UCCS CHEM 450, Biophysical
Chemistry
Course Syllabus,
Fall 2008
Course:
Instructor:
Required:
Course description:
This course is designed to present topics normally covered in the first
semester of a two semester physical chemistry course, using biologically
relevant examples. Topics will include
thermodynamics, equilibrium, kinetics, quantum mechanics, computational
chemistry, and biomolecular structure.
Prerequisites: BIOL
111/116, PES 102 or 112, MATH 135, & CHEM 332/334.
Attendance: Attendance
is not required, but students who come to class generally do better. There may be material covered in class not in
the text. Students are responsible for
obtaining any missed materials and announced class changes. Students who miss an exam without PRIOR notification to the instructor
may be given a grade of zero. No
makeup quizzes are given but
your lowest score is automatically dropped. If you have proof that you are called to
active duty, have a University excused absence, a doctor’s note saying you
cannot attend class, or are hospitalized, you will be given
a grade on the missed quiz equivalent to the average of your other three quizzes. Most students find it helpful to briefly
review the chapter before it is covered in class, and then reread the chapter
and work problems and questions after lecture.
Final Exam: The final exam will be given on Monday, December
15th, from 1:40-4:10pm. DO
NOT plan to be gone this day. No makeup exams
(early OR late) will be given to anyone unless they meet one of the criteria
described above in the Attendance section.
Miscellaneous Information: Students are responsible for making
arrangements to drop classes, turn in student disability verification letters,
and other administrative requirements. Check the course schedule and catalog
for important dates. For the fall 2006
semester, the last day to drop this class will be NOVEMBER 3rd. I will
not sign drop slips after this date.
Students are expected to do their own work. The UCCS academic honor code will be
enforced, http://web.uccs.edu/studentconduct/academicprinciples.html.
This course syllabus and schedule are tentative and subject to change by the
instructor. The schedule is quite
aggressive, and we may not be able to cover all the material listed. If we fall behind on the material, the exams
and quizzes will be held on the same days shown on the schedule, but will cover
only the material we have done in class. You must use your UCCS email address
for all university business. I WILL NOT
REPLY TO ANY NON-UCCS EMAIL ADDRESS. When
writing e-mail, please identify your first and last name and the course
name. It would be helpful to include
something like “CHEM 450 HW question” in the subject line. Emails with unusual subject lines or
unidentifiable addresses will not be read.
Class Etiquette: PLEASE TURN OFF CELL
PHONES AND PAGERS DURING CLASS. Please
avoid talking, reading newspapers, etc. during class, as
it distracts others. In case of cancellation or late start
classes due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, coursework will be
continued in the next regular class period.
Grading:
Lecture:
will count for 100% of your final grade and includes the following:
|
3 lecture
exams @ 100 pts. |
300 pts. |
|
4
homework @ 25 pts.
|
100 pts. |
|
1 lit
presentation @ 50 pts |
50 pts. |
|
1 final exam
@ 125 pts |
125 pts. |
|
Total |
575 pts. |
Exams & Quizzes:
Three lecture exams and a final will cover material presented in class,
text reading and homework. No makeup exams are given unless you have proof that you are
called to active duty, have a University excused absence, a doctor’s note
saying you cannot attend class, or are hospitalized. In the case of short answer problems, all work
must be shown to receive credit. If the
correct answer is achieved fortuitously, partial credit may or may not be
given, depending on how the problem was approached. No quizzes will be given.
Homework: Four
homework assignments will be given for grades.
In addition, there will be suggested problems from the textbook that you
should work on in preparation for the homework assignments and the exams. The
graded homework assignments will consist of problems I write as well as some of
the suggested problems. You may work on them together, but you must turn in
your OWN paper at the start of class on the due date. Each assignment is worth
25 points, and late assignments will have 5 pts deducted for each day it late.
Grade
scale: The semester grade will be based on the
following percentages, your percentages will be
rounded to a tenth of a percent:
A = 100.0 to 91.0%
A- = 90.9% to 89.0%
B+ = 88.9% to 87.0%
B = 86.9% to 81.0%
B- = 80.9% to 79.0%
C+ = 78.9% to 77.0%
C = 76.9% to 69.0%
D = 68.9% to 59.0%
F < 59.0%
Literature
Presentation: You will
work in pairs of 2, pick a paper related to one of the topics discussed in
class, and give a 20 to 40 minute powerpoint or
chalk-talk presentation, with a question and answer session at the end. These
will be given on a Friday of your choosing, one presentation only per Friday,
and it is hoped that this will help prepare you for biology or chemistry
seminar. The grading rubric can be found at the end of the syllabus. Most
likely, both of you will receive the same grade, barring some unusual
circumstance. I will provide you with a sample of papers to choose from, or you
may choose one on your own. You are encouraged to come to me for guidance or
with questions.
Notes: Class supplements might occasionally be posted
online in my UCCS “Outbox”, which has the pathway Z:\OutBox\Chem450-F06\LectureSlides. You will need the password “chem450-f06” to
open the files.
WebCT: You will need a WebCT account to check your
grades in the course. The website is located
at http://webct.uccs.edu/webct/public/home.pl. The default password is Mmm####N, where Mmm
is the first three letters of your birth month, #### is the last four digits of
your Student ID number (NOT social security number) and N is the first letter
of your last name. This is case
sensitive and the first and last letters of the password should be capitalized.
Student Disability Services: If you have a disability for which you are requesting an accommodation,
you are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Office within the first
week of classes. The Disability Services
Office is located in Main Hall # 105. (Phone # is 262-3354.)
Suggested Problems for Chem 450
ST = Self Test,
I = Illustration
Fundamentals
Section: F.7, F.10, F. 11, F.12, F.18
Chapter 1: 1.9, 1.11, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.27,
Self-Test 1.4, (1.29 if wanting a challenge), Illustration 1.6, Example 1.3,
Self-test 1.5, Example 1.4, Self-test 1.6, 1.35
Chapter 2: 2.6, 2.7, ST 2.1, ST 2.2, 2.9, 2.10, I 2.3,
ST 2.4, 2.20, 2.22, ST2.6, 2.21, 2.23
Chapter 3: 3.7b (assume h of column = 760 mm), 3.12,
3.16, ST3.6, 3.19, 3.20, ST3.7, ST3.8, ST3.9, 3.26, 3.27, 3.30 & ST 3.11
Chapter 4: ST 4.1, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.11, 4.13, ST 4.3,
4.15, ST 4.4, ST 4.5, 4.21, ST 4.6, ST 4.7, 4.24, ST 4.9, 4.31, ST 4.11, 4.34,
ST 4.12, ST 4.13, ST 4.14, ST 4.17, 4.35
Chapter 5: EX 5.1, I 5.1, ST 5.1, 5.9, 5.11, I 5.2, ST
5.2, ST 5.3
Chapter 6: ST 6.1, 6.8, ST 6.2, 6.10, ST 6.3, 6.11, Ex
6.1 part b, ST 6.4, 6.19, 6.20, 6.21, 6.22, 6.27, 6.29, 6.34, 6.37, read Case
Study 6.1. (6.20 Hint: NO + ½ Cl2
→ NOCl)
Chapter 7: 7.8, 7.15, ST 7.1, 7.17, 7.24, ST 7.2, ST7.3
Chapter 8: None
Chapter 9:
ST9.1, ST9.5, ST9.6, ST9.8, ST9.9, read Case Study 9.4, 9.30, 9.32, 9.37, 9.39
Chapter 10:
None
This rubric may be used for self-assessment and peer feedback. The project grade will be based upon the following evaluation scale:
A - Exemplary: 44.5-50 points
B - Proficient: 39.5-44.4 points
Partially Proficient or Incomplete: Needs to be redone - less than 39.5 points
PowerPoint Rubric
|
ACTIVITY |
Exemplary |
Proficient |
Partially
Proficient |
Incomplete |
POINTS |
|
|
Introduction |
10 points The introduction presents the overall topic
and draws the audience into the presentation with compelling questions or by
relating to the audience's interests or goals. |
7 points The introduction is clear and coherent and
relates to the topic. |
4 point The introduction shows some structure but
does not create a strong sense of what is to follow. May be overly detailed
or incomplete and is somewhat appealing to the audience. |
0 points The introduction does not orient the
audience to what will follow. The sequencing is unclear and does not
appear interesting or relevant to the audience. |
|
|
|
Scientific Merit |
10 points The content is presented clearly and
concisely with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information. The presentation gives the audience a clear
sense of the project’s main idea. Information is accurate, current and comes mainly from primary sources such as
journal articles. |
7 points The content is presented with a logical
progression of ideas and supporting information. Includes persuasive information from
reliable sources. |
4 points The content is vague and does not create a
strong sense of purpose. Includes some persuasive information with
few facts. Some of the information may not seem to
fit. Sources used appear unreliable, mainly
websites. |
0 points The content lacks a clear and logical
sequence of information. Includes little information and only one or
two facts about the topic. Information is incomplete, out of date
and/or incorrect. Sequencing of ideas is unclear. |
|
|
|
Slide Readability |
10 points The fonts are easy-to-read and point size
varies appropriately for headings and text. Use of italics, bold, and indentations
enhances readability. Text is appropriate in length for the
target audience and to the point. The background and colors enhance the
readability of text. |
7 points Sometimes the fonts are
easy-to-read, but in a few places the use of fonts, italics, bold,
long sentences, color or busy background detracts and does not enhance
readability. |
4 points Overall readability is difficult with lengthy
sentences on the slides, too many different fonts, dark or busy background,
overuse of bold or lack of appropriate indentations of text. Makes the presentation look somewhat
illogical, or out of sequence. |
0 points The text is extremely difficult to read
with long blocks of text and small point size of fonts, inappropriate
contrasting colors, poor use of headings,
subheadings, indentations, or bold formatting. |
|
|
|
Layout and Delivery of Presentation, including Citations |
10 points The layout is visually pleasing and
contributes to the overall message with appropriate use of headings,
subheadings and white space. Scientific ideas presented in a clear, orderly
fashion at a level that is appropriate for the audience. Transition between
ideas flows smoothly. Sources of information are properly cited so that the
audience can determine the credibility and authority of the information
presented. All sources of information are clearly identified
and credited using citations throughout. |
7 points The layout uses is structured
appropriately. Some misuse of headings, subheadings or white space. Ideas
presented mostly in a logical, easy to follow sequence, may have a couple of
spots where it was hard for the audience to follow or a transition was not
smooth. Most sources of information are properly cited, and sources are
documented to make it possible to check on the
accuracy of information. |
4 points The layout shows some structure, but
appears cluttered and busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or
uses a distracting background. Ideas presented in a mostly logical sequence,
but may have some gaps in jumping from topic to topic, slide transitions not
smooth. Sometimes copyright guidelines are followed and some information,
photos and graphics do not use proper citations. |
0 points The layout is cluttered, confusing, and
does not use spacing, headings and subheadings to enhance the readability. No
way to check validity of information. |
|
|
|
Graphics, Sound and/or Animation |
10 points The graphics, sound and/or animation assist
in presenting an overall theme and enhance understanding of concept, ideas
and relationships. All images enhance the content. There is a consistent visual theme. |
7 points The graphics, sound/and or animation
visually depict material and assist the audience in understanding the flow of
information or content. Original images are used. Images are proper size, resolution. |
4 point Some of the graphics, sounds, and/or
animations seem unrelated to the topic/theme and do not enhance the overall
concepts. Most images are clipart or recycled from
the web (not counting journal articles). Images are too large/small in size. Images are poorly cropped or the
color/resolution is fuzzy. |
0 points The graphics,
sounds, and/or animations are unrelated to the content. Graphics do not enhance understanding of
the content, or are distracting decorations that create a busy feeling and
detract from the content. Not enough graphics used to increase
understanding. |
|
|
|
|
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|
TOTAL POINTS |
/50 |
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