CHEM 1450 Daily Outline

email Desrochers email Elian Mondragon
---------------------------------------
Wed Oct 7 
Molecular Structure  Lab  (available as downloads from this www site)

---------------------------------------
Tue Oct 6
Quiz #5   Common polatomic ion formulas (includes properly spelled name and correct charge)

hypo___ite and per___ate
HXO4^n- anions
moles of compound
mass percent composition of compound
empirical vs molecular formula 

WORK Ch4:  23, 69-103 as assigned on the syllabus
---------------------------------------
Thu Oct 1
Ionic vs covalent compounds      slides from today's lecture
atom molecule ion compound jargon
formulas
naming writing ionic compound
___ite    ___ate
___ite    ___ide
when to use roman numerals   My copy of Figure 3.12 here

Exam score improvement opportunity.  Thank you Elian for finding the mistake in the key.
One of the exam questions needs to be revisited.  This will done on a case by case basis; you will need to let me have your exam back and I will correct this.
We need to do this ASAP.  My office is MAN 303B, bring it by.  If I am out, slide it under my door.

READ Ch 4 (omit Sec 4.12)
WORK Ch 4 :  3,29-64,79,80,83 as assigned on the syllabus

Tue's quiz is the EASIEST quiz all semester.  On Tue you will be quizzed over the names and formulas of the polyatomic ion in red on this list of ions.  Memorize them.  You will always need them in chemistry.
---------------------------------------
Wed Sep 30 
Hydrates  Lab  (available as downloads from this www site)

---------------------------------------
Tue Sep 29   Exam 2  Ch 2 and 3   key    comments about E2    94, 91, 83 <58.2> 43, 34, 23

provided for you:  copy of periodic table, light equations and constants like on Quiz #3

Format for this exam is different than the 1st exam, because I am trying to let you practice the style of questions that you will see on the final.  The final involves 70 mutiple choice questions in 120 min.  That works out to 1.71 min (about 1 min 45 sec) per question.  In 75 min, this would be about 43 questions.

Exam 2 will be 35-40 multiple choice questions.  Some involve calcuations: like Q1 on Quiz #2.  Some are quick short answer: like which one of these is a px  or dxy orbital.  You need to develop a skill in being able to skim for the quick answers, answer them first.  After that you can come back and calmly do the required (more time consuming) calculation questions.

Advantages of fully multiple choice test

Disadvantages of fully multiple choice test

--------------------------------------

A practice test (taken with a timer) is suggested based on the assessment quizzes in the book.

Provide yourself a copy of the periodic table and the light equations (Quiz 3, and values of c, h, and NA)

Ch 2 p 108   Omit Q 5 (I will not ask this on Exam 2).    15 min 
Ch 3 pp 155-6   Omit Q 1 ,7, 15   22 min 

For this to give you the best benefit, work alone with a timer.  Feel free to discuss your answers with classmates after you finish.  Bring any questions about these to me.

--------------------------------------
Thu Sep 24
Quiz #4   key
Working Ch 2, 3 problems to prepare for Exam 2
Ion size     Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+    vs Al3+
Ionization energy     slides from today
1. defining equation
2. IE1 vs IE2 etc
3. and atomic structure

WORK remaining Ch 3 as assigned on the syllabus
---------------------------------------
A practice test (taken with a timer) is suggested based on the assessment quizzes in the book.

Ch 2, Ch 3 TBD

For this to give you the best benefit, work alone with a timer.  Feel free to discuss your answers with classmates after you finish. 
Bring any questions about these to me.
---------------------------------------
Wed Sep 23 
Radioactivity Lab  (available as downloads from this www site)

---------------------------------------
Tue Sep 22
Due first thing in lecture  AR Chemistry HW #2: Solar panels near Lonoke
Due Spectroscopy lab including 3 plotted spectra
Chemistry….
   ions, common charges
Isoelectronic comparisons
Atom size
Ion size
Ionization energy     slides from today

READ: Ch 3   omitting section 3.8
WORK: Ch3 9 -35, 75-90 as assigned on the syllabus
---------------------------------------
Too many students on this past quiz made the kinds of mistakes that show they are not bothering to work and understand the assigned HW.  Sadly some of the same students still cannot do unit conversions....from Chapter E.  I am really at a loss for how to motivate you further to change this immediately.  

You can't let this class slip away; it would be a waste of your time and money.  Believe me when I say I want to help you, as does Elian, but you have to want the help. 

---------------------------------------
Thu Sep 17   Quiz #3     key
Electron configurations    slides from today
order of filling
Pauli principle
ms
Hund’s rule
Noble gas core (shorthand)
paramagnetic, diamagnetic
common T.M. exceptions
READ Ch 3   omitting section 3.8
WORK Ch 3:  41-66, 75-80, 81-84    as assigned on the syllabus
---------------------------------------
Wed Sep 16   
Spectroscopy Lab  (available as downloads from this www site)

---------------------------------------
Tue Sep 15
Quantized model of an atom:  Bohr
Quantum theory, wave/particle duality   slides for today
n, l, ml, ms
Orbital shapes and labels : s, p, d, f

READ CH 3
WORK remaining Ch 2 as assigned on the syllabus
AR Chemistry HW #2: Solar panels near Lonoke   due Sep 22
---------------------------------------
Thu Sep 10
Light and matter       This is a great video illustrating the emission of light by gaseous atoms.   
nu, lambda, c     some slides from today's lecture
Planck's constant h , energy
Photoelectric effect and Photons

READ Ch 2
WORK Ch 2: 5,12,35-48,80,81,84 as assigned on the syllabus
---------------------------------------
Wed Sep 9     Ms. Jamie Freeman running labs today   jfreeman5@uca.edu    Ofc = MAN 303A
Separations Lab  (available as downloads from this www site)

Today you will be asked to give me something I've not asked for yet: Sample Calculations.
This involes you showing me the work you did to calculate two of the results from lab.
You will show me  clear work for the following two calculated answers:
1. mass of NaCl recovered
2. mass % of NaCl in your sample

Clear work means
units on all numbers
labels  (don't just say grams, say grams of something)
consistent significant digits reflecting the measurements you made and the calculation you are doing

---------------------------------------
Tue Sep 8    First Exam Ch E , 1     key      100, 95, 95, 91 <69.5> 27, 20    Exam 1 comments
My best advice on how to do well on Exam 1
What will be provided:

Not provided:   equations for density or average atomic mass

---------------------------------------
A practice test (taken with a timer) is suggested based on the assessment quizzes in the book.

Provide yourself a copy of the English to metric conversions and a periodic table.  That's it.

Ch E p 27   Omit Q's 1, 3-5 (I will not ask these on your first Exam).    16 min  Show your work
Ch 1 p 66  Omit 4 & 6    30 min Show your work

For this to give you the best benefit, work alone with a timer.  Feel free to discuss your answers with classmates after you finish.  Bring any questions about these to me.

-------------------------------------
Thu Sep 3
Quiz #2   key   Specifically over Ch1: 69-92 as assigned on the syllabus
Avogadro   VIR #3
  Why such a large number?
  What that ridiculous number specifically?
Molar mass  VIR #4                   bring these to practice in lecture

WORK all Ch 1 as listed on the syllabus. 

I cannot meet you tomorrow at 4 pm.  I will be in my office from 930 am to 12 noon . 
Sorry for this change.  Please do bring your questions by before you leave campus.

5 pm Study session will be Elian Mondragon in MAN 101.

---------------------------------------

Ga isotope example work from lab

---------------------------------------
Wed Sep 2
Density lab (available as downloads from this www site)
Come prepared

---------------------------------------
Tue Sep 1
Due first thing in lecture  AR Chemistry HW: Toxic Shot
Due first thing Measurements lab with spreadsheets pages STAPLED
P E N     some slides from today's lecture
Oil drop, atomic model
A and Z notation
Isotopes     some isotope slides
Average atomic mass, % natural abundance

WORK Ch 1: 69-92 as assigned on the syllabus

---------------------------------------
Thu  Aug 27
Quiz #1     key

Quiz 1 comment:  Some are using "g" to represent gallons.  Don't.  "g" is grams only in this bldg and "gal" is gallons.  You can see in the errors they make what happens when they confuse "g" for gallons and "g" for grams.   Some people are not writing fractions with clear top numerator and bottom denominator, as you see me do every day in lecture.  They are using the compact notaton like 0.74 kg/L in calculation leading to predictable errors in calculations.

 (s) (l) (g) quiz
Dalton's laws
atom, element, compound, mixture   don't ever confuse these terms
P E N     some slides from today's lecture
Bring a copy of AR Chemistry HW: Toxic Shot to class  Due Tue Sep 1 in lecture

WORK   Ch 1  :   5-7, 35-52, 59-68, 132, 133 as assigned on the syllabus
READ Ch 1
---------------------------------------
Official office hours and study sessions posted on course main page 

Use this time!  You paid for it.
---------------------------------------
Wed Aug 26
Measurements lab (available as downloads from this www site)
Come prepared

---------------------------------------
Emergency Textbook Grants

Students should visit uca.edu/go/TextbookGrant and complete the online application. There will be an application period from August 17 - 28, 2026, or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply:

Available funds are limited, and applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Award decisions, including what constitutes exceptional need, will be determined by a committee representing the Offices of Student Advocacy & Community, Financial Aid, and Student Accounts.

--------------------------------------
Scientific notation using a generic scientific calculator

Scientific notation using a TI-84 calculator
---------------------------------------
Tue Aug 25
Two practice problems     Don't look at the answers until you have attempted these problems.
   1. pages covering table      answer      
  2. mass of one piece of paper       answer    
T  units
Density VIR #1 T dep video (demo)    
Using density       My work for the Uranium scuba tank comparison

Comments re. the U example:

There is no doubt the stockpile has the volume 21,583 cm3.  And there is no doubt that 409 kg would represent about 16 cylinders weighing 25 kg.
Where I got lost was in comparing it to the scuba tank.  The caption (drawn from the article) implies that each cylinder is the size of a scuba tank.
But based on my estimate, one scuba tank would be the size of the WHOLE stockpile.  See that the caption never says how WIDE the cylinders are, only how long.

In the end, I feel that our calculations gave us a good feel for the situation, that over 900 lbs of U would have the volume of about one large scuba tank.  Each of the 16 cylinders must be much narrower in size than the scuba tank.

WORK the prelab for Wed's lab
WORK Ch E remaining as assigned on the syllabus
READ ahead Ch 1 for Thu
COMPLETE  survey of preferred times for study sessions    Times are emerging.  If you want any say, participate!

Plan ahead for Quiz #1 on Thu by working assigned HW.

---------------------------------------

Observations after ~ 5 days that will impact your success in this class come December

---------------------------------------

Mon Aug 24 (5 pm) OR Tue Aug 25 (6 pm) 

Supplemental Instruction in MAN 101
Read the section in the syllabus re. this useful resource.

---------------------------------------

Office of student success.  Your tuition paying for this great advice and help.

https://uca.edu/studentsuccess/

---------------------------------------
Chemical & Engineering News   (C&ENews)   Available to you online through the UCA library link here
I get lots of our general interest chemistry stories from this weekly publication.

---------------------------------------

Thu  Aug 20    Each day you will find a list of topics to be discussed in lecture including some slides we will use that day.
EAA, Safezone (app)      WATCH Desrochers going over the syllabus and website (8:57)
units and prefixes (must know kilo-, centi-, milli-, others given)       Hg/Al video from today's lecture
intuition for common units      figures on unit intuition         more figures from lecture
English to metric always  given  (you will  get a copy of a table like this all the time)
problem solving approaches

TO DO  before our next class period
Read: Ch E    Work Ch E:  24-41 as assigned on the syllabus
TO DO  now
    WATCH this introductory video  (13:49) about me and my expectations of you
    COMPLETE  survey of preferred times for study sessions 
    CLICK all over my website and BrSp page so you know locations of ALL course resources.
    SEND questions, concerns about the class, the book, my website, etc. to Desrochers