Chemistry 351 - Principles of Organic Chemistry I
Spring Semester 2009, Winona State University

Credits: 5 semester hours. Prerequisites: Chemistry 350.

Lectures: Meet in Pasteur 337 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:00-9:50 PM.
Labs: Meet in SLC 386. Section 03 - Tuesday 9:30-1:20; Section 04 - Wednesday 2:00-5:50; Section 05 - Thursday 12:30-4:20

Instructor: Tom Nalli (Pasteur 350, 457-2476, tnalli@winona.edu)
Office Hours: Monday 11:00-1:00, 4:00-5:00, Wednesday  11:00-12:00, 1:00-2:00, Thursday 10:00-12:00, Friday 12:00-2:00. (Revised hours effective Jan 20) (Study sessions on Friday at 11:00-12:00)

Required/Recommended Materials:
- Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed. by Janice Gorzynski Smith; McGraw-Hill (required) 

- Student Study Guide/Solutions Manual to Accompany Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed, by Janice Gorzynski Smith; McGraw-Hill and Erin R. Smith (optional)

- Organic Chemistry I & II Laboratory Manual for Fall 2008-Spring 2009. (Manual custom published for Drs. Hein and Nalli is only available at the WSU Bookstore.) (required)

- Molecular Model Kit: Models help with the visualization of the three-dimensional nature of organic molecules, an essential part of this course. Thus, access to a molecular model kit is required for all students in the course. (required)

- Internet Access and Notebook Computer: This course requires all students to have Internet access. Students must be able to access WSU's Desire2Learn Site. A PC-based laptop computer is recommended. (required)

- Laboratory notebook: Each three-member lab team needs one of the laboratory notebooks available at the bookstore. (required)

- ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide: This is the only available study guide for the standardized final exam in this course. Use this order form to order one (if you wish) at least two weeks in advance of the final exam date. You may want to share this purchase with several other students if you can meet as a group to use it. (optional)

Homework: Organic chemistry is a very difficult subject for most people. You will need to work hard in order to get an acceptable grade in the course. It is essential that all of the end-of-chapter problems in the textbook be diligently and independently worked. This homework will not be collected or graded but doing it is the best way to ensure that your performance on exams and quizzes is satisfactory. A copy of the Student Study Guide/Solutions Manual is available for checkout at the reserve desk in the library. Please do not fall into the trap of working on the homework problems with the study guide open so that you can check the answers before putting in a conscientious effort to solve the problem yourself. 

Learning Outcomes: A student successfully completing the Chem 350/351 sequence will:

• Understand organic nomenclature as evidenced by the ability to name a given structure according to IUPAC rules and the ability to draw the structure of a compound given its name.
• Understand how structure influences physical properties as evidenced by the ability to predict trends in the physical properties, including boiling point, melting point, and water solubility, of a set of compounds.
• Understand in detail how structure influences reactivity and reaction mechanism as evidenced by the ability to predict the main product (and its stereochemistry) of a given chemical reaction.
• Have enough knowledge of reagents used for functional group transformations and carbon-carbon bond forming reactions to be able to propose reaction sequences that can be used for the synthesis of a given compound from simple organic building blocks.
• Be able to deduce the structure and purity of an organic compound based on its NMR, IR, and/or mass spectrum.
• Be able to carry out standard organic laboratory procedures including reflux, chromatography, extraction, recrystallization, distillation, and spectroscopy as needed to prepare and purify a compound.

Grading:

Quizzes will be given at least once per week throughout the semester. Some quizzes will be non-lecture-time D2L quizzes so it is essential that you are able to access the WSU D2L site. Your average on the quizzes counts 10% toward the final grade for the course. The lowest quiz grade is dropped.

Four midterm exams will be given, each counting 10% toward your grade in the course.

A comprehensive standardized final exam provided by the American Chemical Society will count 25% toward your final grade.

Your score in the laboratory section of the course will contribute another 25% to the final grade.

Minimum Scores:
to pass course (D) - 50% | for a C grade - 60% | for a B grade - 75% | for an A grade - 90%

Tentative Exam Dates and Coverage: