Chemistry 352 Syllabus

Instructor: David Harvey
Office: Julian 354
Phone: 658-4608 (office)
Phone: 653-2685 (home)
E-Mail: harvey@depauw.edu

Class Meetings: MW from 2:00 – 2:50 in Julian 372

Quick Links: Course Goals, Textbook and Other Required Materials, Course Mechanics, Grading, Policy on Late Work, Policy on Attendance, Office Hours, Academic Dishonesty

Click here for a printable copy of the syllabus.

Analytical chemistry is commonly thought of as the area of chemistry responsible for qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. This description is insufficient, however, because it fails to recognize that almost all chemists analyze samples. The craft of analytical chemistry does not lie in completing an analysis, but in creating the analysis. A simple example illustrates the importance of this difference. At the end of the 19th century analytical chemists developed a host of chemical tests for identifying inorganic species functional groups in organic compounds. By the 1950s, such “spot tests” were no longer covered in the analytical curriculum, but were an important part of the laboratory curriculum in inorganic and organic chemistry. Meanwhile, analytical chemists in the 1950s and 1960s were busy developing IR, NMR, and MS as new tools for functional group analysis and structure determination; now these methods are more frequently covered in the organic and inorganic curricula.

So, what is analytical chemistry? A better definition is that analytical chemistry is the science of chemical measurements. Analytical chemists work to improve established methods of analysis, to extend existing methods of analysis to new types of samples, to develop new methods of analysis, and to develop more powerful tools for data analysis. The curriculum at DePauw recognizes the diversity of analytical chemistry by dividing it into three areas:

• "Chemometrics" - the study of mathematical techniques to chemical analysis
• "Analytical equilibria" - the study of analytical methods, including titrimetry, extractions and chromatography
• "Instrumental analysis" - a catch-all category for other analytical techniques, such as spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and kinetic methods
• "Method development" - the process by which analytical methods are created, optimized, and validated

Course Goals. The goal of Chem 352 is to understand the application of equilibrium chemistry to the quantitative analysis of samples. To accomplish this we will study:

• equilibrium chemistry, including approximate and exact solutions to equilibrium problems
• the separation of analytes from interferents using equilibrium-based extractions
• the use of titrimetry as a means of quantitatively characterizing samples
• the use of chromatographic and electrophoretic methods for separating and analyzing complex mixtures

Textbook and Other Required Materials. The textbook for the course is Modern Analytical Chemistry, which is available from the Fine Print Bookstore in downtown Greencastle and the campus bookstore. This also is the textbook for Chem 351 (Chemometrics), Chem 353 (Instrumental Analysis) and Chem 450 (Method Development). Purchasing the textbook is optional and a copy is available on reserve in Prevo Library. Additional resources are available at the course's web site.

Course Mechanics. We will approach the course in three parts, each finishing with a "final" exam. The first part covers the basic theory of equilibrium chemistry. The second part of the course covers two important analytical applications of equilibrium chemistry: titrimetry and liquid-liquid extractions. Chromatographic and electrophoretic separations make up the third part of the course. See the schedule page for an up-to-date schedule.

Grading: The three “final” exams each count for 25% of your final grade. The additional 25% of your grade comes from any or all of the following, depending upon how the spirit moves us: problem sets, mini-experiments, short papers, oral presentations, and/or participation in discussion. Grades are assigned using the following scale:

These ranges are fixed with the following caveat - At the instructor’s discretion, grades on a borderline may be moved up or down by a maximum of 1 point to account for intangible factors; thus, for example, a 79 may become an 80, or an 80 may become a 79. Intangible factors that may affect your grade include, but are not limited to, a particularly strong or weak final exam, a steady improvement or decline in performance during the term, or a particularly strong or weak contribution to the class.

Policy on Late Work. Due dates are intended to keep you from falling behind in your work. Because I value thoughtful, well-written work more than absolute deadlines, these due are intentionally flexible. There is no penalty for turning work in lat if I am still in the process of grading the assignment; however, once I finish grading an assignment, any missing work receives a grade of zero - no exceptions. Flexibility in due dates is not a license to procrastinate and abuse of this policy will result in your loss of this privilege. To take advantage of the policy you must consult with me before the assignment is due and show evidence of having made significant progress.

Class Attendance. Although I do not require attendance during class meetings, I encourage you to take advantage of class time as an opportunity to more fully engage yourself with the material. If you do need to miss class for legitimate reasons, or if you simply don't feel like coming, it is your responsibility to know and understand what was covered. Ask a classmate for a copy of his or her notes, drop by my office or visit the course's web site. We cannot take class time to review material for students who were unable to attend class.

Office Hours: I do not limit office hours to a few prescribed times scattered throughout the week. Instead, my office door is usually open and you are encouraged to stop by whenever you have free time; good times to find me are 8-11 MWF and 8-4 T. If you are uncomfortable just dropping by, or wish to ensure that I will be available, then feel free to schedule an appointment; my contact information is at the beginning of the syllabus. My home phone number is listed at the beginning of the syllabus should you need to reach me in the evenings (before 10 PM) or on the weekends.

Academic Dishonesty: Although you may make frequent use of external resources (e.g. the internet, the library, other students) when completing assignments, it is important that the work you submit represents your understanding of the assignment. Failure to do this is unethical and a serious breach of academic integrity. Be sure to review DePauw's guidelines for academic integrity, which are included in the Student Handbook. In particular, review the examples of plagiarism, which, although often unintentional, is nevertheless a serious violation that can result in a significant reduction in the grade for an assignment or for the course.