Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Chemistry 100 is a one term introductory chemistry class for students who are interested in the subject or need it for their degree. It also helps to prepare the student for successful entry to general college chemistry courses. The lecture portion of the course meets three hours per week and presents basic chemical principles, computations and selected topics of interest relating chemistry to the modern world. The laboratory period meets three hours per week and provides the student with an opportunity to have a hands-on experience of concepts presented in class as well as introduces them to simple laboratory techniques. The course is transferable as general science credit.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Apply introductory chemical concepts and reasoning using the language of chemistry through the demonstration of an emerging ability to use effective written and/or oral communication.

• Explain at an emerging level how introductory chemistry impacts the natural and technological environments.

• Use detailed data collection, analysis and collaborative skills in order to explore introductory chemical principles, critically evaluate models, draw conclusions and communicate results at an emerging level.

• Solve problems encountered in introductory chemistry using appropriate computational and reasoning skills demonstrating an emerging understanding of chemical principles and collaborative skills.

At the beginning of the course, the instructor will detail the methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for assigning a course grade. The methods may include one or more of the following tools: examinations, quizzes, homework assignments, laboratory write-ups, research papers, small group problem solving of questions arising from application of course concepts and concerns to actual experience, oral presentations, or maintenance of a personal lab manual.
At least two written lecture examinations, including the final examination, are scheduled during the term. Nonscheduled quizzes may occasionally be given at the discretion of the instructor. Written examinations include typical problems encountered in previous class work and laboratory. Since this is a preparatory course, the student's competency in mathematical topics is important to completion of the course.

Nature of Science

• Distinguish between the scientific meanings for hypothesis and theory.

• Create a hypothesis that provides an explanation for natural phenomena..

• Given a graph, draw conclusions regarding trends in the data.

• Given data, be able to formulate evidence-based conclusions.

• Given a description of an experiment, the student should be able identify the dependent and independent variables and the controls. 

Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative data and how to use each to draw conclusions .

Measurement and data analysis

• Given a set of data containing two related quantities, construct an appropriately labeled and scaled hand-drawn graph.  (Benchmark: 85%)

•  Critically assess information sources such as news media, internet sites, popular magazines, and peer-reviewed journals.

•  Critically assess risks and benefits of chemistry-related choices that impact the personal, community, and environmental health.

• Given a source of information, determine whether the author is an expert in the field and if the information is peer reviewed.

Matter 

• Given a particle level picture, macroscopic description, or chemical symbol classify the type of matter.  (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given a property of matter, classify as physical or chemical. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Classify changes in matter as physical or chemical on the particle level. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Relate macroscopic, particle level and symbolic representation of matter.
   

Conservation of mass and energy

• Explain how conservation of energy is demonstrated by common processes (such as metabolizing food and then exercising, generating electricity from fossil fuels, solar energy warming the atmosphere before escaping into space) and identify the different types of energy interconverted in these processes. 

• Explain how conservation of matter is demonstrated by common processes (such as the carbon from fossil fuels becoming the carbon in carbon dioxide during combustion, the nitrogen from fertilizers becoming nitrate pollutants in natural waterways). 

• Apply conservation of matter to particle level representations of chemical reactions to balance those reactions. 

 Structure of atoms

• Name the three subatomic particles and provide their relative mass, charge, and location in the atom. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Convert between a chemical species and the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons.  (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given two or more chemical species determine if they are isotopes.  (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the name or symbol of an element and a periodic table, identify if the element is a metal, nonmetal, or metalloid. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the name or symbol of an element and a periodic table, identify if the element is a main-group element or a transition metal. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the name or symbol of an element and a periodic table, identify the period and group number of the element on an exam. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the name or symbol of an element and a periodic table, identify if that element is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, halogen, noble gas, or none of these on an exam. (Benchmark: 85%)

 Chemical structure and bonding 

• Given the symbol for a monatomic (of a fixed-charge) ion correctly write the systematic name. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the systematic name for a monatomic (of a fixed-charge) ion correctly write the symbol. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the name of an ionic compound (containing fixed-charge ions), write the formula. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the formula of an ionic compound (containing a fixed-charge ions), write the name. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the name of a binary covalent inorganic compound, write the formula. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Given the formula of a binary covalent inorganic compound, write the name. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Predict the charge of monatomic main group ions.  (Benchmark: 85%)

• Describe ionic compounds as an extended three dimensional array, lattice structure, versus discrete molecules in covalent compounds.   (Benchmark: 85%)

• Explain that the formula of an ionic compound specifies the ratio of cations to anions, while the molecular formula specifies the number of atoms in the molecule. (Benchmark: 85%)

• Differentiate between aqueous solutions of ionic and covalent compounds. (Benchmark: 85%)

•  Given a simple molecular formula (e.g. CH4, CO2, SO2, etc.), be able to draw the corresponding Lewis Structure. (this will help with CH102)

Chemical reactions 

• Recognize physical evidence that a chemical reaction has occurred. (Benchmark: 85%) 

• Identify if a chemical equation is balanced or not. 

• Given a (very simple) unbalanced chemical equation balance the equation (Benchmark: 85%)

 Climate and the Environment (chemistry in our everyday lives)

• Sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gases

• Impact of global warming on nature and people’s lives and relate to personal life

• How historical temperature and CO2 levels are determined

• Describe and different sources of energy (fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, solar, etc)