Determination of Molar Mass by Freezing Point Depression is now available on my website.

I’ve posted some new handouts to help you with the transition metal/coordination compounds topic. I’ve posted a reference guide for Inorganic Nomenclature. Also I would like you to read this article: A millennial overview of transition metal chemistry and answer the questions of this worksheet (answers are given at the end of the worksheet but please try to answer the questions on your own first!)

To prepare for the quiz on Thursday please make sure you can do the following:

1. Write electronic configurations for the first row of the transition metals

2. Give the MOST COMMON oxidation states for the first row of the transition metals.

3. Determine the oxidation state of a metal in a coordination compound.

4. Identify if a ligand is monodentate, bidentate or polydentate.

5. Apply the rules for nomenclature of coordination compounds to convert from formulas to names and names to formulas. (Do all the homework problems available on this topic – practice!)

6. Answer questions about periodic trends for transition metals. (section 23.1)

7. Determine if a tranistion metal is paramagnetic or diamagnetic.

8. Visually identify inorganic compounds on this page by color.

9. Answer questions about metallic behavior and reducing strength.

10. Discuss the toxicity of mercury.

The quiz covers the material in Chapter 23 from the beginning until the end of sample problem 23.3. It does not cover section 23.2. There is a lot of information in these few pages – so read them carefully and take notes!!

Exam Two

Chapter Six

All types of problems with PV=nRT and P₁V₁/T₁=P₂V₂/T₂

Problems about gas density and the relationship to molar mass.

Graham’s Law of effusion (relationship with rate of effusion and molar mass)

The general conditions required for ideal gas behavior.

Description of common gases (as listed on worksheet)

Chapter Seven

Frequency/Wavelength conversions

Identification of areas of the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Who’s who in atomic theory

Relationship between energy and wavelength/frequency

Three main experiments: Photoelectric Effect, Blackbody Radiation and Emission/Absorption Spectra

Quantum numbers and relationship to properties of orbitals (size, shape, orientation in space)

Aufbau principle (1s²2s²…)

Chapter Eight and Nine

Lewis dot structures

Periodic Properties: size and ionization energy

VSEPR Theory

Formal Charge

Shape and polarity of molecules

A special thanks to those students who stayed late yesterday to put in some extra time working on chemistry concepts. This opportunity will be repeated November 30th.

Due to a building evacuation (which was necessary according to protocol but which was precipitated by a hoax) we had to cancel our class. I will make the necessary adjustments to the syllabus and post the changes sometime this evening. In the meantime please enjoy your halloween holiday and study for the quiz – which will be given on Wednesday. The building is open now and all classes are proceeding as scheduled.

I’ve posted a quiz. It covers the entire chapter so some questions would best be considered after the exam – ones related to Gibb’s Free Energy, Equilibrium, etc. Anyway, here is the link:

Electrochemistry Practice Quiz

I haven’t posted the answers yet. Email me if you have questions you are not sure how to answer.

The quiz on Wednesday will conver periodic trends and Lewis Dot Structures. Know about atomic and ion size trends so that you can put atoms/ions in order by size. Know about ionization energy trends. Know how to write Lewis Dot Structures.

This homework sheet is very important! Be sure to go over it. http://justonly.com/chemistry/chem201/students/handouts/lewis_practice01.pdf

I’ve created a new handout summarizing the rules for assigning oxidation numbers to the atoms in chemical compounds. Chemistry 203 students should use this for review. It will be very important to have the rules memorized before beginning electrochemistry.

I’ve created a new video from problem number nine on the last quiz. In this video I work out a problem involving Ksp. Here are the relevant links:

Video Library

Part One Ksp

Part Two Ksp

I am posting this message to let you know I will be in my office Monday morning – but there won’t be a scheduled study group. You are welcome to come on by if you have any questions – I’ll be working on grading and the usual organizing of paperwork. Lab notebooks are due on Monday so if you have any questions about your notebooks that  would be another reason to drop by and see me. Enjoy your weekend and think about chemistry!

And please enjoy this phenomenal gallery: http://www.asylumresearch.com/Gallery/Gallery.shtml

A problem solving session for thermodynamics problems will take place in my office from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 19th for Chem 203 students. All are invited.

If you are still trying to wrap your thoughts around the first and second laws of thermodynamics – try watching this puppet show.

The latest issue of Journal of Chemical Education contains a fun puzzle that will help you learn the names of the chemical elements and the names of the bones.

Download Activity

This activity is from: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed200231g

I will be holding a small group study session in my office on Monday morning from 9:30 until 11:30. The session will focus on the following topics:

1. solving problems related to any of the gas laws (bring the problem you wish to see solved to the study session)

2. practice using the equations λ=c/ν and E=hν

3. practice writing electronic configurations for ANY atom – not just the easy ones (1s²2s² etc.)

All are invited! Hope to see you there.

It happens to everyone, myself included. The brain crash. The quiz was difficult because it included problems that used the quadratic formula and the first problem was a combined Ksp, Kf problem. It takes nerves of steel to do these problems.

As I promised I’ve adjusted the syllabus and we will take another quiz on this topic on Tuesday – and it will go MUCH better. Why? One reason is that I’ve created a video in two parts that will show you exactly how to solve the first problem on the quiz. You can stop and start the video. You can email me any questions you have about the solution. (Why couldn’t I solve this problem in class on Thursday – a simple sign error – I added when I should have subtracted. It is always the little things!).

So download the new syllabus, watch the video, and come to class on Tuesday ready to solve these problems!

Syllabus

Video Part One

Video Part Two

Video Library

I created these videos with Camtasia. I believe the technology used is “Flash” so they may not work on platforms that do not support “Flash”. Hopefully with computers everywhere you will find a way to watch them.

A second boot camp evening will be scheduled for November 30th, 2011. This boot camp will also give students a chance to raise quiz scores. More details about topics covered will be provided soon.

This local event is well worth attending:

http://www.iit.edu/csl/phy/lederman_lecture

I want to give students who are struggling because of lack of preparation for this course a chance to show what you’ve learned since we started. Wednesday November 2nd is a proposed date for a boot camp experience. We would begin at 6 PM, go over Chapters One and Two step by step. At the end of the review students would be able to take a new version of quiz one and quiz two! We would end by 9:30 PM. It won’t be easy – you must learn this material – but it just might raise your quiz grades and it is a good way to stay in shape for the final exam. Let me know if you plan to attend.