***Beginning Spring 2014, students must have earned a minimum grade of "C" in CHEM 441 in order to enroll in CHEM 445. A minimum grade of "C" will be required in all prerequisite chemistry courses before being admitted to upper level chemistry courses.

Senior chemistry majors (biochemistry track) that intend to graduate in December 2014 or May 2015

may substitute CHEM 441 for CHEM 446 if there are scheduling conflicts with their other classes.

Prerequisite----A minimum grade of "C" in CHEM 331

CHEMISTRY 441-Fall 2014

Inorganic Chemistry

Planetary Hall, Rm 120; Tu & R, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

 
Dr. Gerald L. R. Weatherspoon, Instructor
Office Hours: Tu, R 3:00-4:00 p.m. or by appointment
Planetary Hall, Rm 301-B; grobert1@gmu.edu; (703) 993-1456
 
 

September 2, 2014

General Remarks:

  • This course is designed to help students build on the fundamental principles of general and physical chemistry, as related to the area of Inorganic Chemistry. A variety of topics will be covered, inclusive of solution and solid state inorganic chemistry. Trends in the periodic table will be discussed and the student should "FAMILIARIZE" himself/herself with the names, symbols and locations of the elements on the periodic table as soon as possible since periodic tables will not be allowed during examinations or quizzes. Students enrolled in this course are required to have a minimum grade of "C" in all prerequisites (refer to catalog). Courses that are stated prerequisites will not be considered as corequisites to gain admittance into the course.

  • Graduating seniors that are enrolled in the biochemistry track and, due to extenuating circumstances are unable to enroll in the required CHEM 446 course, must get approval prior to enrolling in this course. Students enrolled in the biochemistry track are required to have earned a minimum grade of "C" in CHEM 331, which is a stated prerequisite for CHEM 441------NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

  • ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THIS COURSE ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF GMU's HONOR CODE POLICY. STUDENTS THAT COMMIT HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS AND/OR HAVE KNOWLEDGE, YET FAIL TO REPORT THE OFFENSE, WILL BE REPORTED TO THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY.
  • Grading :

    • The final grade in this course will be based on a percentage of points earned relative to total possible points (i.e. 650). Listed below is the point distribution for examinations, quizzes and the final examination. However, an absolute grading scale cannot be determined until all scores have been compiled and evaluated. In order to optimize your overall performance use the following scale as a rule of thumb, keeping in mind that the scale is subject to change during the course of the semester:  100-90% (A); 89-80% (B); 79-70% (C); <69% (D or F).   Since this course is geared toward CHEMISTRY MAJORS it is expected that only grades of B- and above will be awarded at the end of the semester. This course is a prerequisite for CHEM 445 - Inorganic Preps Lab, which means students must earn a grade of C or higher in order to register for CHEM 445 in the following Spring Semester.  If you experience extreme difficulties with the course material early on during the semester do not hesitate to contact or JOIN A STUDY GROUP.

    • The final grade in this course will only be changed in the case of a grading error. Only the instructor of record is authorized to change the grade. Any grading concerns should be discussed directly with the instructor of record.
    • Final grades will not be adjusted because late homework assignments are finally turned in. Any work submitted on the day of the final exam or afterwards will not be considered in the calculation of the grade.
    • It is your responsibility to make sure that grades posted in Blackboard accurately reflect the graded material that has been returned to you. Do not wait until the end of the semester to address these matters. Material presented in this manner will not be considered in calculation of the final grade.
    Examinations I, II, III (100 pts each) 300 points 46.15%
    Quizzes + Homework 150 points 23.08%
    Final Exam 200 points 30.77%
    Total 650 points 100%
  • Exam Policy:

    • Hourly exams: Three hourly exams will be given during the semester. All exam scores will be used in determining the final grade. Makeup exams will not be given.  Periodic tables will not be allowed during exams and quizzes.

    • ALL cell phones and communication devices are to be turned off, properly secured and stored away BEFORE the exams begin. If I find (see or hear) a cell phone on a student during an exam, the student will receive an automatic "F" for the exam, since this is an honor code violation and the matter referred to the Office of Academic Integrity. The recommendation will be for the student to receive a grade of "F" for the entire course. If another student observes the violation or has knowledge of the offense, yet fails to report it, he/she may also be accused of violating the honor code. Students should not place themselves in a position that appears to support collusion in the honor code violation activity. All parties will be referred to the honor committee with sanctions levied based on the number of offenses and judgements determined by the honor committee. Keep in mind at all times that GMU is an Honor Code university.
    • Any form of cheating on the final exam will result in an automatic "F" for the course.
    • Programmable calculators and electronic media storage devices are not allowed for exams---NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
    • Final exam: The final exam will be cumulative.
    • Quizzes & Homework:   Quizzes and homework will be given during the semester that vary in point value. The objective of the quizzes is to "encourage" regular and timely review of the material being discussed, rather than waiting until the night before the hourly exam and attempting an all-nighter. 
    • Suggested homework problems from each chapter will be posted on Blackboard. The suggested problems will not be collected for grading purposes.
    • REQUIRED HOMEWORK PROBLEM SETS will be graded. Those will be specified on Blackboard.
    • Sample exams and a quiz can be found on Blackboard.
    • Students enrolled in this course must activate their GMU email accounts to receive important University information, including messages related to this class. I will only reply to email received from students that use their GMU email accounts.
    • If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see the instructor after contacting the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 703-993-2474.  All arrangements for academic accommodations must be initiated through that office.

    Departmental seminars are usually held at 4:30 p.m. each Thursday.  Speakers and locations will be posted throughout Planetary Hall.  Attendance is strongly recommended, especially for chemistry majors.  Senior chemistry majors should also consider registering for the undergraduate seminar course CHEM 490 to receive credit. Chemistry and biochemistry majors should also consider joining the local student affiliate chapter of the ACS (GMU Chemistry Club) as well as ACS. 

    COS

    Resources

    Chemistry Links

    Materials Research Society Bulletin (MRS Bulletin)

    Journal of Solid State Chemistry

    Solid State Communications

     

     

    The textbook for the course is  Inorganic Chemistry, 5th edition, Gary L. Miessler and Donald A. Tarr, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

     

     

    "Tentative Lecture Syllabus"

    Lectures Chapter Reading (text pages) 5th edition Recommended End of Chapter Problems
      2: Atomic Structure ; Review of Trends in the Periodic Table   Posted on Blackboard
      September 2 Labor Day holiday; university closed  
      3: Simple Bonding Theory    
      4: Symmetry and Group Theory    
      4: Symmetry and Group Theory    
      7: The Crystalline Solid State    
      7: The Crystalline Solid State; XRD characterization of solids; techniques and applications Refer to powerpoint slides on Blackboard.  
      7: The Crystalline Solid State    
      Columbus Day Recess is Oct. 14th No class on October 15th; Tuesday classes & labs do not meet.  
    Sept. 25 Exam I Ch. 2,3,4,7  
      6: Acid-Base and Donor-Acceptor Chemistry    
     

    9: Coordination Chemistry I (9.1 - 9.3)

       
      10: Coordination Chemistry II - Bonding    
    Oct. 30 Exam II Ch. 6,9, 10  
      11: Coordination Chemistry III - Electronic Spectra    
      11: Coordination Chemistry III - Electronic Spectra  
    Nov. 25 Exam III Ch. 10, 11  
    Nov. 26- Nov. 30 Thanksgiving Recess No class  
     

    12: Coordination Chemistry IV - Reactions & Mechanisms

       
      13: Organometallic Chemistry    
      14: Organometallic Reactions and Catalysis    
    Dec. 16

    FINAL EXAM -----10:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

     

    Cumulative

     

     
           

     

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