Instructor:	Lab Coordinator:
Dr. Wolfgang Bertsch	Ms. Marcy Whitney
225 Lloyd Hall	247 Lloyd Hall
348-6381 wbertsch@bama.ua.edu	348-8441 marcymcd@bama.ua.edu

Office Hours: Monday 12:00-1:00, Tuesday 11:00-12:00 and by appointment. You are encouraged to use e-mail.

General Course Goals:

CH-108 is a continuation of CH-107. It is designed for non-science majors. As in CH 107, mathematics are kept at a minimum. The course covers a wide area of chemistry, ranging from nuclear reactions to plastics. Even though the material is different from what was covered in CH-107, it is necessary to rely on some of the concepts presented earlier. CH-107 (or equivalent) is therefore a prerequisite for CH 108. In some instances, this requirement can be waived. Please check with me.

The major context for our continued exploration into chemistry is the evaluation of how chemistry affects each one of us on a personal level and how it influences society at large. We will learn to analyze data and develop critical judgment skills. Knowledge is being drawn from a variety of fields which overlap with chemistry, such as medicine, nuclear physics and many other areas of interest. The evaluation and interpretation of data is a particularly important skill. We are all used to look at charts in newspapers and other media. The purpose of tables and charts is obviously to convey information and convince you of the correctness of a particular issue. Even though a chart is usually intended to get only one major point across, much additional information can often be ascertained from cleverly presented charts and figures. We will try to extract as much information as we can and, more importantly, develop the skills necessary to assess the validity of incorrect or speculative information presented to us. Not everything that is printed or presented on radio/television is necessarily correct or meaningful. In the end, all of us have to make choices. In a rapidly changing world, we must learn how to adapt and take advantage of a variety of information resources. Our textbook is only one of them. We will branch out and use other sources such as newspaper articles, magazine features, the scientific literature and the Internet. You will be given an introduction of the use of these resources right at the beginning of the semester. I will do my best to facilitate learning inside and outside of the classroom. Below are suggestions that may be useful to optimize learning and the transfer of information.

Concepts of Efficient Learning:

The points below will help you to find the optimal balance between the use of your textbook and other learning activities, inside and outside of the classroom. Your textbook is one of the most modern and up-to-date sources available on the market, but it is not perfect. Freshman chemistry books are generally too comprehensive and our text is no exception. We will put much emphasis on the fundamentals of science rather than on specific details or narrow issues. I will make an effort to tell you which concepts are important and what can be left alone, for now. To this end, it is important that you bring your book to every lecture. I will, for example, tell you to focus on the first paragraph of chapter 7.2 on page 270. It is probably a good idea to make some notes of what is being emphasized during class, or use a highlighter. I can speak a lot faster than you can write and this is a good way to prioritize material. I will make only sporadic use of the blackboard. Typically, I will write down a key phrase or short structure and then proceed to explain the issue without writing everything down. I will, however clearly state where the information comes from and support the concept with overheads. We will thus try to keep the "busy work" (copying information from the board, etc.) to a minimum and use our brains. Our text has some interesting additional components. We will tie into the Internet and combine conventional teaching and with new fangled developments.

Classroom Attendance:

There is a strong and direct correlation between the final outcome (your grade) and classroom attendance. Students who normally perform at the C and D level particularly benefit from regular classroom attendance. Please note that bits of material not covered in the text book will occasionally be introduced. Please note that some of the problems worked in class will appear on the exam ver batim. If you don't come to class, you obviously will not be able to answer exam questions relating to this supplementary information. The class will be small enough to allow direct student/teacher interaction. I will be able to ask each one of you questions in class. After the 2nd or 3rd class, I will ask one of my teaching assistants to prepare a seating chart. Please select a seat and keep the same seat throughout the class. To encourage participation, I will attempt to ask during each class period 5-10 questions on the material being covered. I will use my class roll and call out names at random. If you are not present or are asleep, I will record a minus (-). If you are present but have no idea at all, you will receive a check mark (Ã). A halfway correct or imaginative answer will get you a plus (+). Good classroom performance will be rewarded in the form of extra points to be added to the grades earned from the tests, laboratory and home assignments (see examinations, grading). Please try to work with me.

Homework, the Use of Computers, Help Sessions:

There is no formal requirement to turn in homework. You should however try to work as many problems as you have time for. The book has several categories of problems you can work on. The two must useful are "My Turn" (embedded throughout the text) and "Emphasizing Essentials" (at the end of each chapter). The categories "Concentrating on Concepts" and "Exploring Extensions" are interesting exercises. These problems should prompt you to use your judgment and are thus open to a variety of different interpretations. You are encouraged to use a computer whenever possible. In CH-108, a computer is necessary in two major areas.

• The book leans heavily on the concurrent use of the Internet. Web icons alert the student to web based activities within the text, i.e. reference is made to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) web site on page 296. The main value of web based learning is that it gives you a real time perspective. It should be fun to play with the system and expand your horizon at the same time. This is additional reading. Exam questions will not be based on the use of this resource.
  
• The text has a few specific programs that can be downloaded from the publisher's server. Read the top of page xvi of your book. The web site for our book is www.mhhe.com/cic. You can download the appropriate information. After you log on, use Students to get into the program. The actual password is Student. You will have to download additional programs once you get past this point.

We will not have weekly recitals, unless you, the student requests something along this line. I will offer a help session sometime in the evening hours approximately one week prior to each exam. We will be very informal during the help sessions and you can ask everything that comes to mind or work a zillion problems. We will agree on dates by general consensus. Attendance is completely voluntary.

Home Assignments:

As in CH-107, you are asked to hand in two assignments (details below). The first assignment is a position paper on a broad issue, the second focuses on a specific topic of narrow interest. Each assignment will use a different type of resource. Please pay attention to the instruction below.

First Assignment. Format, Content and Instructions:

Use the library as the only source of information. Pick from one of the topics below: They deal with a broad issue.

• The Hanford nuclear reactor fallout. Are there any easy solutions?
• Cold fusion. What is the fuzz all about?
• The Chernobyl incident. Could it happen in the USA?
• Suitcase size atomic weapons. Fact or fiction?
• Nuclear nonproliferation. Do we have a right to be the world's policeman?

The idea behind this library based exercise into learn about a concept in chemistry and explore its relative merits. As with most controversial issues, there are people that strongly support one particular concept whereas others fight it tooth and nail. Your role is to examine the issues, put the parts together, and write a position paper, balancing benefits and risks. I am interested in the reasons why you support one or the other position. Please keep in mind that risks and benefits are not necessarily limited to financial issues.

Format:

The paper should be typed double spaced, 10-12 size font, 5-7 pages, total (including front page). It should include:

• Front page: List course name, number, your name, e-mail address, and the title.
• Introduction: (1/2 - 1 page). The introduction should frame the topic and state the various positions that one can take. It should include 5-8 references. These references should be numbered in the text but the actual reference should only be listed at the end of the paper in the reference section. Please make sure that references are listed sequentially going from lowest to highest. Once a reference is listed, you can come back to it.
• Discussion: (2 1/2 - 3 2/1 pages). This is the main body of the paper. You will develop the concept and present arguments for or against. You should not introduce new references at this point but may refer back to the references listed already in the introduction to bolster your point.
• References: (1/4 - 1/3 page). You will list the references numerically. Use the following format. 1.    Doe, Jane P., Long Term Storage of Nuclear Waste, Nature, 16 (1996) 225. This means that Jane P. Doe published this article in volume 16 of the journal Nature which appeared in 1996. The article starts at page 225. Please remember that the purpose of references is to allow someone else to retrieve the same article from a library.

Please use a spell checker. Proper English (no slang) is required. If you are skilled in the use of computer software you can import a table or figure from one of the references or make your own presentation. (Please be sure to give a reference if you use someone else's work).

The first assignment is due on March 15 at the end of class.

Second Assignment. Format, Content and Instructions:

Use the Internet as the only source of information. Please pick from one of the topics below.

• Artificial hearts powered by minature atomic reactors. Fact or fiction?
• "Dirty atomic bombs." Should we be worried about such devices?
• Nuclear isotopes in medicine. Are they safe?
• Nuclear devices in space. What is the fuzz all about?
• Food and radioactivity. Are there safety issues?

The key to this project is to successfully surf the Internet and make critical decisions about the value of information provided from various sources. Remember that reports in the scientific literature (i.e. books, and articles in libraries) generally undergo a review process which weeds out ridiculous ideas. On the other hand, everybody can push just about anything on the Internet, no matter how outrageous or offensive. There are many groups and individuals who have political agendas. It is your job to separate "the wheat from the chaff".

The topic of this second assignment should be much more narrow than the broad area discussed in assignment 1. It should ideally focus on a single timely event. The reference list should only contain web site addresses. The second assignment is due at the end of the 3rd exam on May 9.

Examinations, Grading:

Your final grade will be based on the best two out of three hourly exams, 2 home assignments, and a laboratory grade, as follows:

2 one hour exams:	30 pts. each	60 pts. total
2 home assignments:	10 pts. each	20 pts. total
laboratory	20 pts. total	20 pts. total
Classroom participation:	0-3 pts.	0-3 pts. total

The final exam will be a regular 1-hour exam which only covers the last third of the materials (in other words: it is not comprehensive).

The format of the one-hour exams is as follows:

There will be 30 questions, 15 each of the multiple choice and essay type. Essay type questions require a calculation, an explanation, or the interpretation of a figure. They can usually be answered in a single sentence. 10-20% of the essay type question will come directly from the problems within the text or from the problem sections at the end of each chapter. In other words, if you work the problems, you can answer 10-20% of the essay type question. Additional questions come from the examples presented in class. A bonus will be offered also. The bonus will likely come from one of the problem extensions at the end of a chapter. It will be relatively difficult and thus should be answered last. There will be an additional bonus for classroom participation (see statement in classroom participation). Up to 3 points can be added to the final grade for a possible total of 103 points.

Please note that you must present a valid excuse for any examination missed, such as a doctor's statement or an obituary (or a wedding invitation, in rare circumstances). I will be flexible if you can present a strong and verifiable argument. You must see me before of immediately after a missed exam. Each late assignment carries a penalty of 1 point for each day, down to a minimum of 5 points. Grades will normally not be "curved."

Please note that we will not use a "plus/minus" system. Grades assigned will be straight letter grades. Grades will normally not be "curved". I will, however, be flexible where the line is drawn. You need to bring a calculator and your ACT card to each examination.

Academic Honesty:

The rules set forth by The University of Alabama apply. Please note that the use of "research paper mills" that offer research papers on a variety of topics will likely get you into trouble. Please be aware that there is a possibility to check for plagiarism. Between 70% and 80% of custom research papers are now searchable by computer using pattern recognition software. I have the possibility to run your research paper against a large data base and obtain a similarity index. Don't do anything foolish.

Disability Accommodation:

If you require disability accommodations, please contact Disability Services at the Center of Teaching and Learning (348-4285).