Dr. Paul Endres

• 1. Welcome

• 2. Syllabus, Distribute

• 3. Brief Questionnaire
  • also serves as roll call

• 4. Introduction to the Course

Nature of the Course

Chemistry

• overview, selected topics, basic concepts
  • not for would-be scientists, doctors, nurses, science teachers
• no requirement of prior chemistry courses
  • of course it helps-- give you a head start
  • different-- just knowing high school chemistry won't be enough to do well

Text -- Chemistry in Context

• Name suggests a style
• Each chapter selects an issue
• Dives right in
  • examines a fundamental issue/problem/commercial sector
  • political, social, economic, societal aspects
  • develops the science as needed

• the scientific facts, concepts are prime exam material
• often more prominent than the official topic
• why?

• Focus on objective questions, short answers
• Easiest to pick on basic concepts, single ideas, vocabulary
• Less likely to ask you to develop a persuasive argument

Assignment #1--

• read the entire first chapter before Wednesday
  • Quick reading, not necessary to study (yet)
  • Be aware of where the chapter is going
  • What's being covered
  • See what you already know
  • Begin to pick up the vocabulary

• Start with a Quick Reading of full chapter before class
• Return and study sections
• Work over sample questions in text, end of chapter
• Write down your questions
• Then return and reread the full chapter
• Expect to spend 2-3 hrs/ class hour
  • that's 6-9 hrs/week of serious study
  • allocate at least 6 hr/week regularly
    • not waiting for an exam...
  • try to spend at least 30 minutes/session

Large Lecture Format

• If this is new to you...
• Nobody checks up on you regularly
• No daily records kept
• Some discussion, but more presentation
• You can hide in the back of the room
• Few assignments are collected and graded
  • it's up to you...

Web page

• You can look up course material
• My classroom notes appear daily
  • (remember-- they are outlines)
• Suggested assignments are posted

Course Objectives

• We'll develop this over the first week or two
• Try to develop in context of typical chemistry issues

• chemistry is the study of stuff
• stuff = materials, substances
• to chemist-- almost everything
  • biology = applied chemistry, happens to be alive
  • physics = background for chemistry
  • geology = chemistry of old rocks
• scientists-- organized by traditional areas
  • very willing to cross divisions
  • almost must be interdisciplinary for real problems
• chemists tend to think first in simplest units
  • (atoms, molecules, pure chemical species)
  • properties of the simple items
  • then imagine more complex things

• mostly mixtures
• often inhomogeneous (not uniform)
• pure substances
  • occasionally find naturally occuring pure species
  • often we can separate a mixture into pure components
  • substance (Chemical compoound) has its own unique properties

• what's important?
  • amount of material
  • shape of material
  • past history of material, origin
• what's in the material
  • what properties apply to any sample of it
  • physical properties
    • color, form (dust, solid, liquid?)
    • taste, smell
    • melts, boils, evaporates
  • chemical properties
    • reacts (catches fire and burns)

• chemistry cannot be about memorizing facts
• it would be hopeless to list all plausible mixtures
• we need-- desperately-- an organizing scheme
  • a manageable number of basic ideas and rules
  • ability to predict many properties based on those ideas
  • ability to decide what happens in mixtures

Elements--

• there are about 100 basic materials
  • all other substances are made from 2 or more elements
  • are the basic building blocks of everything
  • elements can't be made from other materials

Lies, Partial Truths and Simplifications

• nuclear reactions can change an element
• operational definitions:
  • is a species an element if we are merely unable to break it down into simpler species
• isotopes (there are slight differences)
  • Is it dishonest / expedient / practical to present material that's not exactly and totally correct?
  • Do we need to constantly make disclaimers?

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