Meng Chen Telephone: 55664181

Office: Rm 203#, Building of Advanced Materials

E-mail: chenmeng@fudan.edu.cn

General Chemistry

General InformationThe course serves as an introduction to general chemical concepts and principles, including the states of matter, structure of matter, chemical bonding, phases of matter, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, chemistry in solutions, and the properties of acids, bases, and salts, chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and chemical equilibrium. The scientific method will also be discussed.The knowledge introduced here can be applied to explain many things and phenomena we see in a daily life. Furthermore, this course builds the ground for future educations you will receive.

General Information

During this course, you are expected to:• Learn chemistry languages and symbols;• Form a microscopic (atomic and molecular) view of substances;• Understand the nature of certain chemical reactions;• Develop an efficient strategy to learn and think in a scientific way.

Lecture Hours: 9:55-11:25 am, Monday & Wednesday, Room 2217, the Second Teaching Building, begins from Sept. 7, 2009. I always be available during the work hours by appointment.

Instruction techniques  1. Lecture 2. Guided reading 3.  Quiz 4. Discussion

LAB Hours: 8:00-11:25 am, Thursday (Room 125#, Chemistry Building ), begins from Sept. 10, 2009.

Lab Preparation: Room 105#, Chemistry Building, starting from 9:00 o’clock, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009.

Textbook General Chemistry Jean B. Umland Jon M. Bellama 3rd Edition, Brooks/Cole Publishing

Company, 1999

Grading Policy Attendance (10%) Assignments/Quizzes (30 % each)Midterm exam (30%)Final exam (30%)

Grading Scale 90%-100% = A85%-89% = A-82%-84% =B+78%-81% = B75%-77% = B-71%-74% =C+66%-70% = C62%-65% = C-60%-61% = D59% or lower = F

Grading Policy Attendance (10%)

I will not ask you to have a signature in an attendance sheet. However, I suggest that it be wise for you to always try to be in class. Students who regularly miss lecture perform significantly more poorly on exam. In addition, your absence will be noted and counted whenever you do not hand in you quiz or homework, or not answer my call in the class.

Grading Policy Attendance (10%)

To be qualified as an excused absence, a student must have a legitimate reason, such as serious illness, extreme personal difficulties, or having a university-sponsored activity. Besides, the student also has to (1) notify (e-mail or call) the instructor BEFORE the class begins, AND(2) provide written supporting documents if requested by the instructor.

Grading PolicyAssignment/Quizzes (30 % each)

Homework (including ca. ten problems) will be assigned on Monday on a compulsory basis. Answers to the homework must be turned in at the beginning of class next Monday. I will check all of your homework. Sometimes, After the homework answers are given, you will be asked to check the homework done by one of your classmates by random assignment.

Grading PolicyHomework/Quizzes (30 % each)

From time to time, a about 10-minute quiz will be given at the end of a lecture without prior notification.

Midterm exam (30%)Final exam (30%)

A midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam will be given as scheduled by the University.

RequirementAssignment Notebook: you need to buy two notebooks for homework . Homework will be given on Monday and should be done and turned in next Monday.Calculator: You need to have one simple calculator (can do root and logarithm) and be sure to bring your calculator with you all the time, and you are not allowed to borrow a calculator from others. Cell phone calculators do not work well for this course, and will also not be allowed to use it during quizzes and exams.

RequirementEtiquette: Please mute all cell phones when entering the classroom. Please do not surf the web on your labtop or text message during lecture. It is perfectly OK to interrupt the lecture by yelling “Question!” or raising your hand. Questions in lecture are always good.Reading: Reading is an essential part of this course. Students are expected to have completed the reading assignments prior to lecture. The material in this course is too difficult to learn just by listening to lecture. For the reading in the book, chapter one through four are background

Advice on StudyingFind other students who are in your class to study with.Schedule a regular time to study each day. Don’t wait until the week before an exam to begin studying.Do the assignments before coming to class. Read slowly and carefully. Try to understand, not memorize.After each class, review what you have just learned before beginning the next assignment.Pay carful attention to vocabulary.If the amount of materials to be learned seems overwhelming, use the first chapter of the Study Guide to learn how to organize it.If you are having difficulty, use the help that’s available-your instructor’s and teaching assistant’s office hours.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE In high school, students memorize. In college,

students analyze and synthesize. In high school, students read 250 pages a

semester (or don't have to read at all). In college, students read upward of 250 pages a week.

In high school, students have lots of safety nets. In college, students sink or swim.

In high school, students have frequent tests over small amounts of information. In college, students have few tests over tons of information.

In high school, the school day is very structured. In college, students need to create structure on their own.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE In high school, students can be successful by

studying sporadically. In college, students must give daily attention to all of their classes.

In high school, teachers tell their students everything they need to know. In college, students must often figure that out by themselves.

In high school, students could catch up even if they weren't very disciplined. In college, students who are undisciplined are quickly left behind.

From College Rules! How to Survive and Succeed in College, Sherrei Nist and Jodi Patrick Holschuh, Ten Speed Press, 2002.

Survey How many years of chemistry did you have in

high school? (A) 0 (B) 0.5 (C) 1 (D) 2 or more

Where did you study in high school?

Do you know the meaning of the following terms?

(A) structure of atom (B) Density (C) physical changes and chemical changes (D) mole (E) significant figure (F) periodic table (G) element and compound (H) pH