Chemistry
CHEM 110 Chemistry of Renewable Energy (4)
Chemistry of Renewable Energy invites nonscience majors to engage in a topic that profoundly impacts our society. In this course, renewable (and non-renewable) energy sources are investigated from a scientific and critical point of view. We will study the fundamental scientific principles behind energy sources such as biofuels, solar, hydrogen, nuclear, and fossil fuels. Within this context, we shall explore the power and the limitations of the scientific method as well as the implications of our findings in political, social, economic, international, and ethical contexts. Students will have opportunities to reflect on their own attitudes towards energy usage and will engage in the local community.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Offering: Occasionally
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 111 The Chemistry of Food and the Kitchen (4)
Designed for students with little or no background in college-level science, this course examines the basic molecular-level structures and transformations associated with what we eat and how we cook. Occasional demonstrations and tastings will highlight how chemistry informs both cooking technique as well as the sensory experience of eating. In addition, guest speakers drawn from the local food and agricultural communities will share their knowledge and expertise.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Offering: Occasionally
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 115 General Chemistry I (4)
A comprehensive, one-semester introduction to the field of chemistry, stressing concepts and a semiquantitative understanding rather than detailed theory. Discussions include: chemical reactions, equations, and stoichiometry; atomic and molecular structure, chemical bonding, and molecular polarity; reactions in solutions, especially acid/base, redox, and precipitation; chemical energy including heat and enthalpy, entropy, free energy, and chemical equilibrium; electrochemical cells; the gas laws, liquids, intermolecular forces, and phase changes. Laboratory required
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Corequisite: CHEM 115Y
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 115Y General Chemistry I Laboratory (1)
- Pre or Corequisite: CHEM 115
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 116 General Chemistry II (4)
An in-depth look at the chemical phenomena that are at work in the world around us. Case studies are used to explore in further detail concepts first introduced in General Chemistry I. Discussions include: light, energy, and energy levels; electron configuration and the periodic table; bonding and bond energies; kinetics and reaction mechanisms; solubility and colligative properties; acid/base equilibria; and redox reactions. These chemical principles will be discussed in relation to environmental issues such as smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, the ozone hole; technologies such as lasers and semiconductors; and physiological phenomena such as pH regulation. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 115
- Corequisite: CHEM 116Y
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 116Y General Chemistry II Laboratory (1)
- Prerequisite: CHEM 115 and CHEM 115Y
- Pre or Corequisite: CHEM 116
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 199 Topics in Chemistry (1-4)
A semester-long study of topics in Chemistry. Topics and emphases will vary according to the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit with different topics. See the New and Topics Courses page on the Registrar’s webpage for descriptions and applicability to majors/minors in other departments.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
- Prerequisite: Topic dependent
- Offering: Occasionally
- Professor: Staff
CHEM 225 Organic Chemistry I (4)
This course introduces foundational principles governing the structure and reactivity of carbon-based compounds. Structural topics include valence bond and molecular orbital theories; resonance and delocalization; conformational analysis; and stereochemistry. Topics in reaction chemistry focus on proton-transfer reactions and substitutions at tetrahedral and trigonal planar carbons, with a strong emphasis on a mechanistic understanding of these transformations. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 116 and CHEM 116Y
- Corequisite: CHEM 225Y
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Duncan
CHEM 225Y Organic Chemistry I Lab (1)
CHEM 226 Organic Chemistry II (4)
This course builds on the foundation established in Organic Chemistry I with a strong focus on reaction chemistry: addition, elimination, pericyclic, and organometallic reactions are covered extensively. There is a continued emphasis on a mechanistic understanding of these transformations. A significant amount of time is spent covering the theory and applications of NMR spectroscopy and foundational ideas in synthetic design. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 225 and CHEM 225Y
- Corequisite: CHEM 226Y
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Duncan, Battle
CHEM 226Y Organic Chemistry II Laboratory (1)
- Prerequisite: CHEM 225 and CHEM 225Y
- Corequisite: CHEM 226
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Duncan, Battle
CHEM 230 Environmental Chemistry (4)
We will examine the fate of contaminants in a variety of environments and explore the implications for human and ecosystem health. Quantitative approaches are emphasized, including structure-activity relationships, methods of estimating chemical activity, and mass balance calculations. We will use these tools to predict how organic chemicals partition between air, water, soils/sediments, and biomass, and estimate environmental concentrations given basic information about chemical structures, transformation processes, and environmental characteristics. We will explore these topics in the context of applied problems, case studies, and a comprehensive site analysis project.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 115, and CHEM 116 or ENVS 121
- Offering: Spring Semester
- Instructor: Griffith
CHEM 291 Intermediate Research Projects (1-4)
Individual laboratory and library research projects selected in consultation with chemistry faculty.
- Prerequisite: Instructor consent
- Offering: On demand
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 299 Topics in Chemistry (1-4)
A semester-long study of topics in Chemistry. Topics and emphases will vary according to the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit with different topics. See the New and Topics Courses page on the Registrar’s webpage for descriptions and applicability to majors/minors in other departments.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
- Prerequisite: Topic dependent
- Offering: Occasionally
- Professor: Staff
CHEM 321 Physical Chemistry I (4)
This course presents a theoretical basis for the equilibrium behavior of bulk chemical systems. Topics include: mathematical tools; equations of state; Laws of Thermodynamics; derivation and application of thermodynamic functions; physical behavior of single- and multi-component systems; colligative properties; phase diagrams; chemical reactions and equilibrium; and thermodynamics of electrolyte solutions. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences, Mathematical Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 116, MATH 152
- Corequisite: CHEM 321Y
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Williamson
CHEM 321Y Physical Chemistry I Laboratory(1)
CHEM 322 Physical Chemistry II (4)
Quantum mechanics, a theoretical description of the microscopic world, is developed and connected to the equilibrium behavior of macroscopic systems through statistical mechanics. Topics include: mathematical tools; the failure of classical mechanics; the postulates of quantum mechanics; prototype microscopic systems; hydrogen-like atoms; multi-electron atoms; molecular orbitals; rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectroscopy; the Boltzmann distribution; introductory statistical mechanics; and chemical equilibrium.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences, Mathematical Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 321, PHYS 221
- Offering: Alternate spring semesters
- Instructor: Williamson
CHEM 341 Instrumental Analysis (4)
Instrumental methods for qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Topics include experimental design, calibration approaches, analytical figures of merit, molecular spectroscopy (UV-visible, IR, NMR, fluorescence), atomic spectroscopy, chromatographic separators (GC, LC), ionization methods, mass spectrometry, and special topics.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 342W
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Griffith
CHEM 342W Experimental Techniques in Chemistry (2)
Theory and practice of chemical analysis in the laboratory. Statistics of small data sets. Introduction to formal scientific writing. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: Junior standing and CHEM major.
- Corequisite: CHEM 342YW
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 342W Experimental Techniques in Chemistry (2)
Theory and practice of chemical analysis in the laboratory. Statistics of small data sets. Introduction to formal scientific writing. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: Junior standing and CHEM major.
- Corequisite: CHEM 342YW
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 345W Experimental Chemistry II (2)
Theory and practice of chemical analysis in the laboratory. Students design and carry out qualitative and quantitative analysis on chemical systems using electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Analysis of real world sample when possible. Emphasis on formal scientific writing.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 321 and CHEM 344W
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Griffith, Holman
CHEM 347W Experimental Biochemistry II (2)
Theory and practice of chemical and biochemical analysis in the laboratory. Students design and carry out qualitative and quantitative analyses using electrophoretic and spectroscopic techniques, as well as the polymerase chain reaction, and protein purification. Biochemical phenomena explored include gene expression, protein function, and tRNA structure, dynamics, and ligand binding. Emphasis on formal scientific writing.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Natural Sciences
- Prerequisites: CHEM 351
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Fisher, Battle
CHEM 351 Biochemistry (4)
A comprehensive introduction to biochemistry, stressing a chemical understanding of life processes and how molecules interact in cells and organisms. Discussion of important biomolecules (e.g., proteins, lipids, carbohydrates) and their dynamic interactions: how enzymes speed up reactions, how cells use and transduce energy, how cells receive and transmit signals, and how flaws in these processes can lead to disease. The underlying chemistry (organic mechanisms, thermodynamics) involved in these molecular interactions will be closely examined.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 225
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Battle, Fisher
CHEM 362 Inorganic Chemistry (4)
This course presents a comprehensive investigation of transition metal complexes. Topics include: atomic structure, periodicity, and bonding theories of d-block metals; spectra and magnetism as they relate to electronic structure; and reactions, kinetics, and mechanisms of coordination compounds. Examples from organometallic, solid state, and bioinorganic chemistry are used. Additional topics include nuclear chemistry and photovoltaic semiconductors. Students engage in scientific communication via projects such as formal writing or a podcast that serves as outreach to general audiences.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: CHEM 225
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Holman
CHEM 399 Topics in Chemistry (1-4)
A semester-long study of topics in Chemistry. Topics and emphases will vary according to the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit with different topics. See the New and Topics Courses page on the Registrar’s webpage for descriptions and applicability to majors/minors in other departments.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
- Prerequisite: Topic dependent
- Offering: Occasionally
- Professor: Staff
CHEM 429 Topics in Chemistry (1-4)
A semester-long study of topics in Chemistry. Topics and emphases will vary according to the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit with different topics. See the New and Topics Courses page on the Registrar’s webpage for descriptions and applicability to majors/minors in other departments.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
- Prerequisite: Topic dependent
- Offering: Occasionally
- Professor: Staff
CHEM 430 Advanced Topics in Chemistry (2 or 4)
An in-depth study of topics selected for their interest and relevance to modern Chemistry. Topics may be chosen from the areas of analytical, physical, inorganic, organic, biological, polymer chemistry, computational chemistry, or history and philosophy of chemistry. Taught in a seminar format.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 431 Advanced Topics in Biochemistry (2)
An in-depth study of selected topics in modern biochemistry. Taught in a seminar format. This course may be taken multiple times for credit.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Science
- Prerequisite: CHEM 351
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Fisher
CHEM 491 Advanced Research Projects (1-4)
Individual laboratory and library research projects selected in consultation with chemistry faculty. Written reports and seminar presentations are required. Occasional field trips to nearby research facilities may be made.
- Prerequisite: Instructor consent
- Offering: Every semester
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 495 Senior Research Projects I (1)
Capstone course in independent chemical research for senior Bachelor of Science Chemistry majors. Students read and evaluate primary scientific literature, and develop project objectives for a thesis. Weekly meetings include seminars, discussions of research activities, experimental design, laboratory safety, career pathways, and ethical issues in chemistry. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Natural Sciences
- Corequisite: CHEM 345W or CHEM 347W and CHEM 495Y
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 495Y Senior Research Projects I Laboratory (1)
- Corequisite: CHEM 495
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 496W Senior Research Projects II (1)
Continuation of the capstone course in independent chemical research for senior Bachelor of Science Chemistry majors. Weekly meetings include seminars, progress reports, and writing workshops. The course culminates with a written senior thesis and a formal oral presentation. Laboratory required.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Natural Sciences
- Prerequisite: Instructor consent
- Corequisite: CHEM 496YW
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Staff
CHEM 496YW Senior Research Projects II Laboratory (1)
- Prerequisite: Instructor consent
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Staff