 -5 copies of an exam to practice with. You can then grade them together and discuss what is right and wrong. Just making up exams is also a great way to study since you will need to go through your notes and try to figure out what things are most important in order to make up good questions. Study groups should be serious. If things start to get silly or unproductive when everyone gets tired then stop and take a break or go eat together and then come back later when you are more focused on studying.

Class attendance: There is a proven correlation between class attendance and overall grade for the course. The exams are based on the material covered in lecture. Your presence in class should include your mind (not just your body). If you are overtired or have not learned the material from the previous lecture then you are not getting the most out of current lecture. Always come to class prepared. Those of you who do this will see the immediate pay-off. Reading ahead means lectures made more sense. Studying regularly means better grades on exams and quizzes.

Homework and reading quizzes: As stated above, it is crucial that you come to class prepared. To help facilitate this, I will provide you with reading and suggested homework for each chapter. Homework will be collected at the start of the nest class and will be given a grade of 0 (not done or unsatisfactory) or 1 (satisfactory). Because the purpose of homework is to come prepared for class, late homework will not be accepted without a University excuse. We will also have reading quizzes (roughly 1 per week) on the assigned homework. Before the quiz you will have the opportunity to clarify any questions you had about the homework.

**Group work**: Because group work is an important part of this class, this semester a portion of your overall grade will be based on your group work. Roughly 7-8 times a semester I will grade your group work and assign it a 0 (absent without an excuse or poor work), 1 (acceptable group work) or 2 (exceptional group work). Because you will not know at any given time, whether I am grading your group work, you should always be trying your best. Group work grades may be assigned to group presentations in class, collected group worksheets (this is new) and general group work during class.

Me: My job is not to torment you and make your life miserable. I'm here to help you through a rather difficult subject. Think of me as you experienced tour guide, showing you the important points, putting things in context and helping you avoid the mistakes that I faced when I was in your place. So make sure you get your money's worth ($$$) out of me. One way I can be particularly helpful is in answering questions. Since the pace of the course is very fast, make sure you get all questions answered immediately, either by asking during class, e-mailing me or taking advantage of my office hours. Now I may decide not to directly answer your question if I feel you should be able to get the information somewhere else, but I may point you in the right direction (all part of the plan to make you more self- sufficient!) Some questions are hard to answer by email and so I am also available TF 10:00 - 11:00 and by appointment to answer questions. Please, don't wait until the end of the semester to get help; come see me at the FIRST sign of trouble!

In closing, you have to take control over your education. You have a right to demand the best from your instructors, after all we are here for you. You also have to expect the best from yourself. So what will you get out of this class? That all depends on what you take from it...