1. To learn a significant amount of fundamental concepts of chemistry. Some of these are well established and seem almost beyond refute. Others we will have to accept on faith and a degree of skepticism is worth retaining.
2. To learn that science does not know all the answers. This is especially so in the study of the environment, and many of our current understandings will be revised as further study takes place.
3. To participate in and learn about the process through which scientists undertake investigations and create knowledge.
4. To learn in interaction with, rather than isolation from, other students. Most things in the "real world" are done in interaction with other people, usually as a team effort. To benefit from working with other students, even if you dislike those with whom you are working.
5. To appreciate that science occurs in a social context. To explain a little bit of what I mean with this, think about your response to the following: Do you trust the scientist who concludes that second-hand smoke is not hazardous to your health when you learn that the person's research was funded by R.J. Reynolds? Similarly, do you trust the scientist who concludes the opposite when you learn that both of the person's parents were smokers who died of lung cancer at a relatively young age and that the research was funded by the organization Citizens against smoking.
The major emphasis of the classroom portion of the course will be to develop an understanding of the structure and shape of atoms and molecules, and to appreciate how those aspects of chemistry pertain to the study of the environment. The most intriguing aspect of chemistry is that chemical substances (atoms and molecules) react to produce new substances. If we understand the reasons why some chemicals react with each other, whereas others do not, we can start to predict the possibility of new, unknown reactions. Such predictive ability is valuable for many reasons. As examples, it may enable us to better assess the fate of chemicals in the environment, or the effect of chemicals on living systems. The shape and structure of chemical substances, which does not just include the location of atoms in molecules but also the location of electrons, often determine why reactions occur. An understanding of atomic and molecular structure is therefore fundamental to an understanding of chemistry.
Throughout the course, reading material and problems will be assigned from Munowitz, Michael. 2000. Principles of chemistry. W. W. Norton and Company.
Other reading material that specifically addresses environmental topics such as global warming, photochemical smog, ozone layer depletion, and nuclear chemistry will be assigned throughout the term as well.
The major emphasis of the laboratory portion of the course will be to conduct a scientific investigation. One question we will examine in lab this year is whether acid rain mobilizes lead from soil so that the lead concentration varies as a function of soil concentration and acidity. We will also develop basic aspects of what is known as stoichiometry to complete the lab experiments.
INTRODUCTION
STRUCTURE OF ATOMS - HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 6-11; 103-136
The electron
Mass-to-charge ratio
Mass and charge of an electron
The nuclear atom
Blackbody radiation
Global warming (handout)
Photoelectric effect
Line spectra of atoms
Wave-particle duality
NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY 771-792; Handout
Rayner-Canham, M., and . G. Rayner Canham. 1998. Women in radioactivity. In Women in chemistry. American Chemical Society.
STRUCTURE OF ATOMS - CURRENT UNDERSTANDING
Quantum mechanics and the wave equation 6-54; 136-176
Electronic configurations 177-202
PERIODIC PROPERTIES OF THE ATOMS
Electronegativity, ionization energies 202-215
Electron affinity, atomic/ionic radii 244-245
STRUCTURE OF MOLECULES
Chemical bonding 217-225
Covalent versus ionic bonds
Molecular orbital theory - simple diatomics 225-241
