Course Information
| Course Title: | Principles of Chemistry |
| Course Code: | CHMU 102 |
| Credits: | 3 credits |
| Credit Provider: | UMass Global |
| Grading Mode: | Standard letter grade |
| Proctored Final: |
Yes |
Textbook Requirement:
Free Digital Textbook! The textbook needed for this course is free.
Textbook: Chemistry: Atoms First by OpenStax.
Textbook link:
https://openstax.org/details/books/chemistry-atoms-first-2e
Course Description
This is the LECTURE part of Principles of Chemistry only, you must add the LAB as a separate course if you want both the lecture and the lab.
Presents an introduction to chemistry and chemical laboratory techniques covering the basic principles and applications of chemistry. Designed for general education and students in programs that require a chemistry background. Topics include metric and English conversions, atomic theory, solution preparation and their properties, chemical reactions, inorganic chemical nomenclature, bonding, periodic table, mass relationships and acid/base theory.
Free Digital Textbook! The textbook needed for this course is free.
Textbook: Chemistry: Atoms First by OpenStax.
Textbook link:
https://openstax.org/details/books/chemistry-atoms-first-2e
Prerequisite: Intermediate Algebra suggested.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to:
- Convert numeric values from the Metric system to the English system and vice versa.
- Use dimensional analysis to perform mathematical conversions and solve problems involving density, energy, stoichiometry, solids, liquids, gases and solutions.
- Name and identify a variety of chemical compounds and predict their reactivity.
- Identify various chemical reactions and predict their products.
- Solve conversion problems between different concentrations such as molarity and molaltiy.
- Read medical and household chemical container labels and determine any hazards associated with existing ingredients.
- Use the Periodic Table to name household inorganic compounds.
- Analyze real-world arguments such as editorials, advertising and electronic media which involving chemical and environmental topics.
- Prepare various chemical solutions and describe their properties.
- Understand the process of osmosis and the meaning of isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic.
- Calculate the pH of acids and bases found in household products and medicines and apply this knowledge to medical and environmental concerns.
- Demonstrate real-world problem solving skills involving chemical situations encountered at home and in a medical environment.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the responsibilities of an intelligent citizen in a world with diverse cultural views including environmental, global and cultural awareness with respect to chemical topics.
Methods Of Evaluation
Course Weights
Discussions 15%
Quizzes 25%
Midterm 20%
Homework 15%
Final Exam 25%.
(You must get at least 50% on the proctored final in order to pass the class with a C or better.)
Proctored Final: 25%
This course goes towards a 4-year degree; thus, it requires a proctored final.
Students are responsible for proctoring fees.
We have an approved online proctor service that students can use if they have a web camera with their computer. This can be a laptop with a built in camera or a desktop with a web cam. This service charges $60 for group sessions and double for private sessions. A student can also be proctored at college testing center, Sylvan Learning Center, Prometric Testing center, or Pearson Vue Testing Center. No other options are available.
A valid driver's license or State ID must be shown at the testing center. An expired license or State ID will not be accepted. Use this link to help you find a college testing center or Sylvan Learning center near your home:
Proctored Final
The final exam is a comprehensive final covering all of the chapters of the course. Other than scratch paper, you may view the "
Authorized Materials" list for the final exam for each class.
*Students must obtain a 50%
or better on the final exam in order to get a C or better in the class.
The 50% rule was set in place to protect the integrity of online education by requiring a display of competency in exchange for a grade. All schools which are regionally accredited adhere to online standards. Your college is accepting this course because it goes through a regionally accredited university, which tells your college that standards have been met. Your college will not accept a class from a school that is not regionally accredited, because they know the standards won't be met.
Assessment
A 90-100 A Clearly stands out as excellent performance and, exhibits mastery of learning outcomes.
B 80-89 B Grasps subject matter at a level considered to be good to very good, and exhibits partial mastery of learning outcomes.
C 70-79 C Demonstrates a satisfactory comprehension of the subject matter, and exhibits sufficient understanding and skills to progress in continued sequential learning.
D 60-69 D Quality and quantity of work is below average and exhibits only partial understanding and skills to progress in continued sequential learning.
F 0-59 F Quality and quantity of work is below average and not sufficient to progress.
Content Menu
Chapter 1: Essential Ideas
Chapter 2: Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
Chapter 3: Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties of Elements
Chapter 4: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry
Chapter 5: Advanced Theories of Bonding
Chapter 6: Composition of Substances and Solutions
Chapter 7: Stoichiometry of Chemical Reactions
Chapter 8: Gases
Chapter 9: Thermochemistry
Chapter 10: Liquids and Solids
Chapter 11: Solutions and Colloids
Chapter 12: Thermodynamics
Chapter 13: Fundamental Equilibrium Concepts
Chapter 14: Acid-Base Equilibria
Chapter 15: Equilibria of Other Reaction Classes
Chapter 16: Electrochemistry
Chapter 17: Kinetics
Chapter 21: Organic Chemistry
Time on Task
This course is online and your participation at home is imperative. A minimum of 8 - 10 hours per week of study time is required for covering all of the online material to achieve a passing grade. You must set up a regular study schedule. You have five months of access to your online account with a thirty-day extension at the end if needed. If you do not complete the course within this time line, you will need to enroll in a second term.
Schedule
Below is the suggested time table to follow to stay on a 17 week schedule for the course. The following schedule is the minimum number of sections that need to be completed each week if you would like to finish in a regular semester time frame. You do not have to adhere to this schedule. You have five months of access plus a 30 day extension at the end if needed. You can finish the course as soon as you are able, with a minimum coursework time of at least four weeks.
| Week | Complete Chapters |
| 1 | 1 - 2 |
| 2 | 3 - 4 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 6 |
| 5 | 7 |
| 6 | 8 - 9 |
| 7 | 10 |
| 8 | Midterm |
| 9 | 11 |
| 10 | 11 |
| 11 | 12 |
| 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 14 |
| 14 | 16 |
| 15 | 17 |
| 16 | 21 |
| | Final Exam |
Code of Conduct:
It is the student's responsibility and duty to read the information below and become acquainted with all provisions of what constitutes academic misconduct involving cheating and plagiarism. Students are required to read each statement below, and the given repercussion. There are no exceptions to these policies, and the pretext of not reading each part will not be deemed as a reasonable excuse to contest the policies.
Code of Ethics:
Regulations and rules are necessary to implement for classroom as well as online course behavior. Students are expected to practice honesty, integrity and respect at all times. It is the student's responsibility and duty to become acquainted with all provisions of the code below and what constitutes misconduct.
Respectful communications:
When contacting Westcott Courses, you agree to be considerate and respectful. Communications from a student which are considered by our staff to be rude, insulting, disrespectful, harassing, or bullying via telephone, email, or otherwise will be considered a disrespectful communication and will result in a formal warning.
We reserve the right to refuse service. If we receive multiple disrespectful communications from person(s) representing the student, or the student themselves, the student will be excluded from taking future courses at Westcott Courses.
Grading information and proctored final policies:
The grading rules are put in place to protect the integrity of online education by stopping grade inflation, which is done by demanding a display of competency in exchange for a grade. By agreeing to the terms of service agreement, you agree to read the 'Grading' Policy from within your account, and the 'Proctored Final Information' page, if applicable. You have 24 hours after your first log-in to notify us if you do not agree to the grading policy and proctored final policy ( if applicable ) outlined in the pages inside of your account, otherwise it is assumed that you agree with the policies. There are no exceptions to these policies, and the pretext of not reading the pages will not be deemed as a reasonable excuse to contest the policies.
The definition of academic cheating is an act of dishonesty in order to obtain a higher grade in the course, and to gain an advantage over other students in the course.
To maintain academic standards, students are expected to practice honesty, integrity and respect at all times. Students who violate the policies of cheating, plagiarizing, or other academic misconduct will result in following actions.
1) Cheating in any way on the final exam results in an F on the final and an F in the class.
This includes, but is not limited to any form of collaboration, use of unauthorized materials, receiving or providing unpermitted assistance on the exam, using outside digital assistance such as a cell phone, tablet, ETC. to communicate with others or access outside websites, having someone else take the exam for you, taking an exam for another student, failing to stop working on the exam when the time is up.
Final exams are secure tests and the intellectual property of Westcott Courses. Taking screen shots of a digital final or copying a paper test is stealing our intellectual property and cheating. It is equivalent to stealing a copy of the final exam off an instructor's desk. When one student obtains the questions on a final, it means that other students who don't have the questions on the final are at a disadvantage. Once a final exam has been compromised it is no longer secure, and the exam is unfair for those who have not performed an act of dishonesty to gain the advantage.
Each of the infractions above represents a result of performing an act of dishonesty in order to obtain a higher grade in the course, and to gain an advantage over other students in the course. The result of any of the above offenses is an F in the course. Students who violate the above policy may retake the course after a first offense; however, a second offense will result in expulsion and students will no longer be able to take other courses at Westcott Courses.
Students are responsible for clicking on the “Proctored Final Information” link (which is on student’s Main Menu), and reviewing the list of Authorized Materials for each course's final exam. Since each course is different, the “Authorized Materials” for each final is different. For example, some courses permit notes, while others do not.
2) Plagiarism: All of the following are considered plagiarism, and will result in a zero on the plagiarized assignment, and there are no opportunities to redo the assignment.
Merriam-Webster defines plagiarism as “the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person”
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
- having somebody else write your assignment for you
- turning in an assignment that contains work that is not your own
- changing words in phrases, sentences and/or blocks of text without giving credit to the source (paraphrase)
- copying ideas, phrases, sentences or entire blocks of text without giving credit to the source
- not crediting the correct source by providing incorrect information
Plagiarism is an act of fraud, and can usually be avoided by using quotation marks and citing the source of the material. Instructors apply plagiarism software to find assignments that contain plagiarized material. Again, assignments that contain one of the above infractions will receive a zero on the assignment and the student will not have the opportunity to redo the assignment.
It is important to note that saving all your assignments to the end of the course, and then turning in multiple assignments that have been plagiarized will result in zeros on all of those assignments. This may mean that you no long have enough points in the course to pass the class. Thus, turning in assignments one at a time and waiting for instructor feedback in-between is important for learning and making sure that you maximize your possible points.
If you have questions, please read more information about plagiarism at plagiarism.org, or ask your instructor.
Other Examples of Academic Misconduct:
1) Other forms of cheating include altering an exam and submitting it for regarding, providing false excuses to postpone due dates, fabricating data or references, claiming that Westcott Courses lost your test and/or quiz scores, sending emails to Westcott claiming you did not know what you were doing was cheating.
2) Unauthorized collaboration - working with others on graded course work without specific permission of the instructor, including homework assignments, programs, quizzes and tests.
3) Copying Westcott Courses content and posting it on the internet. This includes assignments, quizzes, and tests.
By signing up for a course, you are legally signing a contract that states that the person who is named taking this course is the actual individual doing the course work and all examinations. You also agree that for courses that require proctored testing, that your final will be taken at a college testing center, a Sylvan Learning center, or at home using the online proctor. Also, the individual signed up for this course will be the one taking the test. Failure to do so will be considered a breach of Westcott Courses policies.
Important Notes:
This syllabus is subject to change and / or revision during the academic year. Students with documented learning disabilities should notify our office upon enrollment, as well as make sure we let the testing center know extended time is permitted. Valid documentation involves educational testing and a diagnosis from a college, licensed clinical psychologist or psychiatrist.
